If work is miserable, you might as well enjoy it. Don’t double misery by adding sour feelings to painful situations.
Marcus Aurelius wrote:
“If the cucumber is bitter, throw it away. If there are brambles in the path, turn aside… Do not say, ‘Why were such things made in the world?’”
Great Advantage
The advantage of challenge outweighs the enjoyment of ease.
Hardship shapes you more than enjoyment. Those who suffer well open their heart to the world. The rest risk shriveling into bitterness. Isolation feels safe for a moment. But hard-hearted leaders lose connection, empathy, and eventually influence.
Pleasure builds a house of foolishness and arrogance. Adversity breeds creativity, resilience, and flexibility when you stay open.
Henry Nouwen said: “The wound is the place where the light enters you.”
Don’t let misery make you miserable. The longer you live in survival mode, the more you treat people like problems.
When Work is Miserable:
#1. Yield
Surrender isn’t giving up. It’s yielding to what you can’t change. Pushing against the unchangeable leads to anger, blame, fatigue—and eventually despair.
Surrender doesn’t make hard things easy. It strengthens you to do hard things.
#2. Open Your Heart
Open up when you feel like shutting down. Good companions ease misery.
It’s most important to listen when you least want to.
#3. Practice Self-Reflection
Pain without reflection hardens you. Pain with structured self-reflection makes you wise. Think beyond miserable situations. Contemplate your contribution to your circumstances. Ask: What’s this darkness trying to teach me?
But beware! Self-reflection done in isolation births self-deception. Share your thoughts with trusted friends, a coach, or mentor. (For more on the essential skill of self-reflection, read The Vagrant)
Leadership means carrying weight—but don’t carry it alone.
Be strong. Don’t grow brittle.
What’s your advice for making the most of misery?
