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“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. The Philosophy of Labor …..

Ahh it’s the Labor Day (Labour Day in Canada) long weekend, or for those of you who enjoy text-speak, the LDW. The Dawgs have already won, but the celebration of the working man and woman continues on through today. It’s said that 40% of the US will still have to work on this day, the unofficial end to summer. Make sure to thank those working that come across your path. Your kids are already back at school. I’ve heard your cheers. Parades, grilling (or BBQing north of the 49^th), hanging by the pool, the beach, or the lake, and consuming beer and other adult libations will be all the de rigueur.  Just remember to put your summer whites and Seersucker suits away until the return of spring. All the better so you don’t get mustard and ketchup from your dogs and burgers on those summer fabrics. This morning’s M5T muses over labor from the point of view and quotes from some of the most renowned philosophers.

1. The Greek Philosopher.

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

“Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them.”

“You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”

~ Aristotle

2. The Chinese Philosopher.

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall.”

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

“When you are laboring for others, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.” “Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.”

~ Confucious

3. The Warrior Philosopher.

“Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow.”

“Opportunities multiply as they are a seized.”

“A leader leads by example not by force.”

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

~ Sun Tsu

4. The Philosopher who Shrugged.

“The quickest way to kill the human spirit is to ask someone to do mediocre work.”

“Just as man can’t exist without his body, so no rights can exist without the right to translate one’s rights into reality, to think, to work and keep the results, which means: the right of property.”

“Productive work is the central purpose of a rational man’s life, the central value that integrates and determines the hierarchy of all his other values. Reason is the source, the precondition of his productive work, pride is the result.”

~ Ayn Rand

5. Little Known Canadian Philosophers.

“Everyone’s watching to see what you will do / Everyone’s looking at you / Everyone’s wondering will you come out tonight / Everyone’s trying to get it right / Everybody’s working for the weekend.” ~ Loverboy, Working for the Weekend

“You get up every morning / From your ‘larm clock’s warning / Take the 8:15 into the city There’s a whistle up above / And people pushin’, people shovin’ / And the girls who try to look pretty / And if your train’s on time / You can get to work by nine / And start your slaving job to get your pay / If you ever get annoyed / Look at me I’m self-employed / I love to work at nothing all day / And I’ll be takin’ care of business (every day) / takin’ care of business (everyway). Takin’ care of business (it’s all mine) / takin’ care of business and working overtime.” ~ Bachman Turner Overdrive, Takin’ Care of Business

“Well, I get up at seven, yeah / And I go to work at nine / I got no time for livin’ / Yes, I’m workin’ all the time / It seems to me I could live my life / A lot better than I think I am / I guess that’s why they call me / They call me the workin’ man / I guess that’s what I am” ~ Rush, Working Man

As you enjoy this holiday Monday with family, friends, food, football, and libations, here’s to finding joy in all that you labor on for the remaining 121 days of this year.

For over 12 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T™.  He is thankful to get up every morning to see where his labors will take him.

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You can reach Paul by email at dpg@imagegraham.com

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