Day 66 Avodah…

Avodah translates as “work, worship, and service” in Hebrew.  It makes sense to me that these three concepts should nest together in one word.  As I see it, the lynchpin here is worship (to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion), for what you worship will greatly impact your work and how it serves others.

Early in my coaching career I worshiped championships for their own sake.  The badge of besting others and the need to prove that I can win didn’t create an environment that served my athletes particularly well. Unsurprisingly, the championships were non-existent while I labored in this mindset.

It wasn’t until I started worshipping the power of the athletic platform to develop individuals and the skills they would need to cultivate their excellence that my service towards my athletes enabled my work to impact them in the best possible way.  Once work, worship, and service were aligned to the athletes’ greatest good, both my influence and the team’s performance rose to new heights.  

Worship prestige, power, and position and your work will very likely be labor, an endless toil to fill a personal hole or achieve a state that will be at best fleeting and at worst unattainable.  Contrast that with work focused upon your purpose and passions, a daily ritual aligned with your strengths and with activities that serve as steppingstones towards your dream state. Imagine the impact and influence you will have on your team, clients, and those you serve outside of work.

Avodah, work, worship, and service.  What are you regarding with extravagant respect, honor, or devotion?  How does this show up in your work?  How does this affect those you serve?  Reflect. Write. Good.