Love and Work

Meaningful work, real, down-to-earth, roll-up-your-sleeves work, gives us a sense of purpose that’s hard to find in this modern era of endless distractions. I found a stat the other day that the Amish have a suicide rate that is less than half the national average. For all the stigma we attach to rigid religious and social structures that bind people to the group, I don't think anyone is actually surprised that a people defined by their hard and constant work towards the benefit of the community are effectively sidestepping the contagion of fear, isolation and purposelessness that modernity has engineered.

This work comes part and parcel with 'togetherness', the absence of which has given us a collective social hypoxia. ⁠⁠Now, this is where the cynical part of me wants to rage against the machine: we’ve traded meaningful labor for mindless consumerism. A lot of us are stuck in jobs that don’t inspire, don’t challenge, and certainly don’t fulfill. But when people retire, thinking they're finally free, what happens? They often find themselves more isolated, more purposeless, and their mental health takes a nosedive. There’s a reason the Blue Zones—those rare places where people live significantly longer and healthier lives—are filled with folks who keep working in some capacity well into old age. It’s not just about staying busy; it’s about staying connected, staying relevant, staying part of a community.⁠⁠

Humans are social creatures. Studies have shown that people who are married or have strong social connections live longer, healthier lives. The epidemic of loneliness and isolation is no joke; it’s literally killing people. When you see older folks without a partner or strong social network, their health declines at a staggering rate. Love isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s as essential as air and water. So, while it’s easy to get cynical about the state of the world and our place in it, I'm also overcome with the sense that the secret to a good life doesn't go much farther than finding your work and your people, and then hanging on for dear life.

⁠⁠Train. With Purpose. ⁠