May the Work You Do Keep You Well!

“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”   

Mark Twain

The first Monday of September is Labor Day, a federal holiday that commemorates the contributions of American workers to the nation's strength, prosperity, and well-being. 

Aside from a long weekend, most of us take the holiday for granted. We pay little to no attention to the struggles and achievements that shape our working lives. It is the labor force that keeps America moving. To understand why Labor Day matters, here are five reasons to appreciate its deeper significance:

1) The holiday emerged from the labor movement of the late 1800s, which exemplifies real sacrifice and courage. We should honor the workers who faced violence, imprisonment, and death fighting for basic human rights and fair wages.

2) Labor Day ought to remind us that job security and protections aren’t permanent. Daily, we see rights once assumed guaranteed—job longevity, overtime pay, workplace safety—being taken away unexpectedly.

3) While we enjoy the long weekend and our Labor Day barbecues, millions worldwide don’t get a day off. They are healthcare workers, miners, and agricultural workers, to name a few.

4) In a culture that often glamorizes only certain types of success, Labor Day should honor the contributions of working people across all industries. Migrant workers, factory workers, and all service employees deserve to have their dignity celebrated.

5) Labor Day is a chance to appreciate he work you do to keep America thriving.

I learned early that I had to work, and I’ve never had a job I didn’t like. As a preteen, I worked in cotton and strawberry fields, and I decided I would find a way to make it enjoyable. I didn’t go to just any field; I went to fields where the work crew found clever ways to liven up backbreaking tasks.

Singing, storytelling, humor, and friendly competition were as much a part of the landscape as the long rows of cotton and strawberries and the grueling summer heat. These things turned those fields into more than just a place of labor. They strengthened friendships, built resilience, and adversity gave way to moments of joy.

In a world that is rapidly changing in ways I could never have imagined as a preteen, I take nothing for granted this Labor Day weekend. Just a few days ago, the President fired the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an independent statistical agency within the Department of Labor. Talk about job security?  

With that in mind, I appreciate workers who keep America thriving and the events happening here this Labor Day Weekend. I’m grateful I can still choose where to go, and I value the workers who make these “end of summer” activities possible.

What about you?

What work in your life—paid or unpaid—brings you the most satisfaction, and why?

What are five things you’re grateful for this Labor Day Weekend? Is it the weather, a good meal, rest, or relaxation? Go ahead, start a Gratitude list!

If you love the work you do, be grateful! If you don’t like it, still be grateful - at least you have a job that pays the bills and you’re making a contribution to the workforce that drives America forward!

However, you don’t have to be stuck in a job that you don’t like- it affects your well-being. If you feel the urge to change, you can; it’s easy as ABC-123: 

1) Acknowledge that you want to change

2) Believe you have the power to change

3) Commit to doing the work to change

***I’ll share more about the ABC-123 small change Strategy next week!

Need help finding a job you love? Contact me at smallchange@myrtlerussell.com

Subscribe to more small change Toolkit Wellness Tips at https://www.myrtlerussell.com/contact-us.

Be Grateful for the work you do; Be Well!