Manual labor
I try and believe that there is something very Zen about doing physical labor which helps motivate me to do seemingly monotonous and tedious work. Of course the joy of good work is that you can see the actual effects of your efforts. Being physical labor the outcomes tend to always be tangible. For two summers I worked at a greenhouse/garden center and spent hours and hours planting things like mums, and while it could seem terribly repetitive at times, there was always great pleasure in seeing the plants flower and being able to say, “I was a part of that process.” The same goes for helping in building. I did a bit of work on a habitat for humanity house and whenever I drive by it I feel pleased in knowing that some of what keeps that house standing, some of what provides shelter, came from the efforts of my own hands. I think that the reason we like good work is the utter functionality of good work, it is purposeful, we, as humans like that. And while some people may find this kind of work boring I have to admit that I can really enjoy it, because while I work I can just let my mind wander a bit, think about this or that, and take the pleasure that I am keeping busy. Of course good work seems always better if there is somebody else around to talk to. And hey if you get paid for it then it becomes all the more pleasurable. So yeah, manual labor is a plus and everybody should have some experience doing it.
