I recently entered into a debate with a friend of mine regarding the importance of “earning our keep.” As I reevaluate the way I live my life, I question this notion that we must prove ourselves to be worthy of our blessings.
I looked up the word earn in the New Oxford American Dictionary on my computer. The origin of the word is the Old English word earnian, from a base shared by Old English esne, which translates as laborer. The definition refers to “obtaining in return for labor or services, incurring deservedly in return for one's behavior or achievements, and being worth the time, money, or effort spent on one.” One of the examples cited, i.e. use it in a sentence, and, I kid you not, is “through the years she has earned affection and esteem.” Imagine, our society has trained us that we must labor to deserve the affection and respect of others!
I suggest that instead of “earning” our lives, more importantly, we, as human beings, seek to “contribute” to our lives. The same source as above indicates that the word contribute comes from the Latin contribut, translated as brought together, added, and is defined as “giving in order to help achieve or provide something.” It further defines a contribution as “the part played by a person … in bringing about a result or helping something to advance.”
So, next time someone asks - “What do you do for a living?” - consider your response. Maybe instead of explaining how you earn a living, or in other words, what you do that makes you deserving (of whatever it is that you desire), share how you contribute, the role you play in advancing whatever small, or large, part of this world you choose, bringing about results – often the many blessings of this life.
