“No, work doesn’t have to suck.” Find joy and work from abundance.

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Grinding Versus Energizing

The “grind harder” mentality dominates our culture — from social media influencers preaching struggle as a virtue to workplace expectations that assume misery is necessary for achievement. This toxic mindset creates unnecessary suffering by convincing people that if they aren’t exhausted and struggling, they must be doing something wrong. The alternative isn’t laziness but finding fulfilling work that energizes rather than depletes — where challenges feel like engaging puzzles rather than painful obstacles. When we follow genuine interests, we often discover that dedication and perseverance flow naturally from enjoyment rather than forced discipline. The real discomfort worth facing isn’t brutal work schedules but confronting uncomfortable emotions typically masked by constant achievement-seeking. We face no shortage of people grinding themselves into burnout but desperately lack optimism, curiosity, delight and exuberance — qualities that paradoxically might lead to more meaningful contributions than glorified suffering ever could. Pathless (7 minutes)