Do you work to live or live to work?

Work as defined by the Merriam-Webster Online dictionary is "an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something" and " the labor, task, or duty that is one's accustomed means of livelihood". While these statements are both accurate, they fail to describe the emotional aspects of working.

Working to live denotes a need to eat, survive, and pay one's bills. To many professionals, however, work is more than just a means to an end, it is about fulfillment.

Working to get a paycheck or insurance benefits is usually only temporary before burnout and "drone-syndrome" have an effect on both the body and the mind. Your world starts to shrink as outside interests wane. And, everything slowly becomes uninspiring.

The average American spends more than half of their waking hours engaged in some form of work making it more than just an ideal to like your job and get a sense of satifsfaction each and every work day. Choosing work that gives purpose and meaning to ordinary activities is one of the wisest things one can do.

Leading your life in a manner where you are moving forward boldly is quite different from people whose identity is wrapped up in their job that they can't function without it.

Since "You are where you choose to be", how can you assess whether happiness, success, and meaning are all in a day's work?

1. If you won the lottery would you still continue to do what you do for a living?
2. After doing what you do for more than 5 hours, are you energized or looking for a life raft?
3. Would you still do what you do even if there wasn't a guaranteed paycheck accompanying your hard work?

You should easily and effortlessly answer "yes" to all three questions if you are living to work.

Remember, living to work doesn't equal all-consuming or no relationships. As Khalil Gibran so eloquently stated, "Work is love made visible."