What Attire do YOUR Opportunities Dress in?

One of my favorite quotes is from Thomas Edison. He said that, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."  After watching my Grandfather all my life, I dare say that on occasion Opportunity takes the liberty of dressing in coveralls instead of overalls. Regardless of whichever attire Opportunity decides to dress in, the meaning of the quote is the same--people miss out on great opportunities in life, because they shy away from work. 

Today in church we read a quote by President David O. McKay which read, "Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, and that love of work is success." After hearing this quote, I quickly scribbled it down on the sacrament program which I was using to practice my signature. Only a few hours previously I had been thinking that I was blessed with the discipline to work. After mulling the meaning of this quote over for a few minutes in my head, I realized that I have been given the privilege to work, I have been blessed with the power and capability to work, but if I want to truly become “successful” I have to learn to love work.

The success I am talking about has nothing to do with monetary success, but rather succeeding in life itself. The Book of Mormon tells us “men are that they might have joy,” or put in other words, people are supposed to enjoy life and be happy.  It is no surprise that life has its challenges which seem to consume us. These challenges are given to us so that we can grow, not to bare us down and depress us.

Furthermore, we are supposed to work in this life.  Heavenly Father did not create us so that we can simply come here to Earth to gain a body and lounge around all day.  Christ himself warned against wasting our time and talents. Even in the Garden of Eden, Christ commanded Adam to work and keep the garden, not to simply enjoy the garden and lie in the flowers all day long. 

Understanding these two principles (we are to be happy and joyful, and we are to work), hopefully helps you to understand what I mean when I say that I need to learn to work in order to be successful in life, because if I hate working and it makes me angry, then I never have a chance at finding joy in a life filled with work.