-Bhagwad GitaWhen I was young I was taught
To go on working without a thought
Wasted on the fruits of my labor
Fortune, I was told, would favor
Me if I could make a distinction
Between anticipated results and actions.
Why then can I not apply
This principle even though I try
Why can I not avert my eyes
From the distant gleaming prize?
Just focus on giving each job my best
Lay all expectations of outcomes to rest.
When did I acquire this greed,
How did the prize become a need?
Anticipation of results eroding slowly
Into my work imperceptibly
Sucking out of work all happiness
Making the journey so tedious
By focusing on the final destination,
That focus turning into an obsession.
***
A new vocation did I find
Complex enough to challenge my mind
With no definite end in sight
No temptation of a prize to fight
All I had was the work at hand
I plunged into it, my future unplanned
Rejuvenated, I discovered my passion
In bringing my arduous task to fruition.
My journey was suddenly satisfying
When for the prize I was not trying.
More happiness, though was in the wake,
When at the end, as icing on the cake
A huge prize I won as my reward
For toiling away and working hard!