Inspirational Poem - This is what I am working towards! You?

This quote or poem has always appealed to me. Perhaps because I have a strong value of play, perhaps because I love contradictions and challenge, and perhaps because from a very early age I have had a part of me screaming, "It doesn't have to be this way!" We can work hard AND have fun, we can create new rules, let's do things differently, let's BE different.

So, I'd love to know what you think. Does this poem appeal to you? Do you, like me, think that if people could do this they would be happier?

The person who is a master
in the art of living
makes little distinction between
their work and their play,
their labor and their leisure,
their mind and their body,
their education and their recreation,
their love and their religion.
They hardly know which is which.
They simply pursue their vision of
excellence and grace in whatever they do,
leaving others to decide whether
they are working or playing.
To them, they are always doing both.
Lawrence Pearsall Jacks

Please Note: I am not sure of the author - some references say it is from a Zen Buddhist text while others say the Pulitzer Prize winner, James A. Michener. However, it seems most likely that it is from a book published in 1932 (Education through Recreation) by a teacher and Unitarian minister called Lawrence Pearsall Jacks (usually cited as L. P. Jacks).

You may also like:

• The Complete Guide to Life Coaching Tools, Forms and Exercises (with Examples)
• How to Use Poetry in Coaching: Inspirational Poem, "My Symphony" by William Ellery Channing
• For a better life balance: The Complete Guide to The Wheel of Life (for Coaches)

Contributing Author:

Emma-Louise Elsey is passionate about kindness, coaching and personal development and has been coaching since 2003. She's the Founder and Former CEO of The Coaching Tools Company, and Founder of Fierce Kindness. Originally a project and relationship manager for Fortune 500 companies she loves to create coaching tools and exercises, including lots of free coaching tools for you here at The Coaching Tools Company. Through Fierce Kindness she helps people create a life they love, make a difference and learn to be kind to themselves.

She'd love you to sign-up for the Fierce Kindness Newsletter and grab a free How to Be Kind to Yourself Workbook. Or connect personally on Linkedin, Facebook or Instagram.

Learn more about Emma-Louise & see all their articles here >>