Laracy Law of Inverted Consequences

In my 20-or-so years in supervision at UPS, a counter-intuitive pattern pronounced itself clearly: whenever I was working strenuously, exercising my abilities even beyond their limits, everything seemed to go wrong: my numbers were bad and I was being called in, almost daily, for "career counseling" (euphemism for "ass-kicking.") Alternately, in periods when I was working minimally, exerting myself not at all, everything seemed to go well: I was receiving accolades for my fine performance. I call this the "law of inverted consequences":  work hard and things go bad; do nothing and things go swell. I am surprised someone more famous and brilliant hasn't discovered this law. To be sure: it is not absolute. On occasion hard work pays off; and things don't always go well for the lethargic. Witness the three little pigs and the big bad wolf!

The moral to be drawn from this reality is not to lay in bed watching soap operas and smoking pot! No: we have to pull ourselves out of bed, brush our teeth, and apply ourselves to the best of our ability to the tasks before us. This is important for our character. Our singular creativity and masterpiece (in cooperation with God's grace to be sure) is our character; consequences beyond ourselves are almost completely out of our control. It is very healthy to recognize this.

This point of view is...to say the least...contradictory of our technocratic, meritocratic, efficiency-adoring, activist, careerist, Self-worshiping culture!

The moral to be drawn from this fact is:  GRATITUDE!

If you are getting straight-As or making good money or fabulously popular and attractive...give thanks! Perhaps 2% of your success is attributable to you; 98% is beyond yourself.

If you are working vigorously, doing your very best and maybe better than your best and getting nowhere...give thanks: that you have energy, focus, discipline and motivation. And keep up the good effort. Perhaps 2% of your failure is due to you; the rest is beyond your control. You are the victim of circumstances:  accept what you cannot change serenely and offer up your suffering for the souls in purgatory!

In all things...we are in the hands of God...let us do our best with what we are given...surrender ourselves to the good and the bad...and give THANKS in all things!