LETTER 03
Comparing Heaven and Hell
The greatest reward for our hard work is not what we get, but what we will become.
If you view work as a pleasure, life is heaven; if you view work as a duty, life is hell.
(With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.)
November 9, 1897
Dear John:
There is an allegory that is very meaningful and provided me with a lot of insights.
The fable said:
In ancient Europe, a man found himself in a wonderful place where he could enjoy everything in his afterlife. As soon he stepped into the place of music, someone who looked like a waiter came over and asked him: "Sir, do you have any needs? Here you can have everything you want: delicious food, all possible forms of entertainment and all kinds of pastimes, amongst them are many beautiful young women where you can enjoy as you please."
After listening to the waiter, the man was a little surprised, but very happy, as he happily thought to himself: "this is not my dream in the world!" Throughout the day he had been tasting all of the delicious food while enjoying the taste of beauty. However, one day, he was bored, so he said to the waiter: "I am bored from all of this and I need to do something. Can you find me a job to do?"
He did not expect that the answer he received was the waiter shaking his head, "Sorry, my sir, this is the only thing we can't do for you here. There is no work here for you."
The man was very frustrated and waved his hand angrily as he said, "This is really bad! Then I will just stay in hell!"
"Where do you think you're at", said the waiter gently.
John, this very humorous fable tells me that: Losing work means losing happiness. It is regrettable that some people only realize this after being unemployed, which is very unfortunate!
I am proud to say that I have never tasted unemployment. This is not my luck, because I never treat work as hard labour without fun, instead I found infinite happiness from work.
I think that work is a privilege, as it brings more than just sustaining life. Work is the foundation of all businesses, the source of prosperity, and the shaper of genius. Work makes young people work harder and do more than their parents no matter how rich they are. Work is expressed in the humblest forms and lays the foundation for happiness. A job helps to add flavours to life. But people must love work before it can return the biggest favours and achieve the greatest results.
When I first entered the business world, I often heard that a person who wants to climb to the peak needs to make a lot of sacrifices. However, as the years passed, I began to understand that many people who were climbing to the peak were not "paying the price." They work hard because they really like their work. People who climb up in any industry are fully committed to what they are doing and are dedicated. Sincerely love the work you do; you will naturally succeed.
Loving one's work is a belief. With this faith, we can heave the desperate mountain into a rock of hope. A great painter said it well, "Pain will eventually pass, but beauty will last forever."
But some people are obviously not smart enough. They have ambitions but are too picky about their work. They are always looking for a "perfect" employer or job. The fact is that employers need punctual, honest, and hard-working employees. They only leaves the salary increase and promotion opportunities to those employees who work hard, are very loyal, extra zealous, and spend more time doing things, because they are running a business, not a charity; they need those who are more valuable.
No matter how great a person's ambitions are, he must at least begin before he reach the peak. Once started, it is not difficult to progress. The more difficult or unpleasant the work is, the more urgent it is to accomplish it. The longer he waits, the more difficult and scarier it becomes.This is a bit like shooting a gun. The longer you aim, the lower the chance of you pulling the trigger.
I will never forget my first job - the experience of being a bookkeeper. At that time, although I had to go to work everyday when the morning just begun, but that never let me lose interest in the job. Instead, it fascinated and delighted me. Even all the red tape in the office did not make me lose my passion for the job. As a result, the employer kept raising my salary.
Income is just a by-product of your work. Doing what you should do, accomplishing what you should do well, the ideal salary will come. And more importantly, the highest reward for our hardwork is not what we get, but what we will become. Those who are mentally active do not just work hard to earn money; the real reason behind the passion for their work is far more noble- they are engaged in a fascinating career.
Honestly, I am an ambitionist. Since I was a child, I have wanted to be a wealthy man. For me, the Hewitt Tuttle company I worked at is was a good place to exercise my ability and give myself a try in the business. It is a provider of a variety of commodities, owns an iron ore, and operates two technologies which the company heavily relies on to generate profits, namely, railways and telegraphs that revolutionized the American economy. It has brought me into a fun, vast and splendid business world, and taught me to respect numbers and facts. It has also allowed me to see the power of the transportation industry and has cultivated the abilities and qualities that I should have as a businessman. All of these have played a great role in my future business. I can say that without the experience at Hewitt Tuttle, I may have taken many detours in my career.
Now, whenever I think of Mr. Hewitt & Tuttle, I cannot help but feel grateful in my heart. That period of time marked the beginning of my career and laid the foundation for my struggles. I am forever grateful for that three and a half years of experience.
So, I have never complained about my employer unlike somewho might say, "We are nothing but just slaves, we are being suppressed by our employers, but they are standing tall while enjoying themselves in their beautiful villas; their safes are full with gold, and every dollar they have is obtained by exploiting honest workers like us." I don't know if these complainers want to be irregular (minority), but: Who gave you the opportunity to work? Who gave you the chance to build a family? Who gave you the possibility to develop yourself? If you realized they are exploiting you, why don't you end it by leaving the company for good?
The work bench is a type of attitude; it determines whether we are happy or not. In a group of stone masons who are doing the same job sculpting stone statues, if you were to ask them. "what are you doing here?" One of them might say, "You see, I am chiselling stone, and I can go home after chiselling this piece." This kind of person always treats work as a punishment, and the word he often spits out from his mouth is "tired".
Another person might say: "You see, I am making a statue. This is a very hard job, but the compensation is very high. After all, I have a wife and four children, and they need food and clothing." Regarding work as a burden, a sentence he often spits out from his mouth is "feeding his family".
The third person may put down the hammer and proudly point to the stone carving and say, "You see, I am making a work of art." This kind of person always takes pride in and enjoys his work and often cites: "this job is very meaningful."
Heaven and hell are created by ourselves. If you give meaning to your work, you will feel happy regardless of its size and you will feel fulfilled no matter what self-set results you have attained. If you don't like to do anything, even the simplest things will become difficult and boring. When you lament that this work is very tiring, despite not working hard, you will feel exhausted, in other words there is a huge difference. This is how things are.
John, if you view work as a pleasure, life is heaven; if you view work as a duty, life is hell. Reflect on your work attitude, it will make everyone happy.
Love,
Your Father
~~~~~~
Chinese (Simplified):
信03：父亲写给儿子
天堂与地狱的比较
我们努力工作的最大回报不是我们得到了什么，而是我们将成为什么。
如果你把工作当作一种享受，那么生活就是天堂；如果你把工作当作一种享受，那么生活就是天堂。 如果你把工作当作一种责任，那么生活就是地狱。
（有了这种信念，我们就能从绝望之山中凿出希望之石。）
1897 年 11 月 9 日
亲爱的约翰：
有一个寓言很有意义，给了我很多启发。
寓言说：
在古代欧洲，一个人发现自己身处一个美妙的地方，在那里他可以享受来世的一切。 刚一踏进音乐厅，就有一个服务员模样的人走过来，问道：“先生，您有什么需要吗？在这里，您想要的一切都可以得到：美味的食物，一切可能的娱乐方式，各种应有尽有的服务。” 消遣，其中有许多美丽的年轻女子，你可以随心所欲地享受。”
听完服务员的话，那人有些惊讶，但又很高兴，他高兴地心想：“这不是我在世上的梦想！” 这一整天，他一边品尝着各种美食，一边享受着美丽的味道。 然而有一天，他觉得无聊，就对服务员说：“我厌倦了这一切，我需要做点什么，你能给我找一份工作吗？”
他没想到得到的答案是服务员摇头：“对不起，先生，这是我们这里唯一不能为您做的事情，这里没有工作可以为您做。”
那人很沮丧，愤怒地摆手道：“这可不行了！那我就在地狱里呆着吧！”
“你认为你现在在哪里？”服务员温柔地说。
约翰，这个非常幽默的寓言告诉我：失去工作就意味着失去幸福。 遗憾的是，有些人失业后才意识到这一点，这是非常不幸的！
我很自豪地说，我从未尝过失业的滋味。 这不是我的运气，因为我从来不把工作当成没有乐趣的苦役，相反我从工作中找到了无限的快乐。
我认为工作是一种特权，因为它带来的不仅仅是维持生命。 工作是一切事业的基础、繁荣的源泉、天才的塑造者。 工作让年轻人更加努力，无论他们多么富有，都比他们的父母做得更多。 工作以最卑微的形式表达，并为幸福奠定基础。 工作可以给生活增添情趣。 但人必须热爱工作，才能得到最大的恩惠，取得最大的成果。
当我刚进入商界时，我经常听说一个人想要登上顶峰需要做出很多牺牲。 然而，随着岁月的流逝，我开始明白，许多攀登顶峰的人并没有“付出代价”。 他们努力工作，因为他们真的喜欢他们的工作。 在任何行业中取得进步的人都全身心投入他们正在做的事情并奉献精神。 真诚热爱自己所做的工作； 你自然会成功。
热爱自己的工作是一种信念。 有了这个信念，我们就能把绝望的大山变成希望的磐石。 一位伟大的画家说得好：“痛苦终将过去，而美丽却永存。”
但有些人显然不够聪明。 他们有抱负，但对工作过于挑剔。 他们总是在寻找“完美”的雇主或工作。 事实上，雇主需要准时、诚实和勤奋的员工。 他们只把加薪和晋升的机会留给那些工作努力、非常忠诚、额外热心、花更多时间做事的员工，因为他们是在经营企业，而不是慈善机构； 他们需要那些更有价值的人。
一个人的志向无论有多大，在达到顶峰之前，至少要开始。 一旦开始，进步并不困难。 工作越困难或不愉快，完成它就越紧迫。 他等待的时间越长，事情就会变得越困难、越可怕。这有点像开枪。 瞄准的时间越长，扣动扳机的机会就越低。
我永远不会忘记我的第一份工作——当簿记员的经历。 那时，虽然我每天早上刚开始就要去上班，但这并没有让我失去对工作的兴趣。 相反，它让我着迷和高兴。 即使办公室里繁文缛节，也没有让我失去对工作的热情。 结果雇主不断给我涨工资。
收入只是你工作的副产品。 做你应该做的事，做好你应该做的事，理想的薪资就会到来。 更重要的是，我们努力工作的最高回报不是我们得到了什么，而是我们将成为什么。 那些心智活跃的人不只是为了赚钱而努力工作； 他们对工作充满热情的真正原因更为崇高——他们从事的是一项令人着迷的职业。
老实说，我是一个有野心的人。 我从小就梦想成为一个有钱人。 对我来说，我工作的Hewitt Tuttle公司是一个锻炼自己能力、尝试业务的好地方。 它是多种商品的供应商，拥有铁矿石，并运营着公司严重依赖的两项技术来产生利润，即彻底改变了美国经济的铁路和电报。 它带我进入了一个有趣、广阔、精彩的商业世界，教会了我尊重数字和事实。 也让我看到了交通运输行业的力量，培养了我作为一个商人应该具备的能力和素质。 这些都对我以后的事业起到了很大的作用。 我可以说，如果没有在休伊特·塔特尔的经历，我的职业生涯可能会走很多弯路。
现在，每当我想起休伊特和塔特尔先生，我都会情不自禁地心生感激。 那段时间标志着我职业生涯的开始，为我的奋斗奠定了基础。 我永远感激这三年半的经历。
所以，我从来没有抱怨过我的雇主，不像有人会说，“我们只不过是奴隶，我们受到雇主的压制，但他们却昂首阔步地在美丽的别墅里享受着自己的生活；他们的保险箱里装满了金子， 他们拥有的每一块钱都是通过剥削像我们这样诚实的工人而获得的。” 我不知道这些抱怨者是不是想不正规（少数），但是：谁给你工作的机会？ 谁给了你建立家庭的机会？ 谁给了你发展自我的机会？ 如果你意识到他们在剥削你，为什么不永远离开公司来结束这一切呢？
工作台是一种态度； 它决定我们是否幸福。 如果你问他们，一群石匠正在做同样的工作，雕刻石像。 “你在这里做什么？” 其中一个人可能会说：“你看，我正在凿石头，凿完这块我就可以回家了。” 这种人总是把工作当作一种惩罚，他嘴里经常吐出的两个字就是“累”。
另一个人可能会说：“你看，我在做雕像。这是一个很辛苦的工作，但报酬很高。毕竟我有妻子和四个孩子，他们需要食物和衣服。” 将工作视为一种负担，他嘴里经常吐出的一句话就是“养家糊口”。
第三个人可能会放下锤子，自豪地指着石雕说：“你看，我正在制作一件艺术品。” 这种人总是为自己的工作感到自豪和享受，并经常说：“这份工作很有意义。”
天堂和地狱都是我们自己创造的。 如果你赋予你的工作意义，无论工作大小，你都会感到快乐，无论你取得了怎样的自我设定的结果，你都会感到满足。 如果你不喜欢做任何事，即使是最简单的事情也会变得困难和无聊。 当你感叹这份工作很累的时候，尽管不努力，你也会感到疲惫，或者说有很大的不同。 事情就是这样。
约翰，如果你把工作当作一种乐趣，那么生活就是天堂；如果你把工作当作一种享受，那么生活就是天堂； 如果你把工作当作一种责任，那么生活就是地狱。 反思一下你的工作态度，会让大家开心的。
爱，
你的父亲
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