Work is something that we do, all through life. More important than the work we do, is our attitude to it. From the moment we are born, till we die, work is being done all the time, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not.

Even sitting idle or lying in bed is an activity, a work. Breathing, digesting, sleeping, waking up, blinking, keeping up our muscle tone, the slow process of formation of new cells and destruction of old ones — all these activities are work that goes on, with our without our consent. It is only in death that work truly ceases. Many people feel that they would like to retire at the age of 60 and do ‘nothing’. But as long as we are alive, it is impossible to do ‘nothing’.Having agreed that work is unavoidable, we need to look at how we do the work. Whether it is a child who is playing, a mother who is feeding her child, a house help who is sweeping the floor, or a physician who is saving lives — what is important in all these activities is our attitude. Are you doing your work with a happy, creative, cheerful outlook, or are you constantly complaining and wishing for ‘something’ else to do? Because if you are miserable doing the work allotted to you, rest assured that you’ll remain miserable in whatever work you do.Since work and activity is unavoidable, why not do it with pleasure, with interest, with involvement, with joy? Human beings cannot avoid what is destined to happen. What is in our hands, however, is how to react to the work that we do. When you are standing in the queue to pay your child’s fees, or waiting at a government office to renew your licence or passport, you have only two choices: either spend the time relaxing and making friends with others standing in line, or spend the time irritated, angry and frustrated. When you do any activity with happiness, acceptance, joy and humility, and when you are not bothered about the outcome of the work, when you have left all that to God or existence, then you can say that work is really worship.What is worship? It is offering something to God. Here, we are offering our work to God. We normally work only for our own benefit, for our own profits. When we are ready to give up this benefit, this profit, and accept anything and everything that comes our way as a blessing from God, then, our work becomes worship.And if you truly give up attachments to the results of your work, what work you do becomes immaterial. You may be a cobbler, driver, scientist, or politician. In a metaphysical sense, it does not matter what you do, for you are doing work without attachments to the fruits of your labour and you are free from the bondage of cause and effect. And that is why, in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna urges Arjuna to fight his own cousins, not for personal gain, but as God’s work, as his duty or dharma, without getting distracted with the possible outcome. Once he understood this, Arjuna’s work became worship and he was free from the consequences of his actions.