(Picture courtesy: Team-BHP.com)

Sometimes, the metaphors that commonly used are an indicator on the conditioned and ingrained way of thinking.

The spoke in the wheel literally means, making it very difficult for someone to achieve something they had planned to do.  When we integrate work , wisely , as a spoke to the wheel of life , then the spoke of work starts working harmoniously with other spokes in the wheel of our life and ensures joy and peace of mind in our way of life. 

 I have two points of view regarding this.

 First about the term Work – Life balance.

 The term Work life balance triggers the image of a weight scale or balance with two trays which separates life from work.  Rather it is more helpful to imagine a wheel of life with multiple spokes.  Spokes of relationship – to self, dear and near, org and society, taking care of oneself (exercises for mind and body), recreation and entertainment, silent time, work etc.  Each spoke is as important as any other spoke, if we wish to keep the wheel of life rolling, without toppling to one side, on the Way of life.  The spokes are important so are the space between those spokes.  And each spoke is a relationship we have with one facet of our life.  All those spokes consist of what can be called living.  We cannot take living out of our life.  Likewise, you cannot take out of those spokes out of the wheel. (Though the concept of maglev was invented by a German engineer more than a century back.  )

 As Lao Tsu wrote

 “Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;

It is the center hole that makes it useful.

Shape the clay into a vessel;

It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room;

It is the holes that make it useful.

There benefit from what is there;

Usefulness from what is not there.”

     Chapter 11 Tao Te Ching Lao Tsu (Translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English )

If we let any one of the spoke out grow other spokes, then  wheel or circle cease to be  one and there ends  its journey in the way of life, temporarily or permanently.

 Then it is not about just over working, even people can get negatively impacted on overexercising or overeating or  binge-watching Netflix as a way of entertainment.  There is a limit our brain can take glucose or our heart oxygen.  More or less is not only , not beneficial it can be harmful.  

 Secondly, it is important to note that, certain professions, need utmost focus and attention from us, such intensity can be sustained only a few hours at a time /stretch.  It could be the role of a  surgeon, or a truck/bus driver, or a pilot  or even a cook etc.  They all do need a total cut off from work and need absolute rest of body and mind for rejuvenating.  But for many other professions, still if people think, they need a totally segregation of work from rest of their life, it does indicate, their environment in which they work contributes to their stress rather than the work itself.  It could be toxic culture, toxic boss, or overcompetitive coworkers etc.   If I am not too to keen on finding out, or annoyed at, Or feeling stressed out, why my  Boss or my colleagues at work or my customers tries to reach me , when I am at other spokes of my wheel of life, then it could stem more from their images I have “Built” in my mind . I can surely bet that it is not too positive.  We could reverse that question.  If a dear and near, a loved one, tries to reach us during our work hours, what would be our response.

To take this argument forward, If  someone , still really thinks the spoke of Work has to be separated form his wheel of life,  s/he got to really got to really evaluate, whether that particular spoke fits wheel with their wheel of life , in values and principles.  Each one of us may have different types of wheel of life.  While I still consider my wheel of life as that of a bullock cart, there could be people with a wheel of life of a Ferrari.