How to be inspired by your work – wisdom from Kahlil Gibran

On Work by Kahlil Gibran — Reimagined

This is a passage from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, but I’ve reimagined it into a modern text. I tried to keep the intention behind Gibran’s original text as closely as possible. The reason it’s been ‘reimagined’ is because his words were written over 100 years ago, and I find that the density of his language makes it difficult to understand the message he was trying to communicate. So I hope you enjoyed this, and if you do, I highly encourage you buy a copy and marinate in his original words too. The book is truly life changing.

A farmer stepped forward and asked, "Tell us about work."

And he said:
You work to keep in rhythm with the earth and its spirit.
To avoid work is to disconnect from life’s natural flow, to step out of the grand procession of existence—one that moves with grace, purpose, and surrender toward something greater than ourselves.

When you work, you are like a flute—your effort turns the passing hours into music.
Would you rather be a silent, lifeless reed while the whole world sings in harmony?

Many have told you that work is a burden, that labor is a hardship. But I tell you this—when you work, you fulfill a part of the earth’s dream, a purpose meant for you since the beginning.

And in dedicating yourself to your work, you are truly embracing life.

To love your work is to uncover one of life’s deepest secrets.

If you see work as suffering, if you curse the effort required to sustain your body, know this: only through your own effort can you wipe away the burden you believe has been placed upon you. Some say that life is dark and meaningless. And in their exhaustion, they repeat what others have told them.

But I say this:

Life is dark—until you have something to strive for.
Desire is blind—until it is guided by wisdom.
Knowledge is empty—until it is put to use.
And work itself is meaningless—unless it is done with love.

When you work with love, you connect with yourself, with others, and with something greater.

What does it mean to work with love?

To work with love is to weave fabric with threads of your own heart, as if your beloved will wear it. It is to build a house with care, as if your beloved will live within it. It is to plant seeds with tenderness and harvest with joy, as if your beloved will eat the fruit. It is to pour your spirit into everything you create. And to know that those who came before you—the ones who dreamed, worked, and sacrificed—are watching, standing beside you.

I have heard people say:

"The sculptor who shapes his soul into stone is greater than the farmer who tills the land."

"The artist who captures the rainbow in his painting is more noble than the one who makes our sandals."

But I say: Wake up! The wind does not whisper sweeter to the mighty oak than it does to the smallest blade of grass.

Work is love made visible.

And if you cannot work with love—only with resentment or boredom—then it is better to step aside and receive the kindness of those who do work with joy.

For if you bake bread without care, you make bitter bread that only half-satisfies a hungry soul.

If you resent crushing the grapes, your bitterness will seep into the wine.

And if you sing like an angel but feel no love for your song, you will silence the ears of those who listen.