This is Ariel. The loss of structure in daily life, for a month or two or for a longer period, is incongruous with the value system that was imposed on you — including on those of you who had already begun to simplify your lives. It was a slavery value system that said, “The harder you work, the better you are. The harder you work, the more valuable you are. The harder you work, the more you will achieve in your life and the easier your life will be.” Let’s pause at that one for a moment. It’s almost laughable how much it is not true. Yet, that’s the script, right? That’s what you have been taught since you were young: “If you just work hard, you can achieve anything.”

Sometimes great things are accomplished through hard work. However, is it generally true that the harder you work, the more value you have and the more you achieve? Aren’t janitors and factory workers working harder than anyone? What have they achieved? What is in their bank accounts? According to this slavery value system, what have they earned or gained through this? Very little. But those with extreme wealth who can just follow the whims of luxury, by this same false value system — wow, they’ve attained everything! This value system doesn’t make any sense, right? As you start to look into it, you find many contradictions. And most people are still holding themselves to this standard.

According to this standard, if you don’t have a lot of jobs or work to do, you might feel, “Uh oh, where is my value? Am I contributing in this lifetime? Am I moving toward something? Am I achieving something?” On your deepest, most conscious level, you’re not measuring yourself by the yardstick of work. You understand that this value system was imposed on humanity and then reflected and reinforced by society, schooling, parents, and so on. It is this very false value system that told you the harder you work, the better you are as a person, the more valued you are, and the more successful you will be. It’s just not the case. Even in the most basic interpretation of this, as we mentioned with janitors and factory workers, working harder does not make people more successful.