Rejecting Hustle Culture
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. What is anything in life compared to peace of soul?” (St. Francis de Sales).
We live in a world where we are inundated with hustle culture. Here, the term “hustle” refers to the glorification of business and emphasis on constantly working that is so prevalent and normalized—even expected—in our culture today. A 2019 New York Times article describes hustle culture as “obsessed with striving, relentlessly positive, devoid of humor, and — once you notice it — impossible to escape.”
When Is It All Too Much?
I love working hard. My work ethic has always been one of my strengths, if not my greatest strength. I closely associate what I do with who I am. Working hard is good, right?
Well, it’s good until it’s not—when work becomes the only thing you are concerned about.
Jesus does not want us to run around frantically. In fact, he says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Jesus wants our sights set on him. Even a good thing—a good job or working hard for a just cause—can become something that gets between us and Jesus. We aren’t made to hustle until we die. We are made to rest in him.
I work for the Church, which makes it even more difficult to determine when I am overdoing it. It’s so easy in this setting to justify working constantly at the expense of my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. A few months ago, I had no problem pushing most things in my life aside in favor of work. Unfortunately, things like prayer, relationships with family and friends, and leisure activities fell to the side.
“My work is good,” I told myself—and it is. I am passionate about my job doing marketing for a parish. Being passionate and driven is good, but consider whether your work is becoming a barrier between you and God.
I realized one night over a late night talk with a good friend that working myself to exhaustion was not what Jesus wants for me. He wants me to be rested enough to have time for him and others in my life. He wants me to do my job well, but Christ has to come first.
Reprioritizing Your Life
Here are a few steps I’ve taken to recenter:
Leave Work at Work
When the day is over, it’s over. Let your focus turn to other things.
Pray Throughout Your Day
This one is easy for me, since I work at a church, but regardless of where you work, it could be as simple as a quick Hail Mary between meetings.
Prioritize Time for Yourself, Daily if Possible
It could be time for exercise, for prayer ... whatever gives you life. I find my balance to be so much better when I take at least 30 minutes each day for myself.
Remember: We are not called to be frantically hustling. We are called to rest in Christ.
Mary Grace Dostalik, born and raised a Texas girl, recently graduated from Benedictine College with a major in evangelization and catechesis. She is a dancer, a writer, and a wanna-be explorer. Mary Grace loves to spend her spare time choreographing dances, going on runs, practicing calligraphy, and searching for the best chai tea latte. She is doing her best to go wherever God calls her, whether it be Oklahoma, Kansas, Ireland, or back to Texas. Mary Grace is currently living her dream of serving the Church by working as the marketing and communications manager at a parish in Frisco, Texas.