Turning punishment into reward.

My favorite character in Greek mythology is Sisyphus. Condemned to a hell of hard labor for eternity. He must push a heavy rock up a steep hill, only to have the boulder slip away near the precipice. Sisyphus had to start the uphill trek again and again and again. Always meeting with futility. That may be the story of many lives. Laboring to no end. Except for the fact that I'm a happy Sisyphus. I get enjoyment and pleasure out of labor. From writing. Used to be writing stories for newspapers. And being paid for it. I still write. This blog, for example. For fun. It gives me great satisfaction. I also enjoy physical labor. Releases feel-good endorphines. Keeps me in good physical condition. I imagine that was true for Sisyphus, too. He must have been a real muscleman. An athlete. And certainly the trek down hill to fetch the rock again must have been a breather. A break from the hardest labor. So if Sisyphus had his mind in the right groove, he could well have been a happy camper in hell. But if Sisyphus fretted and felt sorry for himself -- well, that could have made for a hellish life. I know people who turn their lives into living hells. Because of their negative attitudes. I prefer making a paradise out of hell. Gives me the upper hand over devilish gods. I try to turn punishment into reward. --Jim Broede