I remember again another phrase that Gurdjieff sometimes used: “I can work,” which can help you, especially when you feel defeated by having to tack North or South. But if you ask me to define what real aim is, I leave it to you. We have to make an aim. We do not know exactly what our next step in development is, but if the aim we make is sufficiently genuine the influences of the Work will greatly modify it in the right direction, and here you will be astonished how different what you thought you had to do is from what you have to do, and also you will be astonished to find how much help comes to you as long as you do not throw up your hands in despair.
But if you will the Work, if you have goodwill to it, if your idea of Good begins to be connected with esoteric teaching, then you will be sure of getting a response that is right even though the request is wrong, provided the request is sincere. Remember that we cannot use this Work for life as our primary object but we can use life for the Work. It is difficult to see what this means, because we do not realize what is first in us. If we could make the Work first then everything else would be added to us and we would find what really belongs to us in life and what does not belong to us, but this state would be like something that is passive becoming active and something active becoming passive. It would mean that we began to live the Work in life. For this reason we should connect everything we do in life with the Work, even artificially at first. This is called, as far as I remember it, doing everything in the name of God.
Maurice Nicoll, “Commentary on the Meaning of Aim in the Work” in Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky (Vol. 2, p. 631-632)
Working Note: For Today’s Inner Effort
Orientation: Keep aim and do not stop Work in difficulty.
What to Notice:
Dropping effort when things do not go your way.
Inner defeat: “I cannot work.”
Using life as the main thing and forgetting the Work.
Separating daily actions from the Work.
A moment of remembering: “I can work.”
Work Effort for Today:
In a difficulty, say inwardly: “I can work.”
Do one small Work effort immediately.
Connect a simple action to the Work.
Do not wait for a better state.
Remember: I can work in this moment, whatever the conditions.
