I put my talents first. The money followed.

Work as Obstacle

Most people treat work as an obstacle to a meaningful life. They see it only as a way to get money, and the deeper meaning behind work goes unseen. The gifts we receive from God remain unused. I fell into that trap myself.

Shift in Perspective

I started working online for the money, attracted by the idea of earning more from home. The change came when I turned the view around: I began by looking at my talents first and then considered how I could serve my clients. Money followed. I started earning more than when I was thinking only about money, which still feels surprising.

Catholic Insight

I get most of my ideas about work from the Catholic view, especially from Saint Josemaría Escrivá. One thought I love from him is that something divine hides in the ordinary, and part of that ordinary is our daily work, what we do for our community, our families, or to provide for them. He writes that there is something holy in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each of us to discover it.

Finding the Divine

When I started seeing the divine behind each small task and responsibility, I began to recognize the real value of my work as a developer. I don’t do manual labor; I work on a computer, now with AI. Even this ordinary activity hides a lot of the divine. Each small task transforms a client’s business.

Practical Example

I work a lot with WordPress. A common problem is that an unmaintained site can become infected with malware. To protect my clients, I built a plugin that detects any suspicious file changes and notifies me. At first glance it looks like just a routine plugin, but it is part of something bigger: it shows how trustworthy my work is, how I can solve any problem that arises, and how essential a running website is for my client’s business. My client’s website is his way of finding meaning and serving his own customers, so keeping it safe is crucial.

AI as Multiplier

AI multiplies what I already do. It helps me provide a leaner, more efficient service and allows me to create projects faster. I couldn’t work the way I do now without AI as a tool for good. When my clients’ businesses become more efficient, they earn more money and regain time. Time, for me, is far more valuable than money because it lets me be with my family, go to church, read, study, and do things that matter beyond work routines.

Time vs Money

I’ve said before that time is worth a lot more than money. When a business can do more in less time, it gets time back, and that time can be spent on what truly matters.

Future Thoughts

Another lesson from St. Josemaría is that work is not an obstacle; it is a way to be closer to God. When you see the divine behind every ordinary task, you realize there is something holy in everything. I’m not able to go deeper right now, but I plan to talk more about this in the future and will put the text I read today in the description.

I spent the day with my family and read several texts about work from a religious perspective. Even if you’re not religious, I recommend reading them; they contain important lessons. This video is part of my 100-day challenge, but it feels more personal because I’m beginning to sense the importance of this message. Maybe God will use my talents through videos like this.

I’ll see you in the next video.