A Mason's Work

Advice often seems contradictory: focus on the work, but don’t ignore the results. This episode explores the paradox between process and outcome, using the Masonic lens of building a temple never truly complete. Through reflection and analogy, we consider how to balance patience with accountability—trusting the process without surrendering our responsibility for impact.
🔑 Key Takeaways
  • The Craft teaches us to focus on process without becoming outcome-obsessed
  • Results emerge in their own time, like seeds planted before harvest
  • True balance lies in holding tension between patience and responsibility
💬 Featured Quotes
  • 0:00:00 – “Something that comes up, particularly when you’re trying to figure things out, is that there seems to be a conflict between the different types of advice and guides you might get out there in the field.”
  • 0:00:15 – “One of the notions we’ve discussed is to not be focused on the outcomes in terms of how you execute.”
  • 0:00:30 – “That doesn’t mean to disregard your impact on the outcomes you’re creating.”
  • 0:00:42 – “When you plant a seed, it’s important to understand that results come in their own time.”
🔗 Explore Related Episodes
  • When Willpower Fails: Rethinking the Virtue of Struggle
    — Challenges the belief that sheer effort guarantees results, echoing the need for patience and perspective.
  • The Ashlar and the Question of Growth
    — Reflects on process, refinement, and the difference between effort and outcome.
  • Beyond the Apron: Living Freemasonry Outside the Lodge
    — Explores how symbolic lessons of work and patience carry into everyday life.

Creators and Guests

Host
Brian Mattocks
Host and Founder of A Mason's Work - a podcast designed to help you use symbolism to grow. He's been working in the craft for over a decade and served as WM, trustee, and sat in every appointed chair in a lodge - at least once :D

What is A Mason's Work?

In this show we discuss the practical applications of masonic symbolism and how the working tools can be used to better yourself, your family, your lodge, and your community. We help good freemasons become better men through honest self development. We talk quite a bit about mental health and men's issues related to emotional and intellectual growth as well.

Something that comes up, particularly when you're trying to figure things out, is that

there seems to be a conflict between the different types of advice and guides you might get

out there in the field.

One of those conflicting pieces of advice or what seems to be on the surface conflicting

is something you've even heard here on this podcast.

One of the notions that we've discussed is to not be focused on the outcomes in terms

of how you execute.

What we mean by that is when you look at things like the work you're trying to do, understand

that the results are going to come in their own time.

That doesn't mean to disregard your impact on the outcomes you're creating.

For example, if it's easy to use the seed or some sort of farming example or analogy,

when you plant a seed, it's important to water it and make sure it gets out of it with

sunshine.

Watering a different part of the garden is not going to help you achieve your outcomes.

If you plant a seed and you don't water it, good luck.

It's not necessarily going to work to your objective.

That said, watering the seed is also a meaningful guarantee of when that specific result is going

to happen day time, that kind of thing that seed itself may not be viable for other reasons.

When you start to put these things together, it looks like you have conflicting advice.

Focus on the process, not the outcomes, and at the same time, focus on the outcomes,

not the process.

When we reconcile both of these conflicting pieces of feedback, it's important to understand

what we're talking about is time.

Being in the moment and focusing your efforts on things like the process and being present

while you execute, being present while you do the things you do is really important.

This is how you do things like in weightlifting with a mind muscle connection.

This is how you are open and full of care and compassion when you talk about things like

customer service or any other kind of emotional, emotionally responsible jobs.

All of that sort of work, all of that expression is a temporal in the moment expression.

That said, it may not any of those kind of expressions in the moment in that period of time

may not be productive for your long-term goal.

Being present and open in the moment in a customer service job when you want to go and

work in a mechanical field, for example, seems like those aren't the same thing.

It's quite clear that they're not.

As you're beginning the process of learning how to execute these things, understanding

that you should have an end in mind and work towards that end and use the moments you

have to create the best possible outcomes in the moment should take some of that perceptual

conflict out of the conversation a little bit so that you can both be in the moment and

not focus on the outcomes.

At the same time, working towards a longer strategic objective.

If you have questions, comments or concerns on this as you're moving forward, please don't

hesitate to reach out.

I know it seems like conflicting advice and you're going to see it in a lot of the literature

and the lore out there in the different spiritual texts.

You be mindful that when you are trying to reconcile these perceptually conflicting notions

that a lot of tension and stress and anxiety will come up as you're trying to figure out,

am I overly focused on the outcomes or am I not focusing well on the moment or am I being

strategic or am I being present as those conflicting expressions arise.

And that they're going to probably create some tension and anxiety in the system.

And you should find someone that you can talk to or work within your social life, your

lodge, but have you that you can work through some of these issues with as they arise.