Clarify the Mind

Zen master Tetsuo was so famous for his brush painting that many people came to him just to study art.
He always used to tell prospective students, "You must remember the saying, 'If you want to avoid depending on society, don't let criticism and praise disturb your heart.' 
When you can cultivate your art without leaving any mundanity at all in your chest, then mind and technique will naturally mature, and you will eventually be able to arrive at the subtleties. This is the way out of darkness into light."

Once a distinguished Confucian scholar and statesman came to visit Tetsuo. Observing the Zen master executing a painting, the scholar noted that every move of the master's arm and brush was in conformity with classical principals of calligraphy. 
When he remarked upon this, the Zen master explained, "In terms of correctness of mind, calligraphy and painting are one. When I make a painting, if so much as one cane of bamboo or one leaf on a tree is even slightly off from the way the stroke should be, I tear the whole thing up and throw it away, then put aside my brush, sit quietly, and clarify mind. 

Glass and Lake

An aging Hindu master grew tired of his apprentice complaining, and so, one morning, he sent him for some salt.
When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
 "How does it taste?" the master asked.
 "Bitter," spit the apprentice.
 The master chuckled and then asked the young man to take the same handful of salt and put it in the lake. 
The two walked in silence to the nearby lake, and once the apprentice swirled his handful of salt in the water, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake." 

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master asked, "How does it taste?"
 "Much fresher," remarked the apprentice.
 "Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.
 "No," said the young man. 
At this, the master sat beside the young man who so reminded him of himself and took his hands, offering, "The pain of life is pure salt, no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things... Stop being a glass. Become a lake." 

Invitation

Wealthy patrons invited Ikkyu to a banquet. Ikkyu arrived dressed in his beggar's robes. 
The host, not recognizing him, chased him away. 
Ikkyu went home, changed into his ceremonial robe of purple brocade, and returned. 
With great respect, he was received into the banquet room. 
There, he put his robe on the cushion, saying, "Evidently you invited the robe since you showed me away a little while ago," and left. 

What is Work ?

I read a book recently titled ' Great Ideas That will Keep You Stress-Free & Relaxed at Work' by Pratik P.Surana. A little longish title indeed.

He writes 5 Biggest Myths about Work :
Myth 1) Work leads to retirement
Myth 2) Do work you are Good at
Myth 3) Work is not something to be Enjoyed
Myth 4) Work is for only making Money
Myth 5) A resume is necessary and sufficient

Do you find any statement as a statement of fact rather than a myth? If yes, his advice : It is time to change what you are doing. 

He writes about these as myths. But what are your personal experiences vis-a-vis these statements?