Working for the Boss..

"As long as the thought of the Friend is in your innermost heart, all our work is to serve God, and yield up our lives..
Yet you are taking flattery and sweet words and cajolement and pulling them like gold to your heart.
For you, the revilings and blows of the spiritual kings  would be better than the praise of the unrighteous.
You have learned a trade to earn a livelihood for the body: now set your hand to a spiritual trade...
Learn such a trade  that, hereafter, the earnings of forgiveness may come in as revenue to you...
The earnings of religion are love and inward rapture, the capacity to receive the  Light of God, O You, the obstinate one!
This vile, selfish mind of yours wants you to earn what passes away. How long will you earn what is vile? Let it go! Enough!

Rumi (Vol. 2 ,  from 2573-2602)

Commentary: How long, O Lord? Those sweet words sound so sweet at the moment. Apparently, praise and flattery are  not a good long term investment.