Work is an essential part of our lives. We all know that as adults we must be able to provide for ourselves and our loved ones. On average we spend one third of our time at work. If it is such as essential part of our lives, why do we see it as a separate agenda from our personal life? We seem to categorize our lives into two – personal and professional. And all too often, balancing the two seems to be such a challenge. Why is that? Worse yet, while working towards the end goal of providing for our families, we get so sucked into our work that we lose touch with our families, which is apparently why we are spending so much time and effort on work. Or is it? What is the core purpose of why we work? Maybe it’s time to re-think our purpose behind work so we can use it to build us rather than drain us.
Finding our purpose seems to validate when we do something for others. However, essentially, every type of work that exists in this world is to add value for someone else, whether through service or product. When we work with this intention, we are sure to succeed. Why, because this purpose connects us with our innate nature. When we connect with our innate nature, it brings out authenticity, which is what connects us to other human beings. It is through the art of connection that we influence others – or in the case of work, provide the best possible service or product. When people feel connected and trust becomes prominent, they are more inclined to reward the provider with something in return. If we were to apply this philosophy to our daily work, whether as an employee or a business leader, we are destined to grow continuously. The key is you must connect yourselves with what it is that you are going to provide for your recipient. When through dedication and persistence you carry out your task with utmost integrity and with the best intention for your recipient, you WILL be rewarded with whatever currency you desire. That is the Law of Work.
This is the reason why most business minded, and growth-oriented people are often successful in their endeavors. However, keep in mind that those successful people aren’t always satisfied, or worse yet, aren’t always the happiest ones? Why is that we wonder! It’s because they have taken steps without having to discover their trues selves yet. They have learned to condition themselves to believe in what society or the external world tells them what is right and what is wrong in attaining success. They have chosen to follow the path of others. They have learned the many ropes of life through others’ experiences, rather than their own. They have been convinced, and sometimes sadly enough, brainwashed by others into living with certain principles that don’t quite define their own individuality. Conformity becomes quite a comfortable phenomenon for these so-called successful achievers. And so, while they may appear to be living a very sustainable life on the outside, inside the story is quite the opposite.
The purpose of this article is not to exploit the hard work and efforts of successful people who have acquired success through traditional routes. Rather, it is to challenge us to think differently about the work we do for a living. If we could consider adding happiness and contentment in anything and everything we do, regardless of the type of work or the field of study that we choose, perhaps we would feel more holistic and satisfied. This brings us to our initial contemplation – why is there a disconnect between work and personal happiness? It is because:
We choose careers not based on who WE are, but rather, based on what rules have been defined for us by the ancient leaders. “I want to be successful just like him/her, so I will do what he/she did.”
We select employer or work direction based on the presumption of how much money it will bring us. “I have to work for XYZ company because it will support me financially.”
We apply an “external-to-internal” approach to building upon success, rather than applying an inside-out approach. “I must build myself to match with my external sources,” rather than, “I must build upon my core qualities and allow the external sources to match with me.”
We approach employers or business partners, based solely on profit. “What’s in it for me” mentality, rather than “what can I do for them.”
We see work solely as a source of income, rather than something that brings us pleasure and contentment and the satisfaction of adding value. “I really want to create art but there’s no money in it, so why bother.”
I’m sure we can all relate one or more of such instances. This is how we have been raised to think. Our brains have been hard-wired to function this way, or else we risk “losing” it all. It leaves us in a constant battle within ourselves because there’s a fear of loss hovering over us as all times. This fear controls us in such a way that there is no escape. Yet, we can’t even discuss it openly because it will make us look weak. And in a world where we are in constant competition, if not with others, then with ourselves, we must appear strong and confident. It becomes a habit to bury or ignore anything that reminds us of our insecurity so that we can continue to look completely in control, while the deadly fear eats us alive on the inside. And sometimes without us even being aware of it.
So, how can we possibly (truly) enjoy our work – regardless of our profession? There is no set guideline or rule to follow by which you can possibly enjoy doing what you do for a living. The answer to this question lies with each individual that is most personal to them. The key is to, first, recognize your purpose that connects you with others. Ask yourself, what is my purpose behind my work; better yet, what is my purpose in life? Here are some easy to navigate steps that can help you discover your purpose and your love for work.
Define yourself – Not based on your relationship or your work experience, rather based on your core personality, your passion, and your personal beliefs. It’s much harder to do than it looks, but once you hone this technique, it will bring out the happiness from within. Continue to build upon that definition of you – this is your brand, by which you advertise yourself. And continue to refine it whenever you reach the next stage of self-development. Looking deep within may be a challenge for you, but you can use tools like guided meditation or auto-suggestion to get you there. Once you’ve tapped into your true self, it’ll be a game changer for you.
Create a vision for yourself – What would make you most happy when you picture yourself doing it? There is no right or wrong answer. Know that your vision can always be expanded upon or adjusted as needed. When creating a vision, assume that this vision meets all your financial needs and desires. The clearer your vision is the easier it’ll be for you to build your plan to get there.
Delve upon your purpose – Every successful person strives to serve a purpose behind his or her motive. The way you establish your purpose is by aligning the “definition of you” to how you want to make an impact. Your ambition must be able to add value for others in some way or form, whether it’s for your family, for your community or for people across the globe. This is going to be a defining moment for your future success.
Action Plan – If you have strategically completed the first 3 steps, carrying out an action plan will come to you easily. Your plan doesn’t have to be set in stone. It can be built upon as you move forward. But do plan for a day or two to weeks ahead, or even for several months. Do whatever comes easily to you but do plan to and take action each day.
Support System – Working in a team is always a lot more fruitful than working alone. Connecting with other human beings in some way or form is both nourishing for our mental health and keeps us productive in our efforts. How you build your support system is up to your uniqueness, but it is an essential step to ensuring that your ultimate choice of work bring you the most fulfillment. A few ideas are – community clubs, extracurricular activities, social events, especially focused on personal or professional development, professional networking channels etc.
Intuitiveness to Opportunities – If you are actively working on the first 5 steps, you will most certainly be presented with an opportunity that aligns with your vision and mission. The key here is to stay open-minded. We live in a world where opportunities are endless, especially as the world evolves and new technologies are coming into existence. Your willingness to learn and grow will be the test to see just how open-minded you are. The more open you become, the more opportunities you will find yourself stumbling upon. The only time you will not be able to see an opportunity is when you are closed-minded.
Persistence – Persistence is your ultimate key to success. The one who persists can never fail. You only fail if you give up. No matter how many times you may have fallen in the past, your attitude towards defeat is what sets the tone for your achievement. If you see your failure as your weakness, it will remain a roadblock. But if you see it as your lesson-learned, you will use it as your steppingstone. It’s your perseverance that tells the story of your success.
Detachment and letting go – A successful and wise person knows when it’s time to let go. When an aspect of your life no longer serves your purpose, it’s time to let go and rise to higher occasions. In order for you to evolve further in life, often times it is crucial to let go of the old – old habits, old ways of thinking, old ways of working, old fears etc. No one can guide you through this process, except you. Only you can determine when it’s time to let go and what to let go of. Detachment is a powerful tool to own, and when used wisely, it can serve you a great deal of benefits in your life ahead. If you have effectively honed intuitiveness, you will know very easily, what feels good and what doesn’t feel good. And if it doesn’t feel good, it is not required to exist within your being.
Self-reflection – Only through the practice of self-reflection can you achieve successful work and continue to multiply that achievement. Before you evaluate the people or the world around you, do a self-check and assess yourself. When doing a self-reflection, be sure to reflect upon your accomplishments. Continue to work on areas of improvement but be sure to celebrate your accomplishments from time to time. Make it a practice to do a self-reflection frequently, if possible, do one daily at the end of the day.
Appreciation – Gratitude is the fastest accelerator for anything you want in life. Whatever you are grateful for, you will see it multiply. So, expressing genuine gratitude for all the good things you have in life will trigger your subconscious into creating more good in other areas of your life where you previously felt like not having enough. Train your mind to believe that you have more than enough of everything and that you are grateful for it all.
Once the feeling of gratitude has been ingrained in your subconscious, it’s become easier and even more efficient to repeat all the above steps, empowering your belief system - Your belief in yourself and all that you are capable of. Once your belief system has become unshakable, you will naturally fall in love with anything you do, including the work you do for a living. And if it is not the right path for you, you will easily detach and connect yourself with what aligns with your purpose.
What about the money, you ask? You ask, and you shall receive! Whatever amount fulfills your needs, wants and desires, you will receive it, but only if you have done all the above. Remember, money is NOT your ultimate goal, rather it's a vehicle to get you where you want in life. Whatever you want or need the money for, it’s the desire for that objective that should be your focus. When you serve your purpose with integrity, authenticity and passion, you are destined to be rewarded. But it only comes AFTER you have served your purpose, not BEFORE. If it does come to you before having to put any effort, you will not keep it for long. So be sure to focus on the work itself, and your reward shall be sustainable. The ultimate key is that you are happy doing what you do. And in order to find that happy workplace it is more crucial than ever to follow through with the above 10 step before jumping into your next field of work.
Our core purpose on this earth is to serve humanity in some way or form. Take a closer look at any business, whether profit or non-profit, and you will realize that all work is being done to make lives easier for someone else. Regardless of what position one holds, he or she is doing what they do to help others. When we put emphasis on what we do, we are at our happiest state because subconsciously we know that we are doing it to help others. The problem occurs when our ego comes in front and masks all our wonderful efforts. The ego that keeps us in competition with others, that makes us feel inferior, or offended, or brings up deep insecurities, or even fear and doubt of failure. This is why you must invest in the 10 steps above, because this is your key to keep the ego "in check" to be able to continue on the path to true satisfaction.
Essentially, we are satisfied only when our life is perfectly balanced. There is no such thing as perfection, but there is a such thing as progress. When we continuously make progress all while keeping all areas in a harmonious balance, only then we can achieve true satisfaction. Work is indeed a very important part of our life, so it’s time we put a conscious emphasis on it, and learn to embrace our work, rather than see it as a burden. Success is not achieved overnight. Depending on where you currently are in your self-awareness journey, the path may be longer or shorter. Sure, it takes some time, but we must start somewhere. It is never too late to start, if it is going to help you live the best life possible. So, start applying this philosophy today and make sure you are working with purpose!
Resources:
Commentaires