FINDING THE WORK YOU LOVE
by Carol Stanton, CGS Career Counselor
Can you say that you truly love the work that you do? Do you know anybody who can? What would it mean to love your work? How would that feel? This is what Deborah Bloch and Lee Richmond explore in their book: Soul Work: Finding The Work You Love, Loving the Work You Find.
In this practical book, the authors look at seven different spiritual themes related to finding meaningful work: change, balance, energy, community, calling, harmony, and unity. They use inspirational stories and exercises to help people discover what would give their work life more meaning, and practical ways to accomplish this. See if you can look at your own work life in the context of these themes.
Fear of change is one of the first obstacles you must confront if you wish to follow the path of a more meaningful work life. In opening yourself to change, you may be looking at issues affecting your self esteem, your relationships with others, and your long held beliefs about work. Sometimes the change may be forced upon you, such as in the case of a corporate downsizing, or you may be facing health issues due to long held work stress. Change may also be needed in more subtle ways, such as finding new challenges in an otherwise acceptable and enjoyable job. Whatever the situation, something new cannot happen without an openness to new possibilities and opportunities. Are you ready for change?
Balance is another aspect of finding meaning in your work. Most people are juggling many different roles in their lives, including worker, family member, student, friend, etc.
Finding the time to balance work and personal time has become a major challenge. An exercise which can graphically show you if your life is in balance is to draw a circle and then divide it up into sections according to how much time you give to the different roles in your life. If one portion is dramatically out of proportion to everything else, you may want to consider shifting your schedule to find more balance. What can you do to find more balance in your life?
Energy allows you to both make changes and create balance in your life. But how do you find and harness this energy? When you feel burned out, you may not have the energy to make changes. However, burn out can be used as a reminder that you need to do something to replenish yourself. For some people this means a vacation, for others it may mean taking long walks out in nature, and for some it may mean getting together with a trusted friend to brainstorm new ideas. Remember, taking time to relax or refresh yourself is not frivolous. You cannot accomplish anything when you are "running on empty." What is your favorite way of restoring your energy?
Community is a way of connecting with others and a major source of finding meaning in life. Although, finding the right balance between having enough community and having too much community in the work place, can be a challenge. Many workers who were at first happy to be telecommuting from home soon found that they missed the daily interaction with co-workers and started to feel isolated and unmotivated. Working with others, despite the problems which sometimes go with that, is a major source of learning and growth in our lives. Having the opportunity to participate in a community of like-minded people can be very fulfilling. More and more, people are looking to their work environments for that connection to a meaningful community. How does your current work environment rate as a nourishing community for you?
Finding your calling is about finding a job where you can use your interests, skills, and abilities in such a way that you feel you have a match. This means knowing what your gifts are and finding a place where you can express them. Joseph Campbell, the noted writer has called this "following your bliss." It is a sense of absorption in your work to the extent that you look forward to it each day and can get lost in it for hours. It's a feeling of complete harmony between you and your work. Of course, in order to recognize what your calling is, you need to understand who you are, which requires self-reflection. Sometimes this can be accomplished more readily with the help of a career counselor. Are you ready to discover and pursue your calling?
Harmony results when there is a congruence between who you are and the work that you do. Not only do you need to be self-aware, but you also need to know what is available out in the world that would be a good match for your talents and skills. You need to research and explore career possibilities. As the authors state, "personal harmony comes from doing work that is needed by the world and is an expression of calling." What kind of jobs or environments are most harmonious to you? Is there a way to make your current job more in harmony with your calling?
Unity, the last aspect which the authors explore in the search for meaning at work, requires a shift in thinking. Unity brings together your work, your relationships, your energy and your spirit. You are not just what you do for a living. You are all of your roles in life and each role expresses something about who you are. In a bigger sense, you are all of your gifts, and there are opportunities to express them in all areas of your life if you look for these opportunities. How would it feel to achieve unity in your work and in your life?
Finding meaning in your work requires time for self-reflection and time for action. It could mean looking for new work or it could mean reframing the work that you're already doing, in more meaningful ways. There are many other books on the subject of finding meaning at work such as: The Artist's Way at Work by Mark Bryan and Julia Cameron; Bringing Your Soul to Work by Cheryl Peppers and Alan Briskin; True Work by Michael and Justine Toms, and The Soul of Business, edited by Charles Garfield. Taking time to read some of these books may give you a whole new perspective on your work and on your life.
