It is important to remember that we each must believe we have a purpose – a reason for getting up in the morning. And each job is a life role altered to fit the workplace. So, let’s take a look at roles and how they fit into your purpose and service.
Here is a list of words that represent common roles that people play in life. Use these words to create a rank ordering of the importance of these roles to you – 1st is the most important to 20th being the least important:
Artist Aunt/Uncle Boss Business owner Caregiver Child Friend Godparent Grandparent Group member Group leader Handyman/woman Homemaker Manager Parent Sibling Spouse Student Teacher Worker
Once you have placed the roles in rank order, use this information to answer the following four questions:
1. You want to be employed in a position that allows you to work at something you care about, something that matters to you. Without this, job satisfaction will always be limited. So, what do I care about – what matters to me?
2. There are many different populations that someone can serve in any one position. Therefore, it is important to know whom you want to be helping as a result of the work you do. You also want to know how you want to be serving; that is, in what capacity will you feel most useful. So, whom/how do I wish to serve?
3. What do you want to be giving to your community as a result of going to work? So, what do I want to contribute to my community or workplace through the work I do?
4. Joseph Campbell, an anthropologist, said, “Follow your bliss.” I believe what he meant by this was to try to get work doing something that when you are doing it, you lose all track of time, you forget your troubles. You become so engrossed in what you are doing that you are what you are doing, that there is no separation between you and what you are doing. If you find work that allows for this, you will have job satisfaction regardless of any other circumstances. And there is great joy and peace that comes from having this bliss. So, what can I put my heart into?
The answers to these questions are significant because they will help guide to toward a more loving, peaceful, and joyful life.
Copyright 2011 Lynn Borenius Brown
OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com
OnlineandTelephoneCounseling.com
The first statement in question #1 is so simple yet so thought-provoking. Seems not many job searching/discerning programs place this as the #1 thing one to consider--usually more mechanical things i.e. money,education. Maybe more so now but when I entered the job market 25+ yrs ago, the focus was just to be able to support oneself and the idea of a job was just that--why it is called a job.
ReplyDeleteI think many people still look at getting a job that way. But, this is unfortunate since we spend a majority of our awake time working. If we have not thought about the need to work at something that resonates with us, those countless hours will be less satisfying and, therefore, ultimately, less rewarding. This is why when teaching clients with disabilities as part of a team to help them re/enter the workforce, I addressed this topic. Thank you for your thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI just listened to this teaching on your Audio Blog. Wow, how cool. It gave me additional thoughts different than when I have read and reread these first two teachings. Just another great learning tool you have generouly provided for our growth.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment and feedback. Since some people learn better by listening rather than reading, I decided to offer the audio blog to complement the written version.
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