Aligning Work with Your Life Purpose
If you are doing work that is right for you, you will get energy
from your work. Sunday nights and Monday mornings will be joyous
and you will know that your head and your heart are in sync.
Often my coaching clients' passions and interests are completely
unrelated to the work they are performing. Well, that's why they
call it work, right? Wrong! I believe that our work is our
greatest opportunity to express ourselves in this world. Work,
if aligned with our true selves, can be the purest form of
self-expression.
Work as Duty
Too often, we let our "shoulds" guide us down the conventional
career path and then at mid-career we wake up and think, "how
did I get here?". Every time I feel a "should" creeping into my
thinking - I need to stop and be aware of where this "should" is
coming from. Most of our "shoulds" we pick up from other people
- our parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, and others.
Rarely is a "should" an authentic guide to what will bring us
happiness or fulfillment in life. I recommend living by the
saying "don't should on me".
Work as Energy
I also believe that we incorrectly view our jobs from a limited
viewpoint that doesn't understand how energy flows in the
universe. I will work 40 hours and receive $$$$. Our goals is
often to work the least amount of time possible for the most
amount of money.
Work is really a giving activity. It is a path of service. I
give 100% of myself and talents. I give unselfishly of my
energy. And I receive energy in return in the form of money. In
this viewpoint, our goal is to provide the most value possible,
knowing that the universe will match our energy in return.
I have a coaching client who has decided to go to graduate
school and get her masters degree. She is trying to decide
between two programs. One is a more traditional program that
will prepare her for a myriad of corporate jobs when she
graduates. The other program will set her on a path to be a
freelancer. She knows that her heart is not in the first
program, but feels it is her "safer" option. She is afraid to
choose the unconventional program.
Follow Your Heart to Discover Meaningful Work
Why are we so afraid to follow our hearts and pursue our bliss?
Why have so many of us lost our inner compass? One reason is the
over-intellectualization of our culture. Ever since the
Scientific Revolution, we have favored our intellect over our
intuition. The Scientific Revolution has definitely improved the
quality of life for many people and has freed us from some
destructive superstitions, but at what price? I'm not going to
address this question at the macro level (environmental issues,
distribution of wealth, etc.) but at the individual micro level.
Our society and its educational institutions teach us to live in
our heads. We favor our rational intellects and many of us are
disconnected from our hearts and bodies. Without this
connection, it is difficult to use our inner compass to chart
our life course and follow our bliss. I work with my clients to
integrate the head, heart, and body so that they are functioning
holistically from their body-minds.
I worked with one woman who wanted to find work that she was
passionate about. She told me, "I just need to sit down and
think about this some more." And therein lay her trap. We often
believe that if we just think harder about something, a solution
will present itself. When it comes to finding work you are
passionate about, the answer will not come from your rational,
logical brain - it will come from your heart and soul. To
connect with your heart and soul, you need to be able to access
your emotions and body sensations in real-time and connect them
to your thoughts.
If you don't believe me, then think of peak moments in your life
- moments when you felt happy, blissful, relaxed, energized -
like all was well with the world. Where did this feeling come
from? Your head or your heart?
To discover meaningful work, you need to connect with your heart
by paying attention to your emotions. Dismiss any shoulds that
appear. And pursue work from a path of service, knowing that
this is the legacy you will leave to future generations.