In the Wrong Job?

"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." -Woodrow Wilson

Often clients come to coaching because they feel stuck in jobs that are unsatisfying, boring, don't allow them to express themselves creatively or use all of their gifts. At the same time, these jobs pay well and after all, isn't that why they call it work? It's not supposed to be fun, right?

Years ago, I was in the same situation (except I wasn't paid very well). I thought the problem was that I was in the wrong job. At the time I was participating in a school for spiritual guidance and was seeking God's calling on my life.

A very wise spiritual director, on hearing my complaint, said, "Mimi, it's not the job." 

I was indignant. "It IS the job!" 

"It's not the job," he calmly replied.

Although it took me years to realize it, we were both right.

It's not the job. It's the attitude we take towards it. It's about being grateful in each and every moment.

At the same time, it's a good idea to get clear on who you are, what gifts you have that can benefit the world, and what brings you joy, so you can recognize the right opportunity when it comes knocking on your door.

When I finally learned to appreciate everything about my life, even that dead end job, I was able to move on to a more fulfilling role. And it happened naturally, without a lot of effort on my part. I knew it was the right job because of the deep, soul-searching work I had done to discover my own gifts.

Just as a farmer prepares the soil for planting seeds, you must till the ground of your own soul to be ready for the growth to come.

If you are in the wrong job, do not despair. Look around and see what you can be grateful for. How can you bring a "finer spirit of hope and achievement" to your work? How can you enrich your corner of the world? 

And stay open to the opportunities that are sure to come your way.

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." -Martin Luther King, Jr.