Q How do I find my true calling? I feel like I am just going to work every day as a means to an end. I have no passion for what I do and it is sucking my soul away. -Jean from Redmond
Dear Jean:
It is very important for you to find your true calling. We all have a reason for being on this earth and that is to find our true passion in life. Our jobs feed our families; but finding our passion at work feeds our soul. To discover your own authenticity, think of a time in your life when you were truly happy. What were the circumstances? What were you doing? Who were you with?
Finding your calling means listening, really listening to that voice in your head. If that voice is telling you that you are in the wrong job then chances are you probably are doing just what counteracts the true calling from manifesting itself. If you cringe when the alarm goes off in the morning or your stomach is in knots when you pull into the company parking lot, then you aren’t doing what is genuinely true to your spirit.
To help find your way, I recommend that you contact a professional Life Coach. There are many reputable life coaches in Central Oregon. A good coach can provide you with invaluable insight and perspective that you may have overlooked. Life coaches help you regain your inner confidence and teach you how to project it outward for the world to see. Like any professional athlete, public figure, politician, CEO or manager, we all need a good coach to help guide us and fine-tune our given talents. Whether or not you need help with your relationships, work, fighting addiction, New Year’s resolutions, exercise plans, etc. a life coach can help you meet your goals.
Jean, in my research studying workplace cultures and individuals, I have learned that for passion to grow in your work you must derive two things from your work, pleasure and meaning. Your passion for the work you do should bring you great joy, not just mere contentment. But when you truly love what you do, you enjoy getting up each morning to take on the challenge. Secondly, to find this “work utopia,” you must also do something that is meaningful to you and to others. What you do should make a difference in your life and the lives of others. If you can honestly say your work brings you both meaning and pleasure, then I think you are on the right track for finding your life’s purpose.
Another good piece of advice is to interview others who truly enjoy what they do for a living. Pay attention to what they say. Jean, your calling is out there, you just need to answer the phone.
Julie Leutschaft is the owner of The Human Touch – Human Resources Consulting Services www.thehumantouchhr.com. Send your questions about your workplace dilemmas to the HR Lady at Julie@thehumantouchhr.com.
