I am at a point of transition.
It is me, who has lost my taste for what I am doing for a living and is now considering a move into something I am passionate about.
Does that resonate with you? Do you feel it?
I think most of us do not mind working hard. It is part of our commitment to earning a living and keeping ourselves and our families financially abundant.
It is whether we feel that our work is of consequence and significance that makes the work seem hard or easy sometimes.
There are a lot of discussions right now in the west about the search for meaning in our work and what it means. But what is meaning and where do we find it?
I am reading a book for the second time by Parker Palmer called ‘Let your Life Speak’ about vocations and finding our authentic self in our work and life in general. I would not have had the maturity or understanding to read this book many years ago, but it is a word in the right season of my life at this time.
Perhaps many of us, and certainly it is true in my case, we have not always been able to chase lofty dreams of our ideal occupation. Economics and family situations have had priority for much of our time.
We should, however, have a plan to get ourselves into a position where we can use our gifts and really enjoy our work at some point.
We all start out ‘sweeping the floor’ for a living and those who refuse often find disaster, due to the deficits of character that surface later from avoiding that process of personal development.
“No man deserves sympathy because he has to work – far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”
– Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States
Palmer tells of the deep emotional trials, all the doors that closed and the simple wisdom he encountered that led him to become a much sort after speaker, retreat leader and educational advisor.
I sometimes wonder whether being born into affluence is as bad as being born into poverty because being born into money perhaps enables the delusion that pain and character development can be avoided. There is a defined pattern and we cannot escape trials by paying off someone else to do our ‘developmental push-ups’ for us.
We all see people who want a quick easy way to get to the goal. What really works is a sort of ‘compounding interest’ combined with wisdom over time. This applies not only to money but also to human character.
I like this quote from the book which I hope we will all fulfil in our lives.
‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.’
– Frederick Buechner
We need hard times to reach through to a higher level of success, resilience and stability. It is through these that we find our next transition and ultimately, our meaning.
I remind myself and my clients that there is a road for you that no one else can walk and there are good things in store for you. I would say that dreams are good and divinely installed to make us constantly reach for the better thing.
Remember that being different is your biggest asset and you don’t have to be like everyone else. If you need a career coach, drop me an email or private message today to get you on the right track.
Dave Brebner.
About the Author:
Dave is an Adult Educator, Speaker and Youth leader living in Western Sydney, Australia. He has Diplomas in Business and Training, a Bachelors Degree in Adult Education, Vocational and Workplace Training and a Masters of Education with a major in Career Development. He has lived with Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders since an early age, you can read his story online. He is married with 6 children. He is a passionate coach and mentor to young people especially in the vocational guidance and career development areas. Dave is a professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and has authored a course on Living with Tourette’s which you can study and purchase online through his website – www.davebrebner.com.
Dave is an Adult Educator, Speaker and Youth leader living in Western Sydney, Australia. He has Diplomas in Business and Training, a Bachelors Degree in Adult Education, Vocational and Workplace Training and a Masters of Education with a major in Career Development. He has lived with Tourette’s Syndrome, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders since an early age, you can read his story online. He is married with 6 children. He is a passionate coach and mentor to young people especially in the vocational guidance and career development areas. Dave is a professional member of the Career Development Association of Australia and has authored a course on Living with Tourette’s which you can study and purchase online through his website – www.davebrebner.com.