“One must not always think so much about what one should do, but rather what one should be. Our works do not ennoble us; but we must ennoble our works.”
— Meister Eckhart, German Philosopher and Author
Embracing a cause that is bigger than yourself fuels internal change, creates community and clarifies your personal intention. It’s creating conscious work or a career toward a greater purpose. This doesn’t necessarily mean changing jobs or careers, but perhaps identifying the elements of significance in your own work or vocation.
I’ve written quite extensively on this topic here at Work Life Nation because as we find more meaning and purpose in our working lives, I truly believe it fuels personal and global transformation. We can impact others and make an evolutionary jump through the work that we do. Because business has no boundaries, and crosses into all aspects of our society, I think it can be one of the greatest agents of social change.
Here’s a recent relevant post:
Nurturing employees work life balance in a meaningful workplace
The old adage, “do what you love and the money will follow’ is a nice affirmation, but that’s also based on others definition of success. Is it really money you’re after or happiness? I think that’s a question we have to ask ourselves. Your success toward vocaiton is based on your creative process, skill and determination. To do what you love is not always an easy road. It might require sacrifice and discipline. It would be great if the money followed!
Here are 3 keys toward finding significance in your work:
a. Champion a cause at work or in business: When you champion a cause that is aligned with your values, that intention feeds the joy within your individual work. This allows for a shift in your own thinking, which in turn impacts the collective consciousness around a particular cause.
b. Invest time in your community: You don’t have to join a national organization to give back. Look into the immediate needs in your own community. What skill base can you contribute to your neighborhood?
c. Create sustainable relationships: When a thread of meaning runs through an organization or a group of like-minded people, it creates bonds and shared goals. Sustainable relationships inside and outside of work are often based on common purpose and can further lead to tackling larger issues.
This week I am focusing on boosting consciousness in the work life merge in conjunction with a public event held at UCLA on raising consciousness toward tackling global problems. If you missed it – you can read about the movement at A Call to Conscious Evolution: Our Moment of Choice .
Please share your ideas about creating a career or vocation that adds more meaning to your life. I would love to hear from you!
