Do you love your work? I certainly love mine! I mean by work anything you do: be it earning a living, volunteer, raising a family, whatever. Of course, what we usually mean by work is a profession and so I shall be focusing on this aspect for a while.
The title of a recent article in the New York Times says it all: The Incalculable Value of Finding a Job You Love.
Robert Frank is an economics professor at Cornell University and his article under the Economic View of July 24th, outlines “the conditions most likely to promote satisfying human lives.” “…that once you have met your basic obligations, it’s possible to live a very satisfying life even if you don’t earn a lot of money.” It seems that you CAN get satisfaction and ignore the Rolling Stones’ lyrics of “can’t get no satisfaction”.
The key is to become an expert at something, to do something that you love and to “search for work that allows you to experience long periods of “flow.” Flow means to be ‘so immersed in an activity that you lose track of the passage of time.” Athletes and artists often talk about this state. All of us can experience this – if you are doing a work that gives you some purpose.
I have been teaching about passion and purpose for decades. Asked to contribute to the bestselling anthology, “Women Living Consciously”, I wrote about my own passion and calling to do my work and purpose.
Compelled to explore ways of coping with stress and illness, I travelled globally investigating ancient wisdoms and modern scientific discoveries. On site research in England, Morocco, Israel and India and throughout America allowed me to finally found The Wellness Agenda.
What about your own passion? How do you channel that into your purpose with integrity?
Here are a few tips on how to find your passion. First, what does this word mean for you? What compelling emotion inspires you, empowers you? How does it manifest for you in your life? Is it the fuel that empowers you? What emotions do you favor? I hope that some work for you, that they enable you to take the next step. Sadly, as we all know, some emotions hold us back and prevent us from going forward.
Let’s make the connection between the mind and body. How do your emotions manifest in your body? What main emotion triggers a physical reaction in you?! Please feel this emotion and be aware of what happens to you physically. Now, please touch the part of you where you feel weak. What emotion and thought come up? Just be aware of these. As you exhale your breath, allow this weakness and negative emotion to dissipate. Now, please touch the part of you where you feel strong .
Breathe into it. What emotion and thought come up? Allow that strength to fill your whole body with your breath and intention.
What does this word purpose mean for you?!
There are 3 types of purpose: Personal, professional and profound. I like to call this the “p3”.
We each have a personal goal in our life. It may be to have a fulfilling family life, a loving partner, a calm mind and strong body. Please identify your personal goal.
Then we have the professional goal. It could be to be a great musician, create a powerful business, to have a practice that shares your wisdom. Please identify your professional goal.
A profound purpose is the overriding arc of your life. It is the expression of your soul: to help the environment, to be of service to others , to be a “good person”. Please identify your profound goal.
Ideally these 3 purposes can blend into 1 integral aspiration that you can express and live with in integrity.
Moving with a totally positive intention, identify the emotions, thoughts and actions which can propel you forward – to pull you into your good future. Here your passion and purpose merge into a sincere and well lived life.
In my November blog I shall discuss how to find your profound purpose by being integral and living with integrity. Onward and upward.