Work. We have to do it. There’s no way round it. But you’re better off earning money through something you love rather than something you happen to be good at.
I’ve just read another great article about how to find meaning and money in your work by Billy Parish, founder of the Energy Action Coalition. The way he sees it, millions of us are resigning ourselves to work that hurts us, hurts others and damages the planet.
We have a deep sense that there’s something else out there we’re meant for but we don’t know exactly where the opportunities are or how to access them. Do we really have to trade our time for money doing something we don’t believe in? Do we have to settle for being unhappy at work just because we have to pay the bills?
No, says Parish – we can lay the foundation for a long-term career by identifying that which is most meaningful to us, in response to the injustices in our world. He has identified four paths shared by those who have successfully redirected their lives.
The first stage – The Wilderness – is where you acknowledge the problem. You may feel stuck or that you lack direction and are plagued by self-doubt. But the gap between how we see ourselves now and how we want to see ourselves in the future is the path to a meaningful career.
Stage two is Finding Your Special Powers. You start by looking back at your life experiences until you begin to uncover a story – your unique story. You may feel insecure, not good enough, not ready enough but you’re already living your life so the work is already in progress.
Stage three – The Kin – is about finding your people, your tribe, your community. Start where you are and look locally. Take the online offline. Find your new family – it will feel like a homecoming. Soon you’ll find yourself part of a movement of like-minded spirits.
Stage four is The Tests. When we’ve been through the first three stages, we need to stop and look around. You are figuring out how to live your purpose while living it at the same time. Take a deep breath, find that personal power inside, and carry on.
The world needs your best self. But you need your best, trust self right now.
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