Finding Meaning: How to Recapture Your Corporate Soul

Every day do something that will inch you close to a better tomorrow.

Doug Firebaugh

Ever wonder why so many people are plain drained and dissatisfied nowadays?  I personally tie it back to our living according to obligations and trying to meet others’ expectations for us.  With that – there’s nothing to fuel us consistently.  People go to their job daily, and, yet, they’ve lost their joy and enthusiasm for either their job or company.  But they feel stuck.  Family and financial obligations seem to hinder them from being able to make a change.  They might really like the job they do, but they feel like their company has stolen their soul.  Or they really like the company, but hate the job and feel as if the golden handcuffs have been put on them.

However, there comes a point where you have to truly make a decision to be able to live with the feelings you’re encountering or to start inching toward that change you want to make.  Below are two steps that can help you find meaning again for your career and life purpose.

1. Commit to living out your passions.  Don’t waste away your precious time on this planet stuck in inertia and victimhood.  In our corporate careers, we’ve maximized our left brain capabilities and minimize our right brain capabilities.  Have some fun and weave your passions into your life.  What is that one thing you love to do that you’re totally passionate about?  Find a way to integrate it into your daily living.

This isn’t about going cold turkey and throwing your current career out the window and sitting in your home until your passion comes to you.  What I’m saying is that you do owe it to yourself to at least set off on a fun discovery process.  Sort of like a Harry Potter “investigation”.  Call in all your magical powers and bring to light what that passion is.  Set aside daily 15-30 minutes to explore your passion and capture what comes up in writing.  Here are some questions that will really help you in the process:

• If I were free to do anything I want to, what would I do?
• What do I love to do that makes me lose track of all time?
• What have people complimented me on?
• What issues in the world bring me to tears?
• How would I structure my current job if I could?
• Which organization would I most like to work for?
• Whose biography do I most admire?
• Who are my role models?
• Which charity would I give my entire paycheck to if I could?
• What do I see as my talents?
• How would I structure my perfect day?
• What does money mean to me?
• How could I restructure our living and finances to accommodate a career change?
• What are my top 3 core values?

2.  Integrate daily rituals to renew yourself by:

• Surrounding yourself with people who energize you.  I know this sounds logical to you.  But do you truly actively seek out people who lift you up and make you feel good?  It doesn’t have to mean that you cut out people from your life, but think about how much time you spend with them and, importantly, then spend time with people who make you feel good.  Sort of like creating balance in your time spent with others.  Positive offsetting the negative.  People who energize you will have you feeling motivated, happy, juiced up, thinking deeply and inspired.
• Giving your complaint junkie a spa day.  Replace the word complaint with whatever your junkie might be:  gossip, whining, nag, criticism or conflict.  Tell her that she’s entitled to a day off and can spend a day at the spa.  You wouldn’t believe how much energy you waste throughout the day with whatever your junkie is.  When you redirect your energy to focus on beauty and appreciating it, you’ll get a great boost and will feel light.  Here’s the thing – I’m not telling you to just think positively for the day.  In my own experience, that doesn’t work for me because I beat myself up if I do have a negative thought.  Instead, I shift and find something to appreciate.
• Creating harmony in your environment.  Have you noticed how you feel when you’re in a nicely decorated home environment, without constant noise and electronics clutter?  Or how about your office/cube?  Years ago, I made the decision to get rid of the TV in our bedroom, unplug any appliances that weren’t in use, and turn off the power strips.  We’re exposed to high levels of electro-magnetic fields nowadays and forget that this is an energy zapper for us.  Plus, blaring noise through the sound system, TV or iPod amps us up and numbs us, too.  Give yourself the gift of peaceful silence for some time throughout your day.  Also, get rid of your stacks of old magazines or stuff you just don’t use.

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