Fullfill your passions at work!

I help clients deal with very personal and pertinent challenges. A common area of concern for many clients involves their job and/or professional life. Naturally, the majority of us want to be fulfilled and stimulated in our work, but the tricky part is finding out what that fulfillment and stimulation means to us. To do that, sometimes we need to think about our situation in a slightly different manner! I am convinced that we all have the potential to find passion at work – whether we bring our passions to work or we bring our work to our passions.

I want to tell you about an experience with a young client whom I'll call Robert. Robert was frustrated and resentful when he first came to see me as he found no joy in his work. He said it was boring and uninspiring and he felt unappreciated by his superiors and passed over for promotions.

When I asked him what he did feel passionate about, his face lit up as he articulated what he loved to do. But then he confessed that he didn't see how he could ever bring his passion to his job. So we spent the rest of our session discussing different things he might do to better his situation and to obtain his goal.

Robert called me a few months later to thank me again for my help and to say that he had been following through with my suggestions and that he was making progress in his professional life. First, he said that he considered where his passions took him and then he looked for ways to move his job activities in that direction. He also spent time working on his attitude. Rather than focus on how much he disliked his job, he began thinking how much he would enjoy work if he were able to experience passion and stimulation in the work place. He began to believe that he could find enjoyment in his employment.

It occurred to him that his company would also benefit from his enthusiasm and stimulation if he could fit his passions into his employment. That realization helped him to look at his current position differently: to consider obstacles as opportunities to incorporate his interests and passions.

He began finding ways to fulfill that drive in his work place, and it wasn't long before his situation began to improve—both mentally and physically. His boss took notice of his new attitude and rewarded him with more creative control and responsibility. That made him feel much better about his position and his contributions. Gradually for the first time, Robert realized that he was enjoying his job and his work.

Of course, that is a very great place to be, and I am very happy for Robert and all my clients who find stimulation and enjoyment in their life. I hope Robert's story will serve as a reminder that that we can find ways to fuel our passions and interests in our day-to-day lives.