What we do very closely relates to how we define who we are. In any conversation with a total stranger, the answer to the question “So what do you do?” is often a brief “elevator speech” consisting of a job title and the basics of your responsibilities. But if you are asked, “Who are you?” the answer may simply be your name. There is so much more to who you are than just your name.
We tend to disclose more about what WE DO to strangers than WHO WE ARE because that seems to be the more culturally acceptable answer.
Our emphasis on doing in this world has taken a precedence over being. We are called human beings, but because of the emphasis on task completion instead of presence, we may as well be called human doings. Your job should be an expression of your True Self, in other words what you do should effectively draw out who you are.
How did you end up in the job or career you are currently working? Did you enter your career by choice, or did you end up in it out of necessity? Do you love your job? Or do you like it? Or do you hate your job with the heated passion of a thousand white-hot suns? There is a reason you get up each day to do what you do. What is that reason for you? What drives you to get up each day and put shoes on?
Those who are most satisfied with their careers feel a deep connection to their work as an authentic expression of themselves. They are enthusiastic about their jobs! The word “enthusiasm” is derived from the Greek word en-theos, which means “having a god within” or “in God.” This means, in an ideal situation, if a person is enthusiastic about their job, they are experiencing God in what they do–a very high form of existence indeed! Even if you are not enthusiastic, you can still at least experience enjoyment, but you may have to make changes for this to happen.
If you find yourself falling short of enjoyment, if not enthusiasm, there is hope! If you are unhappy with your job or career, with some helpful questions and contemplative answers, you can figure out what you could be doing to have more enjoyment in your current job. Or you can identify strategies to change your work situation so you can derive greater satisfaction. Remember, if your not happy with your current work situation, it will be reflected in the quality of your performance. If you think you are not performing to the best of your ability and this happening because you feel unfulfilled in your job, counseling may be a great way to initiate change. All it takes is a phone call or an email to make the first step to reduce the suffering.