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Dalton
Roberts |
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Have you ever noticed
how rare it is to find someone who is completely satisfied in his or her
work? Even if they say they are happy just scratch beneath the surface
with a few pointed questions and you will likely find deep
dissatisfactions. Once I spoke to a
large group of ministers. I made it a point in the social hours to ask
individuals, “Are you happy in your work?” and not one immediately
came forth with a clear “Yes!” They always wanted to point up the
pros and cons and they started with the cons. It seemed to me they were
trying to convince themselves they were where they should be and their
work was worthwhile. I am not picking on
ministers. My father was one and I think he, too, felt some ambivalence
at times. In fact, sub-surface frustration is common to people in other
professions and jobs. I have seen statistics showing that over 60% of
American laborers and professionals are less than happy where they are. One reason for this
discontent is thinking there is only one place to serve. We need to
unhook our stars from the idea that there is only one job for us in this
life and that we will spend our entire lives doing it. As far back as the
seventies the U.S, Department of Labor said the average American would
need to be retrained seven times in their lifetime. With the
technological gallop of American economic life in this computer age,
that figure is bound to be higher. Aside from the
realities of the emerging economy, we miscalculate our own strengths
when we assume we can only do a limited number of jobs. Most of us
possess multiple skills and can be reasonably happy in many places of
service. Judging by my life, I would go so far as to say we can be not
just reasonably happy but ridiculously happy in many completely
different kinds of work. At any given time on
any job, we can check ourselves out to see if we are doing work that is
in harmony with our being (a composite of all our preferences, dreams,
and skills). One thing we will
notice is that enthusiasm will be present if we are in compatible work.
We will feel we are “doing our own thing.” We may actually feel we
must do it to be at peace with ourselves. This does not mean
everything will have to be going right at all times. In work that fits
us there is a sustaining interest even when the going gets tough. We can
get tired without getting burned out. From my own
experience, I think synchronicities occur when we are where we are meant
to be. By synchronicities I mean meeting the right people at the right
time and finding openings and training opportunities when we need them.
Anything good happening in a timely way can be a synchronicity. Money will not be the
dominant criterion in checking out how well we fit with a job. Joseph
Campbell talked about following your bliss and a person experiencing job
bliss is not focused exclusively on money. He sees money as only one of
many things that matter. Maybe the biggest
thing to me has been finding my joy in the doing of the work, not in how
much people recognize it or how many attaboys I got. To the extent that
I have lost myself in the love of what I was doing there has been a
confidence I was where I was supposed to be. When this love is
present, there is an inner humility that we have been granted the gifts
and grace to do the work. It calls to mind an English tombstone
inscription, “Here lies John Smyth who cobbled shoes in this town 40
years to the glory of God.” DR's website is www.daltonroberts.com.
His writings are gathered at www.ipsfeatures.com
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