In these times we find ourselves in, having lived through a global pandemic, an economic downturn and the increasing instability of climate change there has never been a more appropriate time to reflect on how you're spending your working life. The prevalence of burn out is ever increasing and many people feel unsatisfied or stuck in a meaningless job or doing business as usual in an increasing complex world.
Hustle culture is out, quiet quitting is on the rise and generally people are more reflective on the purpose of their whole lives in which a very large percentage of that is spent working. Many of us are starting to ask ourselves some deeper questions and some of us are searching inside ourselves for more meaning for our career paths.
If this resonates with you, remember you don't have to remain doing the same thing day in day out but in the west we are not very good with being in touch with our deepest desires and knowing the things that bring us a sense of purpose, value and meaning. Look across our society we see industries and the systems that we all operate in marching forward toward progress with productivity at higher levels than what our planet can actually sustain.
Technology was created to make our lives easier and yet here we are with more mental illness, inequality and injustice than ever before. We live within a capitalist machine and it's easy to get swept in, used up and spat out. What's more challenging than ever is creating your own path outside the usual career conventions and discovering your true calling and identity. If you're women these challenges will also include gender discriminations which are built into our existing systems preventing us from an equal playing ground.
The True Meaning of Vocation
Have you ever wondered if the signs and symptoms you're currently experiencing (mid life crisis, depression, exhaustion, anxiety, burnout) are the result of doing work that doesn't inspire, fulfil or speak to the deeper part of your psyche, purpose or gift? Even the word vocation is derived from the latin word that means 'calling.' Ancients cultures believed each of us were born with a gift and life was all about learning to give it away.
When we are being called we can imagine we might be summoned by something greater than just ourselves and this is why it is so powerful. Our vocation usually connects to the collective conscious and fulfils the needs of others and ourselves.When we heed a calling we need to respond to the invitation to explore and go on a journey of discovering our authentic path. If we ignore this calling we might experience a growing confusion and disengagement with our lives. To listen to the invitation we can open our hearts and re-imagine our sense of purpose and what we are living for.
Some people like to call this work finding your why but at a deeper level you'll find your calling connects with the deeper patterns in nature and your time alive on this planet. You might be experience a questioning in your current role or be wishing you could just leave your job and start somewhere new. You might have sensed something is missing from your life and yearn to go seeking what that something is.
But you don't need to take dramatic steps to begin. If you can open your mind to the possibility of what the heart and mind may be calling you to do and begin with some reflection, exploration and even writing it down. If you listen more deeply, the calling may get louder and you may decide to take a step with courage by exploring my Discovery Coaching Program.
