Working for Happiness

A key thing to look at in our vocational lives involves a simple question like, "What do I really want to be doing?" We're all well aware of the problem many of us can face in life. We can be stuck in the daily grind of a routine that enables us to survive, but not to truly thrive.

When I was working full-time at a gas station, I had the dream of creating my own counseling business where I could help people overcome addictions, mental health issues, and get to the nitty-gritty of what is really going on in their lives in order to help them rise to a new level. Day jobs for me always felt like being on the surface of life. I could perform a function for the benefit of a company so that I could survive day-to-day.

I look at a lot of jobs sort of like a behavior rental program. For a set period of time, your behavior and responses are dictated by the employer and whatever monetary agenda they may have. What we do is align ourselves with this program in order to ensure our own survival. What can keep us going in these situations is the realization that we are meant to create a truly fulfilling career for ourselves. This allows us to put a less-than-ideal job into perspective and look at it as a sort of springboard.

To take it back to the gas station example, I was inhaling toxic fumes but I had to be a peppy spokes boy for "high-quality premium gasoline." My internal integrity had to conform itself to the institution that was paying me a set hourly wage. I also had the added bonus of being able to make tips if my customer service skills were up to par.

After a few years of doing this, I tried to make an honest effort at creating my own small business but found I didn't have the energy to put into it to get it off the ground. To compensate for doing a job I didn't like, I found myself more likely to be vegging out, overeating and otherwise compensating for how unhappy I felt working so many hours in a capacity I didn't enjoy. It wasn't until I was able to bring a sense of acceptance, peace, and positivity into this job that I "graduated" from it and was able to begin doing things I loved a lot more.

My feeling on all this now is to help people come to a sort of balance and realistic perspective about the whole work thing. How much money do I need every week and month in order to make ends meet? What are some ways I can meet those needs while still having enough energy to devote to my true vocation, my true heart's passion?

It comes down to time and energy management. Money is a natural consequence of time and energy invested into an activity. We all know about monetary return, but now we are becoming more aware of energetic return on investment. The ideal place to get to is when we get more energy out of something than we put into it.

To take this very article as an example, I feel very energized in the process of writing because I feel passionate about the subject matter and the insight and help I may be able to deliver to people. I'm putting energy into something that's important to me and that ends up giving me more than what I put into it in the form of satisfaction, joy, further ideas, and so on.

An important thing to look at is that I may not be financially compensated at the same rate at which I am energetically compensated for my efforts. If I begin writing a piece thinking of dollar signs, my energy will be diverted from the excitement and inspiration I feel and I won't produce as good an article. If I go to work and just think about the paycheck I will get a week from Friday, I will essentially be draining myself of energy the whole time.

A point of consideration is that we may need to look at how we do things as much as we look at what we want to do. I have been able to bring a lot of positive energy into the most simple of jobs, and it had a great impact on myself and everyone I was involved with. When working on my own business, I could find myself caught up in self-doubts and fears that poisoned my passion and made it difficult to move forward.

Like in everything, our consciousness is the primary ingredient for what we do in our workday. We all have that special project or dream that we want to create and we also may have a day job that we are doing in the short-term. What I have found is the key thing to focus on is being consistent throughout my day in terms of the energy I bring to the table.

If I make an effort to be as positive and happy as possible at work, then I will have more positive energy to take home and work towards my heartfelt goals in my spare time. I won't create the polarity of suffering during the week in order to veg out or party hard on the weekend. We can see our lives as a beautiful progression towards greater and greater fulfillment, inspiration and creativity that begins right where we all are.

If we put our energy into working for happiness rather than money, we'll be amazed how much more money starts showing up. Unhappy people tend to spend whatever money they do make in order to find instant gratification. If we cultivate more happiness in whatever we are doing, we'll find we always have enough to take ourselves to the next level.

Now offering business and life coach counseling sessions. Helping people unravel the obstacles towards creating the life we are truly meant to live.