Sometimes a job is just a job and it’s exactly what we need.  We have it so we can pay down bills, support ourselves/our family, save for something big, get out of debt (or into it), have stability, or serve some other life purpose.

A job just being a job is completely admirable, if we're clear on why we’re doing it.  Without that, it’s easy to start feeling unfulfilled, like we’re not creating value, or we’re stuck.

It's also ok to want more from our work.  It’s ok to want to feel fulfilled.  It’s ok to want to create value.  These things give us meaning and make us feel like we’re doing something worth our while.

On the flip side, if we want all those things from our work and aren’t getting it, we may start to resign ourselves to that reality with stories like we’ll never find those things, we’re expecting too much, we should be grateful for the paycheck, and maybe a job should just be a job. But all that makes it harder to get ready for work each day.

Either way, our work is not going to fulfill all the parts of us that need fulfilling and give us a complete sense of purpose.  And neither will a relationship, or a new home, or a puppy, or a child.  They’re component parts, but it’s way too much pressure to put on any one thing or person.

But we can start by defining why we're here at all, what it means to be fulfilled, and what creating value looks like. Then we can look at the component parts and consider what we need from each of them.

If we start there, we’ll be far better equipped to find the work, the relationships, the places, the activities, and all the other things we want to piece a full life together. 

And though life doesn’t guarantee we’ll find them all, at least we’ll know what we’re looking for.

Much Love,

Pam