The majority of the world population find little satisfaction in their occupations, which is sobering since the average worker spends one-third of their lives—or 90,000 hours—at work. A recent study shows that Canadian employee satisfaction took a nose-dive with the pandemic. A staggering 72% see their jobs as merely a means to make money, while only 36% view their work as fulfilling. Feeling that your work efforts are meaningful, that they make a contribution is an essential aspect of happiness, not just in work but also in life. The average Canadian has 15 different occupations in their lifetime. That means the average Canadian finds themselves at a major life crossroads 15 times. That can be interpreted two different ways: That people are fundamentally lost, trying to stumble their ways into jobs that allow them some happiness, or that people are always evolving. I interpret that as 15 solid opportunities to find what makes you happy, satisfied, contributing to the best of your ability and with the greatest reward. We have the ability to find happiness, but for whatever reason, we often limit ourselves. It is our responsibility to ourselves and to the world to discover our greatest gifts, develop our talents and properly share them: to make ourselves happier and the world better. The true definition of a calling I searched the internet to find the best, broadest definition of a “calling.” The University of Minnesota describes it well, as work that is meaningful and allows for you to fully express intrinsic parts of yourself—your gifts and talents. The blog breaks the definition down into three parts:
“The gift of time is often more valuable to the receiver and more satisfying for the giver than the gift of money,” according to the article.
When you focus your utmost attention on a task “you are incredibly passionate about, singularly focused on, and totally immersed in, you may find yourself creating the conditions necessary to experience a flow state of mind,” according to Headspace. “The mind’s usual chatter begins to fade away, placing us in a non-distracted zone. The feelings that would consume you under normal circumstances (inhibition, hunger, fatigue, or aches and pains) melt away, and all that matters is your dedication to your craft.” Everyone should be able to approach each working day with a passionate pursuit of creation or contribution, using their natural gifts to help others. It may take some hard work and introspection. It may take trial and error, but the journey to a fulfilling occupation is worth it. |