There are many types of professional career opportunities to pursue in the current employment environment. Many of the sophisticated ones either evolved from less sophisticated ones or were created because it was believed they would suit the current needs of society as other previously valued professional or non-professional careers became obsolete. New careers that were created in the system reflected what was believed necessary to support, maintain and develop a new and emerging infrastructure and assumed needs of the society. Particular beliefs about what would assist the economy influenced the creation and development of these new and different professional career positions that may not have reflected the values of those who were entering those areas of employment. This may be the reason why so many people are dissatisfied with employment and why some do not know why.
Many people have chosen careers based on what they know is available, not on what they know is possible; thus, they have missed out on the opportunity to invent and create their own personally fulfilling career and income stream. This has led some to feel helpless and hopeless around finding and/or creating a personally satisfying career. Their decision may have been made because they listened to the subtle pressures from society about making early career choices without determining if that career choice is one that would be meaningful. Choosing a meaningful profession may not have been a consideration.
Many people also choose a career because it fits society's definition of what is considered normal or of high status. Also, many individuals have chosen careers based on what they believed to be the best choice only to discover much dissatisfaction in their career. Although they may have done extensive research on their career before-hand and completed training in their field, they may not have pursued a career that spoke to their heart. Maybe they thought what they felt passionate about did not translate into a career. Feeling passionate about a career may have played second fiddle in their career choice because they bought into the notion that ones passion and ones work are incompatible. Even people who have chosen intellectually satisfying careers may not be fulfilled spiritually and may find themselves discontent on some level.
Sometimes it is assumed that a person's capacity to excel at and be talented in their profession coincides with an interest in it as well. Doing well at ones job is not synonymous with enjoying it, nor is it the reason why some people enjoy their jobs even when they are talented at it. A person could be talented at their particular professional position but find themselves disconnected from it spiritually. Numerous compliments and many accolades for top and outstanding performance on the job will not automatically translate into a liking for ones job even if a person demonstrates excellence.
There are other reasons people choose to do well at their jobs, including motivations such as wanting a pay raise, approval from their peers, high social status (as mentioned before), and recognition that might have been minimal earlier on in life. All of these psychological motivators that lead to external rewards from peers and bosses may be difficult to experience in many non-work related environments.
Not all people are dissatisfied with their jobs, employment and careers. Some people stay employed in the same job for years, not just out of necessity but for the shear enjoyment. We all know at least one person who speaks highly of their work. They may frequently say how time flies during a regular working day or that their job is not work--as if work is synonymous with and has come to mean drudgery that weakens us rather than uplifts our spirit. These people are inspiring role models for those who are disenchanted and dissatisfied with work. They are catalysts for the unhappy worker in search of something satisfying, and a spring board for others to invent a career for themselves if none exists within the current employment market.
Enjoying ones job means connecting to the intrinsic nature of the work itself. If a job resonates with an individual, their best traits and self will shine, and work will become an extension of themselves that lifts them up rather than weighs them down.
To make a change in profession, one must first acknowledge the dissatisfaction and realize that change is possible. Learning to listen to your heart will lead you to the answers you seek and lead you toward a personal fulfilling career choice. This may not be easy for some, especially if they are no longer aware of how much their heart has been suffocating for years feeling the weight of misery in relationship to their work. Avoiding career dissatisfaction is best achieved by beginning the inward process earlier on in life.
Many successful happy people who have invented and created a whole new career for themselves within the system or outside of it have listened to their own heart as their guide, and in doing so have made incredible contributions to society. For entrepreneurial inventor types, for example, it may have required ignoring negative and unsupportive comments of others who suggested their venture was doomed to fail. For those who left their job positions to be trained in something new and different, it may have required stepping outside of their comfort zone to conquer one of their greatest challenges ever; that is, by leaving an unsatisfying long-time career to temporarily risk financial loss in order to pursue of a more satisfying career. For either of the two, the greatest reward of all was in making the first step towards by venturing into a new territory with hope on the horizon and joy and excitement in their heart.
© 2012 Linda C Davies
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