We are living in very strange times. Depression and loneliness are at an all time high. People are frustrated, angry, and concerned about the future. I’d like to say that things are about to turn around, but I don’t believe they are.
So, what should we do? Give up? Throw in the towel? Crawl in a hole? Assume that the best is behind us? NO WAY! It’s times like these that we have to remember we are here for a purpose. We have a lot to offer. And we all have gifts that need to be shared.
There is nothing that will inspire greatness, drive change, and maximize potential like knowing what it is that we were put on this earth to do. I recently heard a quote that I love, from Mark Twain… “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”
I know many people do not know why they’re here. They don’t feel passionate about their work. They struggle with trying to answer that big question… what am I supposed to be doing?
If you do feel like you found your purpose, are filled with certainty, and love what you do, congratulations. That is awesome! I know how that feels, so I am very happy for you.
If you have not found your purpose, or are down in the dumps this past year, struggling with what your future will look like, unsure where you fit in, and/or wondering why you are even here, I am going to give you a few things to ponder that may help.
First, you are alive… and there is a reason for that. Just knowing that should give you hope.
Second, your purpose may not be in your day job. It is not realistic to believe that every single person will eventually have their dream job. But I do believe that you may have to do work that you do not love to help allow you to do other work that really fills you up. A couple of things about that… Whatever work you are doing, if not your dream job, should still be done with enthusiasm and done well. Those emotions and traits will trickle into the other work, the work that really drives you. And no matter how bad the work you’re doing is, or how much you dislike it, I am certain there are things that you do like about it. No matter how small or trivial, focusing more on what you DO like, and less on what you DON’T like, will leave you less tired, more excited, and more inspired to do the other great work that lights you up.
Third, waiting around hoping things will change and get better is a poor strategy. I heard a great quote from Joan Rivers last week that caught my attention. “Listen. I wish I could tell you it gets better. But, it doesn’t get better. You get better.” You cannot wait for things to get better before taking action. You must take action right now. Thinking there is some magical, perfect time to get cranking on the things that you feel you were put on this earth to do is like thinking there is perfect time to have a child or get a dog.
There is no better time than now to start working on the things that fill you up. We WILL get back to normal. Wouldn’t it be great to be much further along in pursuing your greatness when that happens? And you can probably come up with many excuses for why you are not doing the work you were called to do, but there are just as many (and probably more) for why you should be. Start today. Get inspired. Get excited. Feel driven by bigger things. Feel certainty. Do great work. And do it NOW!