Anyone else Career & Spirtuality
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Anyone else Career & Spirtuality
| Tue, 07-04-2006 - 5:01pm |
Does anyone else out there feel a strong drive to have their spirituality be expressed through their career/job choice? Although I love my current job and past jobs, it has mostly felt like I've been taking the "easy" road and not doing what I was meant to do. Problem is I'm not sure what I'm meant to do. I have some inkling that it has to do around teaching/coaching/counseling.
Anyone else out there have this experience?
Cheers,
Erica

You know, for me, it is just important to live the ideals of my faith in all that I do, especially my job. I am not working now because I am applying for residency in Canada, but I do want to get back to teaching school eventually. Even though I probably will be teaching public school and not the school of my religion (Catholic), I definitely think it is possible to live my faith in my work. Just always remember: whatever you do, do it ethically. I think that that is all God (as I understand Him) asks of me or anyone else.
Express!
Beth "Petrouchka"
Good question!
Here are my thoughts: I think that finding one's own *authentic Self* should be so entwined w/ Spirituality that it would be difficult to disentangle them and would kill the whole if tried . . . (did that make sense?). That said, I think to truly nurture our Self our work should be more than just "a job" ~ it should inspire/feed and truly be a part of "Self".
If that is not possible (and often it isn't) than a job should give what's needed and leave enough free-time to persue/enjoy/BE Self. (read: a job that takes more than it gives, is unduly stressful, or is impossible not to "carry home" kills Self).
But finding what's truly the "right fit" isn't easy. Life kinda works backwards (IMHO) ~ how many people at age 18 or so (upon entering college) really know themselves and/or what's "out there" well enough to really know what they want to be when they grow up???
I got to do it backwards . . . I was married for 20 years and one day I decided I just couldn't live the lies anymore . . . and I headed off in search of Self (believe me it's not been "smooth sailing"!). One thing I knew for sure (sounds like Oprah LOL!) was that I'd always loved working w/ and teaching my daughters and watching them learn. I was fortunate enough to have been given a tutoring job for a boy w/ Auditory Processing Disorder and the next year I worked w/ another young boy who'd just been diagoned w/ Autism & I *knew* that's what I wanted to do! Not only did I enjoy working w/ these boys, but I have a *gift* (and I mean that word literally ~ for I believe it's Given) for it as well. Sooooo at age 44 I re-enrolled in college (23 years later!!) to obtain my degree in Speech & Language Pathology . . . and I'm currently bustin' tail on making grades high enough to get into grad school in the next year or so. But I realize that mine has been a different road from many . . .
I tend to feel (JMHO) that if God/Devine/Spirit (or whatever) is *calling* you to do/be something in particular IT will continue to do so . . . . .
Many Blessings, "M"
I see on your profile that you and I have the same profession.
M,
Wow! What a wonderful story. I'm impressed by your willingness to follow your bliss into so much work and schooling. You go!
Erica
More to the story.
I am very happy hear at this big company with great values, probably the best I ever worked for! I took this job after being laid off from another company and as an interim job while I put my husband through law school. He has 2 more years to go. Our plan was for me to support us (husband, 2 year-old son, and me) through the 3 years of law school and once DH gets a job, I have more freedom to make career decisions without being so tied to income. The 3 years also gave me the time to think deeply about what I wanted to do.
I saw the other Erica on the board had a degree in Transpersonal Psychology and that looked interesting, so I decided to do research on it. Turns out I live near a pretty good and accreditted school (www.ITP.edu) and the content is right up my alley. Now I'm wondering if I should take their 3 year program to become a therapist. Many many questions still in my head, stomach, and heart on this one. Still it's an interesting path.
Cheers,
Erica
I'll put it this way...when I used to work full-time everyone
knew that I was some sort of Christian.
~*~ Aloha to all .... ~*~
Well said Cindy.
"Spirit is everywhere, in all things."
Beautifully said!! :)) I totally agree.
General response to the thread:
In my life I have deliberately tried to pursue two careers that seemed aligned with my spiritual path. Both were dismal failures. Not because my belief and faith in the worth of the work wasn't strong, but because following those careers required talents or abilities beyond the portion that originally attracted me, that I simply did not have within my nature and ability. It was a major reality check and learning lesson for me, to understand that just having this "ideal" in my head wasn't going to "make it so" just because I wanted it. I also had to look at myself realistically, and lovingly, too, and see what qualities were necessary for a career, beyond what I could learn intellectually or feel drawn to, but the day in and day out necessities to make the career a rewarding reality. I came to the conclusion that "career" isn't always about what you get paid to do, but about blossoming wherever you are, by living in Spirit. I guess I learned what we talked about years ago in my Zen days, at the zendo: you have to come "down off the mountain" to live your Zen in the "marketplace." It just is. Every day. ;))
So, I came to realize that my spiritual path encompasses ALL parts of my life, regardless of the career/job I was hired to do. And I also am continuing to learn to trust that the Goddess puts me where I most need to be, even if I can't always fathom the reasons. :D
Gypsy
Blessings,
Gypsy
)O(
The work is harder than my side line. Yet in sales it is harder for me to stay positive etc. I see myself going astry more and need to pull in my spirituality. I am learning more about myself thru my side line, a surprise to me, so I am meant to be there also. I also help people so that is part of the nurse personality, plus I am high in 2's in the enneagram. Love, Leila