Am I really making a difference?
Is my work meaningful, or am I just going through the motions?
These sound like questions that delve into career (dis)satisfaction but they are more than that. You know it because it also feels more important than that. That it requires more than a plan to change roles.
If this is on your mind, then you may feel called to explore not only the external dimensions of work but also the internal, spiritual dimensions that give your life depth and meaning.
The search for meaning in work is nudging you to re-align what you do with who you truly are. We are beings who seek to express our true nature through what we do. When our work feels meaningless, it is often because there is a disconnect between our outer roles and our inner selves.
We may be fulfilling the expectations of others or of the past: society, family, or even our own past ambitions; but not the callings of our soul.
Bridging this gap requires you to also reflect on who you are outside of your job title. To uncover your essence so you can figure out how you can manifest it in your work.
Your work is not just a means to an end, although it can be. But think of it as a sacred act of creation.
Every task, no matter how mundane, can be an expression of our higher self if approached with intention and awareness.
See work with different eyes
On a very concrete, everyday plane, maybe you’re longing to change the work but perhaps the circumstances genuinely do not allow for this. Suffering remains optional, as it’s always been.
You can find meaning in the work you are already doing by reconnecting with your deeper purpose.
Listen to the whispers of your soul. What are the values that guide you? What are the desires that light up your spirit?
➡️ Who do I need to become for work to feel meaningful?
➡️ What values do I want to embody in my daily work?
For example, if you value compassion, you can focus on infusing your interactions with kindness and empathy. This way, they will cease to be transactional, and they become impactful and meaningful to you and others.
If you are driven by creativity, you can seek out opportunities to innovate, create, inspire- or support others who are engaged in doing so. Especially when you’re a leader at the top, in those rarefied worlds where your work consists of meetings, decision making, setting direction.
Another approach is cultivating presence in your work. Often, the feeling of going through the motions arises because you disconnect from the present moment. You are physically in the meeting, but your mind is elsewhere, dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.
Bringing your full attention to the here and now, stay curious, look for moments of beauty and significance in what you do.
For example, you can see the meeting as a space of shared humanity. Each person in the room brings their own unique experiences, thoughts, and emotions. When you listen deeply to others, not just for the content of their words but for the essence of their being, you begin to see the beauty in the diversity of perspectives. Each voice contributes to a larger tapestry of ideas, and even in disagreement, there is a richness that emerges from the interplay of different viewpoints.
Finding meaning in your work is a journey of integration. You can bring together the external and internal, the practical and the spiritual, the individual and the universal.
It’s not a separate part of your life, but as an integral expression of your being.
You’re making a living and you are also expressing your life.
Surely you don’t want it to express it by sighing yet again and the sight of today’s schedule? There is plenty to keep you creative and expressive if you look intently.