Meaningfulness in Work
By Laurence Boldt
Meaningfulness begins with
recognizing that you are not alone, that you are
part of the human community, that everything you do
sends a ripple through the entire human family.
Allow your natural compassion to suggest creative
ways that you can
serve. Meaning is not found in acquisition, but in
feeling ourselves a part
of something greater. To the extent that your
work takes into account the needs of the world, it
will be meaningful.
To the extent that
through it you express
your unique talents, it will be joyful."
From Laurence Boldt / How to Find the Work You Love
"Meaning in one’s life comes from
reaching out to others in compassion… the
satisfaction that comes from service to others…
looking back over a worthwhile life that truly made
a difference."
BEVERLY EANES / Creating One’s
Personal Meaning Throughout the Cycles of Life
"We
conceive of work as that which people do out
of a sense of calling that gives their lives
meaning, direction, and purpose."
HARVEY HUNTLEY JR. / The Theology of Work
"Work
is a great good for humanity, because
through work we not only transform
nature, adapting it to our own needs,
but also achieve fulfillment as a human
being."
RAINES & DAY-LOWER
"Through
work, people express something of
their inner being, so that work
assumes meaning depending upon a
person’s sense of purpose in life."
HARVEY HUNTLEY JR. /
The Theology of Work
What's
the Difference Between
a Job and a Career?
By
Michael Lebeau
A job can be defined as a specific agreement with an employer to perform assigned tasks for pay. It is a work situation taken for the purpose of earning wages in exchange for the completion of a task or series of tasks. It is a specified duty or responsibility. A job frequently is temporary in nature and the word seldom implies a long-term commitment to a given type of work. A job rarely requires a long training period for mastery of the work assigned.
A career can be defined as
one's progress through life, or one's advancement or
achievement in a particular vocation. It is a work
experience that you elect to pursue during a significant
period of time in life. A career involves a long-term
commitment to a given occupational activity. A career
requires a significant level of formal education,
training, and background for satisfactorily performing
in the work area. Having a career implies that you have
prepared for and are building expertise and experience
in a particular field. Your career determines what kinds
of work you will do. It serves as a frame of reference
for the kinds of jobs you will seek, qualify for and
accept. It is also the context in which you will
continue to develop new skills and insights. It is
worthwhile activity to which you devote your time,
energy, resources and emotions. Your career is your
life's work, your profession, your vocation, your
"calling."
In a job you
seek to be successful,
while in a career you seek to be valuable. In a
job you look out for yourself; in a career you look
after others.
In a job you ask how to get from "here" to "there". The focus on the destination. Meanwhile, in a career you ask whether going "there" is worth it. The focus on the journey.
In a job you seek to make money. In a career you seek to make a difference. In a job you seek to be powerful, while in a career you seek to lift up and protect the powerless.
In a job you are
detached from your deepest longings, while in a career
you heed your deepest longings.
In a job you expend maximum input and achieve minimal
results. In a career you tend to achieve maximum
results with minimal input.
In a job you experience more stress than fun. In a
career you have lots of fun even when stressed. In
a job you
enjoy lots of pleasure
(money, power, etc.), but not much happiness. In a
career you experience true happiness even when things
may be unpleasant.
In a job you
have a compartmentalized
life, while in a career you have an integrated life.
In a job you live a life alien to your identity, while
in a career you live a life congruent with your
identity.
"The
sole meaning of life is to serve
humanity."
LEO TOLSTOY
"When
people are serving, life is no longer
meaningless."
JOHN GARDNER
"When
we quit thinking primarily about
ourselves and our own self-preservation,
we undergo a truly heroic transformation
of consciousness."
JOSEPH CAMPBELL
"A
theology of vocation relates
work first and foremost to the
common good, rather than to
individual benefit."
HARVEY HUNTLEY
JR. / The Theology of Work
"We
only start to live when
we rise above the narrow
confines of
individualistic concerns
to the broader concerns
of all humanity."
MARTIN
LUTHER KING JR.
"Where
your talents and the
needs of the world
cross, there lies
your vocation."
ARISTOTLE
Your Life's Work
By Laurence Boldt
I first got into the career field because I recognized how central work is to the happiness of the individual and the character of any society. Work offers the individual the opportunity to share acts of love and beauty, to see goodness reflected in the image of his or her work. Since work is what we do with most of our waking lives, we must, if we count life valuable, consider what we are working for. For all too many, work is drudgery, the thing to do to pay the bills, or a mad chase for material wealth and social status. I saw how bored, alienated, under-challenged, or over-stressed so many are in their work, and how their unhappiness at work affects families, friends, and communities. It seemed to me that the popular conception of work as principally a matter of economics and social status was at the heart of the matter. Many individual tragedies of alienation, emptiness, and despair, as well as community, national, and global problems seemed to be aggravated, if not caused, by this conception of work.
A
growing number of
people are expecting
to find a place for
their heart and soul
in their work, a
place to express
their unique talents
and abilities. They
want a greater sense
of joy and meaning
in their work. Your
life's work is the
work you were born
to do -- the most
appropriate vehicle
through which to
express your unique
talents and
abilities. More than
a job or a career,
it is your special
gift to humanity.
Traditionally, your
life's work was
called a vocation,
a word which
literally means
calling. The
work you love --
your calling or
life's work -- is
your unique and
living answer to the
question, what am
I here to do on this
earth?
From
Laurence Boldt / How
to Find the Work You
Love
Your Career is Calling
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