When people ask me if I enjoy my work. I enthusiastically respond that “I love it!”
As a nonprofit executive running a social enterprise, and a consultant, my work affords me the opportunity to serve others, build my community’s business structure, and grow the capacity of organizations and leaders around the country.
But, hey, the word “love” is a strong sentiment, but is it a noun or a verb? “Love” evokes passion. It compels one to act with purpose. It’s both a feeling and an action. So, yes, it’s both – a noun and a verb.
When you love your job or the work that you’ve chosen to do, it is a commitment of time, energy and knowledge. It is not just something to do or someplace to be.
Throughout my life, I’ve held various jobs, from babysitting to fast food cashier, to journalist, business owner and nonprofit executive. The jobs like the babysitting and cashier jobs, were just that – jobs. I never meant for them to be my career. However, they were important in my growth as an executive and entrepreneur.
First, I learned how to serve others. Sometimes that service was thankless and sometimes it came with great tips. My service to my customer was never predicated on their appreciation of my work.
I’ve been working for over 40 years and in that time, I can only recall being driven to tears three times at work – because of the job.
Two of those times it was because I had made a mistake and was chastised by a customer or my boss. I learned not to make that mistake again and became proficient in my duties. The third time was because my boss had decided that he would try to “mold” me into someone that I was not. I stood up for myself and reclaimed my power and he backed off.
I’ve had other difficult circumstances to overcome in my career, but they seldom led me to tears. I’ve always been a researcher and that’s how I approach most things in my life. If I don’t know something, I ask questions, I follow those who know, I research plausible causes and come up with a conclusion to resolve the issue, so there’s little time or room for tears.
Some people have called me strong or resilient. I can agree with those terms. The way that I deal with failure and success is much the same. I try to learn everything I can from every situation.
I don’t dwell on my failures or rest in my success. I acknowledge, engage in the learning process by researching and reflecting on what went right and what went wrong, and then I take that knowledge to the next task.
I think this helps me to truly “love” what I do, because every day is an opportunity to learn, grow, and share my experiences and knowledge with others.
So, ask yourself, do you love your work? If not, then it’s time to dig a little deeper into what would make you happy and how to get there. I help executives find their true calling so that they can “LOVE” what they do. Connect with me at www.motivationalmuse.com or email me at motivationalmuse.kim@gmail.com.
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