Work You Can Feel Proud of

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So as a follow up to my previously posted blog entry I have some new personal insight I've decided I really needed to share with you, my Dialogerz. I think something most of us have in common is that we all if not now, at some point during our adolescent to adult life have worked. I'm not talking about school or yard work. I'm taking about an actual job. If not full time or permenantly, we've all at some point worked the part-time or even temporary/seasonal job. But none the less, work is work and I know that I've definately had my share.

After spending years upon years of working jobs for companies I was never truly happy with and investing my dissatisfied heart in workplaces I'd learned to associate horrific thoughts with due to feeling unfulfilled, I am almost in disbelief that I've now managed to grasp onto such an amazing and career enhancing opportunity. I am also shocked at the fact that I've managed to do so -  so early on in adulthood, especially when I was on the verge of settling for less.

Newly I have placed a job position as a registration director for a Ministry Resource group and naturally, nearly everyone I share this information with automatically draws the conclusion of  if not one, all of the following:

1. My job cannot be that serious,

2. It must be boring and/or,

3. I must be extremely religious to decide to work for a ministry organization.

But of course, I am going to be sharing a testimony as to why no one of these assumptions is even remotely accurate.

Contrary to common belief, I am truly amazed at what I'd managed to learn about myself in just the first week of working such a team-leadership oriented position all on my own. Having to work with others in a group setting and utilizing many leadership roles I never really knew I possessed forced me to recognize how much insecurities I had managing both starting out. Coming to this realiztion was one major part of my job that I've grown to overcome already. If in a week I've made such a life enchaning adjustment to my personal skills, it’s a little crazy to think about what the near future holds lesson wise in the next 3 months. If that alone doesn't already tell you why I'm fullfilled by my job, hopefully the next bit will showcase it.

When I say that the quality as well as depth in which I've learned so far is more than enough to last me a life time, I really, truthfully and fully mean it is. Although I feel undeniably blessed to be in the place I am today, I recognize that sharing with you that  it is because I work in a church setting that I am able to truly enjoy working wouldn't be fair to say because I don't believe that is the entire answer. But what I can tell you is that I do value the quality of my job and what it requires I do as work. I deeply value my works mission, what it means to me, what it does for others, for my faith and life journey and I am more than happy that I can truthfully say that and mean it. In taking the time to really evaluate myself, meditate on my career path and press into my faith is why I believe I've been blessed with such an amazing opportunity.

Leadership roles are often associated with authority which is also often associated with management. Working any management position of course can have it's benefits in the job itself, along with the opportunity to find "better" work but because I work a job that is right for my personal beliefs, values, goals and aspirations what I'm saying I value about my job is that it gives me the opportunity to have at a better life. There is not a day that goes by that I  take that for granted.

My entire reason for sharing with you the depth of my current job position is because I've learned something that I truly believe anyone, especially at my stage in life can excel with if they venture to pursue it and that is: do work you can feel proud of. Any college, university, high school or student of life for that matter can understand me when I say that it is very challenging to find a realistic balance between making decent money while working as well as doing what you want to be doing all at the same time. To find all of those things in one place speaks amazing things to me about the progress I’ve made in my life and I could not be any more satisfied. That all of the skills that make me who I am can be driven solely into a job that I enjoy and feel fulfilled by AND I get paid to do seems to farfetched of a dream yet its right before me and so simply too.

If there is anything I could go a couple years back and say to myself OR to anyone struggling to find a fullfilling job it would be not to worry so much about the title of a job position or even the company name and what it means to the people around you but, think about how will what I do for work help me fulfill my role in this world. Instead of asking questions like "what is your pay/compensation like?" , ask "what is your company's mission", instead of "what is the uniform?" ask "what personality traits best suit a position such as this one?". Maybe instead of "what is the job description", ask "what can I learn from working here?" or "what skills will I develop working this position" and after doing proper reflection on all of these questions, the right job opportunities will seamlessly fall into place because these important factors will easily lead you to oppurtunities that already fullfill the things you look for in working.

I hate to call what I do for work a job but, what I do call it is an opportunity. My reason for saying that is because I truly believe that what I do for work now is nothing but a favorable chance leading me to bigger places in life that  I chose to seek out and take advantage of. I personally promise you that what you thought you'd learn from working a cashier job at a fast food joint, or sales associate position at a retail clothing store, or even a phone call representative at a call centre will be more fullfilling to you if you press into the job's connection to your own personal goals, and all sorts of opportunity will arise out of your experience (work and life), all because you started working a job that to you represents not just a pay check but an opportunity.