Are you passionate about your profession?
According to a 2013 survey from the Conference Board, fewer than half of American workers are satisfied with their jobs! When so much of your day and so much of your life takes place at work, can you really afford to spend it feeling dissatisfied and unfulfilled?
The problem is much more than a matter of personal expense – Gallup has found that disengaged employees cost the U.S. economy nearly $416 billion in 2009, primarily through lost productivity.
What makes the difference for those people who find themselves happy and engaged at work, versus those who don’t? As Sadhguru explains below, the key lies in involvement and passion for whatever you are doing.
Results from the same Conference Board survey seem to support this, where “interest in the work they are doing” was found to be one of the highest areas of employee satisfaction. Luckily, this engagement is something that can be nurtured. States Sonja Lyubomirsky, a psychology professor at the University of California-Riverside, “What’s interesting is that people in all kinds of jobs can see them as a calling. So it’s not just for artists and neurosurgeons.” Lyubomirsky has found that 40 percent of the differences in happiness levels between one person and another can be explained by factors that, unlike certain life circumstances, are directly under individuals’ control. “A lot of our happiness with our job is really about how we view it. It comes from us, not necessarily just the job,” she says.
Read more from Sadhguru below:
How to Find Passion in Your Profession
Sadhguru: “We usually employ the word “professional” to mean that someone performed a task bereft of any emotion. Right? “His attitude is professional”, for most of us means that he is not emotional about his work, and that he is only doing what is needed of him.
When someone is doing a task that he is trained to, where is the room for displaying anger or any other emotion? Therefore, it is better to discharge one’s duties as an amateur, rather than as a professional. An amateur is not a novice. An amateur is somebody who undertakes an assignment or performs a task because he is passionate about it. He sees meaning in what he is doing.
A professional does not see much meaning in what he is trained to do. A task is undertaken because it is a means to an end. A life like that is barren. Unless there is involvement in what you do, unless it means a lot to you, the work that you do is a sheer waste of time.
Involvement in a task is not an involuntary act. However, if there is involvement the work becomes beautiful. And if there is no involvement, the work is discharged mechanically, and it becomes ugly.
A professional’s life can get colourless and ugly. It is always better to be an amateur. But the best life is when you are a volunteer. That is the most wonderful feeling in the world. If you are always willing to do what is needed with great passion, it is beautiful. What is the end result? Who is in the way? Who is supporting you? Who is not supporting you? None of this matters. Whatever you do is done with tremendous involvement and everything you do seems beautiful.
If you discharge work as a professional you may also have to deal with anger. What is the role of anger? People do not pay attention when you say something? This just means that you need to get more involved in your work. If people see that you are doing things with great passion, why would they not listen? Throw in some passion into your life, and see how your professional problems fly out of the window.”
Meditation for Greater Job Satisfaction
Numerous research studies have been conducted on meditation and yogic practices, clearly demonstrating the remarkable ability of both to aid in reducing burnout, alleviating job stress, and increasing overall job satisfaction.
A simple daily practice of meditation and yoga can help bring increased focus and involvement with whatever you are doing, allowing you to feel more passionate and fulfilled by your work.
In the video below, Julie Khan, a marketing professional, shares how Isha’s Inner Engineering program has brought great joy to her life, and has alleviated her fear and stress in the workplace.
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