Living Without Purpose

Living Without Purpose dan skognes motivation blogger speaker teacher trainer coachLiving without purpose is a slow and painful death. Look around you and see the millions of people who are going to work each day, dreading the thought of it and counting the minutes till quitting time.

Look at the people who are stuck in jobs they hate and won’t quit even though they are miserable. Why would they do that?  Fear.  Fear of losing benefits. Fear of not having enough retirement money to live on. Fear that they won’t be able to find something else to do. There are numerous reasons people make this decision, but few of them have any real merit.

The real question here seems to be, why do people stay in jobs they hate doing?  Is money their god? Do they really not have any faith in God above or in themselves? Why would people do this to themselves, to their families, and to their companies?

Stress is a killer. Everyone knows that, yet millions of people stress themselves out every day going to jobs they hate. No wonder we have a problem with road rage and employee disengagement. We have a ton of people just itching to punch someone over the circumstances they have found themselves in.

Is it hopeless? Only if you give in to that thought does it become hopeless. If you have the faith the size of a mustard seed you can move a mountain.  I think any of us could muster that amount of faith, don’t you?

Here are few tips to finding your “dream job:”

  • If you are in a job you hate, before you just quit and move on, determine if this job has the potential for you to use your gifts at some point. You may be busing tables or stacking boxes right now but if management sees potential in you to move up the ranks and you have the gift of leadership, who knows where this job can take you? Be patient and stay the course if there is potential for your gifts to be used.
  • Don’t expect to graduate from school and start at the top of the company. Too many students get caught up with this entitlement mentality just because they have a degree.  Be humble, be a team player, be dependable, stay positive, and work hard. Those things will get you noticed by the people above.
  • Be willing to do jobs that are “beneath you.”  Why? You never know who is watching…and someone is ALWAYS watching. If there is trash on the floor, pick it up.  If the lights were left on, turn them off. If nobody is volunteering for the late shift, take it. Little things do matter.
  • Find out what you are gifted at and focus on using those gifts sooner than later.  If you are gifted artist, for instance, you will be much happier drawing and painting that sitting behind a desk crunching numbers. Right? Everyone has gifts, but it is up to you to find out what yours are. For me, I know I have the gift of encouragement, the gift of writing, and the gift of connecting people. When I do these things I come alive and people respond favorably. Even when people disagree with my blogs, I know I have sparked something in them and in myself to think deeper. That is a good thing.

I hope you will not allow yourself to stay in a job you hate. For your own sake and the sanity of all those in your circle of influence, find your passion and pursue it. It only too late if you give up.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

4 Responses to “Living Without Purpose”

  1. Brendan Crowley says:

    Dan, great article. And, you do have the gift of encouragement and writing. I read all your articles and look forward to your “gold nuggets” of inspiration. Brendan

  2. debbie hogan says:

    good for you! try taking care of a dying cancer relative and watching them take their very last breath in your arms. GOOD FOR YOU!!

    • Dan Skognes says:

      I was with both of my parents when they died. My father had a slow and painful death which was very difficult to watch. My mom was brought back to life artificially several times before she finally took her last breath. I can’t imagine taking care of a cancer patient, but I do know the loss of both parents. I am sorry for your loss.