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How to Discover the Work That Will Bring You Joy and Purpose

“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” ~David Viscott

You are a seeker. Searching for more of life. More joy. More depth. More connection. More happiness.

Our generation is not willing to settle for meaningless existence. Just to get by, just to keep it all together. It doesn’t interest us any more.

We want more freedom. Especially in the realm of our work.

But it can seem like a long road between ‘here’ and ‘there.’ From this job, from this life into… the unknown.

We know there is deeper purpose to fulfill, so we start to ask ourselves the question…

What Would Make Me Happy?

Four years ago I started asking myself this question. And I was coming up with nothing. Silence. Not good.

I was working as a successful hospital pharmacist, moving up the ladder into management. I made great money and was well respected and efficient. But I was unhappy.

My professional dissatisfaction had become physical, and my body was speaking to me with symptoms of severe nausea. Sugar consumption was at an all time high and I had to get out.

But where to go? What would make me happy? What would I rather do?

I had no idea.

If you too are at career and life crossroads, you are likely asking yourself this question too. What would make you happy?

And perhaps, like me, you won’t be able to answer the question at first. Or, if you do dream up a solution it involves distant countries, foreign adventures, and escape. And in your heart you know that’s not the answer.

You desire a life that you don’t need a holiday to “escape from.”

You desire a life that is the destination.

When I first asked myself this question—what would make me happy?—the hospital pharmacist had no clue.

I was going through the motions of life and finding pleasure in its various pursuits, but there was nothing that really lit me up. Nothing that really sang to my heart.

And I was frustrated. How was I so numb to life that I couldn’t answer the simple question in a meaningful, not just fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of way?

So I rephrased the question from “What would make me happy?” to something more achievable. “What am I curious about?”

I removed the pressure for this next job to be “the thing that made me happy” and I created space for possibility.

Every single possibility that sparked a trace of passion or happiness was followed, and it looked like:

Could I sell antiques? Let me investigate… Perhaps organizing weddings? Or bake bliss balls?

Maybe I could be a yoga teacher? The list goes on…

And something remarkable began to happen. I found the more I explored, the more I got to know myself again.

The more I discovered what didn’t make me happy, the closer to joy I felt.

The more I became sensitized to what really lit me up, the clearer my direction felt.

Create Space

By this stage the desire for change was relentless. The pain of going on, in the current incarnation of my work, was greater than the fear of stepping into the unknown.

And so I stepped. I reduced my pharmacy job hours and I created space for more possibility, more curiosity, and more purpose to flow into my life.

When we are busy, the sheer inertia of our day often takes over. Our habits of keeping everything on track, worshiping the goddess of busy, and forgetting to prioritize our pleasure become the norm.

And these are the same habits that we see to re-write.

But re-calibration needs space to occur.

Just like downloading new software to your computer, and waiting for the re-boot to happen, this upgrade takes time. And patience. And the screen will go black for a while.

We have to be open and willing to sit in the black void while the download is received, while the new paradigm is created. We have to create the space for desire to arrive.

And keeping busy doesn’t create space. It just creates more of the same.

Essentially, if you keep on doing what you’re doing, you will keep on getting what you’re getting.

Stop Reward-Consuming and Clear Your Debt

At this point in my journey, and in the journey of so many others, money always comes up as ‘the thing.’

I have expenses. I have a mortgage. I couldn’t possibly live on any less income. It feels risky.

I hear you.

But what price do you place on your joy?

Consider this. The busy paradigm most us live in isn’t overflowing with joy or purpose. So we learn to compensate with treating ourselves to this restaurant, that holiday, this new wardrobe, and that green smoothie every time we are out.

We find rewards to compensate for our unhappiness, because our consumption increases proportional to our dissatisfaction with life.

These ‘rewards’ become just that. Rewards. To keep our heads above the surface in a career or life or relationship we don’t otherwise find joyful.

What if, with the creation of space and the following of your curiosities, you could create more joy, with less stuff?

I’m not saying that your new joy-filled job is going to pay less. In fact, I would argue that you will probably earn more (I do). But in the short term, your change of direction takes investment. Investment in yourself.

During my own transition period of creating more space and following my curiosities there were two essential and practical outcomes:

  • I stopped mindlessly consuming. I started investing solely in myself and what nurtured me.
  • I cleared my debts so I felt free to follow my desires, wherever they led.

And with time, space, and curiosity I felt ready to face the big question.

What Is My Purpose?

I started to feel into: What is this concept that we call purpose? How did she get it? And how can I get there?

So many nights I sat with this question.

During one of these soul-searching nights I read a quote from the Dali Lama where he said, “The purpose of life is to be happy,” and I realized the truth.

No one job can define my purpose. No one choice, or label, or career can be my purpose.

Purpose cannot be defined by one thing. Purpose is a choice that I make every day. A choice about how I show up in the world.

When I show up with my heart open and I follow my desires, my truth, my passion, my happiness and I share that with the world, I am living my purpose.

Purpose = sharing my passion with the world.

This definition of purpose isn’t restricted to one career or one choice. It’s a simple choice every day.

I can show up as pharmacist Jenna sharing my passion and live a life of purpose.

I can show up as kinesiologist Jenna sharing my passion and live a life of purpose.

Which means the more I open my heart, the more I follow my passion, the more I serve through that passion, the more purpose I find in life.

But following your passion might not manifest as a career at first. Because purpose is more than a job.

It’s a way of living.

And often when seeking transformation, the change has to happen within before it manifests out in the world.

Connecting with your deep passion, which knows how to answer the question “What would make me happy?” fills you up from within. And when that vessel is full, it overflows.

Into the service of others and into jobs and careers and meaning in the world.

Which is what we are seeking. More joy. More depth. More connection. More happiness.

You are the only one who can make the choice, the space, the commitment.

Choose yourself.

About Jenna Ward

Jenna Ward is a kinesiologist, clarity coach and speaker helping women create lives that are rich in freedom, purpose, and expression. Creator of The Sacred Circle and the Wild + Free interview series Jenna works one-on-one and with groups of sisters around the world. To learn more about her offering, visit jennaward.com.au or find Jenna on Facebook or Instagram.

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Linda Neeley

ì want to guíde you to amazíng online work opportunity.. 3-5 h of work a day.. payment at the end of each week.. performance dependíng bonuses…earnings of six to nine thousand dollars /month – merely few hours of your free time, a computer, most elementary familiarìty wìth www and trusted# web-connection is what is needed…learn more by headìng to my page

carlabriggs2

I have to# guide you to this amazing online job opportunity… three-five h of work /day… Weekly payments… Bonus opportunities…Payment of six to nine thousand dollars a month… Merely several h of your free time, a computer, most basic familiarity with internet and stable web-connection is what is required…Learn more on my page

Lucille Tozi

I have to guide you! to this amazing online job opportunity… three-five h of work /day… Weekly payments… Bonus opportunities…Payment of six to nine thousand dollars a month… Merely several h of your free time, a computer, most basic familiarity with internet and stable web-connection is what is required…Learn more on my page

Daniela

I’m so lost…had a career for 16 years straight after college (full time no breaks)…then was blessed with a child later in life…took the next 6 years off to be at home as my husband travels extensively…now full time school just hit and I’m at a complete loss. I still need to be at home but I should get back to work…feeling very lost and confused in a world that seems to only value women who work…

Ana Collier

I will show excellent online job opportunity… 3-5 hours( of work /day… Weekly paycheck… Bonuses…Payment of $6000-$9000 /month… Merely several hours of free time, any kind of computer, elementary knowing of internet and dependable web-connection is what is required…Click on my disqus~~~~page to learn more

Jenna Ward

Yes the world can seem like that Daniela – but there is truly a place for you outside of the corporate career structure. I promise. I love that you write “I should get back to work” – and I’m interested to know where is that “should” coming from? What’s behind the should? Understanding and exploring why you feel the SHOULD might illuminate some of the confusion for you? xx Jenna (the author)

Bill Boteler

I am really concerned about people who want to lead purposeful lives (maybe I should be a coach??). I know that we’ve got some really bad problems in the world that need passionate people to solve them. And I don’t think those problems are going to be solved by volunteers working on Saturdays (although they can really help) . Also, we should have more possibilities than past generations.`
But I also know that there seems to be a contraction of good jobs that goes alongside an increase in highly educated individuals. People joke about having to give up their dream of being an “astronaut” but what happens when that extends to getting a job in science, or the arts or academia? What happens when there are too many lawyers or doctors? What happens when the remaining jobs are increasingly service or clerical jobs? Is this a “first world problem?” Maybe. But we’ve got this one life we want to live and how do we get people excited about their education beyond 8th grade when the jobs don’t need it?
I think we need to question the existing paradigm, radically. We need to question endlessly globalizing economies. We need to question endlessly automating economies with more and more technology. We need to question the idea that communities can’t pull together and create their own economies that address social and environmental problems, create community jobs and utilize creativity and knowledge not valued by the existing globalized, corporate system? Hopelessly impractical? Perhaps, but I see the existing system as creating a lot of crappy, low-paying jobs and a lot of pollution and suffering. Do we want to learn to just accept this reality and sit meditating and growing inner peace? Or do we resist?

Anna

Good article but I seriously doubt Shakespeare said that quote at the beginning of the article.

Jenna Ward

Thanks Ana! Turns out it was ~David Viscott!
Either way sage words!

Jenna Ward

Or do we rise above? I think there are more options than acceptance or resistance Bill. As Mother Theresa once said ‘I will not march against war, but I will march for peace’.

Wanda Jones

I `Started` `WoRking` `from` `COmfort` `OF` My` `HOMe`, By` `Working` `SOmE` very` `Basic` `jObs` That `Only `rEquired` A` `Pc` &` `Internet` `Access` `&` It’s the `Best `Job` I `EVer` `HAd… It’s Been `six` `months` since I` started `This` and i got `Paid` so far in total 36 `Thousand` `Dollars`… Basically I` `profit` `80` `dollars`/hour` And work` for` 3 to 4 h` on daily basis.And the best part about this `Job` is that You get` to `Choose` Yourself when To `Work` and for how long and you Get` a `Paycheck` `weekly.Hope over to“website“ `page` `LINK` Which Is On `Prrof!le` of mine

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Daniela

Thank you Jenna…still trying to figure all of this out 🙂

Renee

I’ve enjoyed this post so much that I’m actually going to read it again and again because it resinates with everything I am experiencing in my own life. Thank you so much, Jenna.

Jean-Paul Blommaert

Great read… something I have been searching for since the last decade.

Joes Bar

Exactly!