Any Job is an Honorable Job

Seeing your job as an honorable job, adds more meaning and peace to your life. Also, seeing the honor in what you do now, creates an ideal foundation upon which a career change can be built.

At fifteen, my first job was that of a waitress at a local truck stop. One day, back then, I happened to meet the elementary principal of my past. She mentioned she had heard I was working part time and wondered at what.

Shamefacedly I mumbled, "Oh, I am just a waitress." That wise, old, stern headmistress said to me, "Teresa, any job is an honorable job. Don't you ever forget it!" And I never have.

Of course, seeing the honor in our job is not always an easy task.

Societal Values Demean our Work & Worth

Our societal values make it difficult to honor so-called menial jobs. Our sick societal values esteem big bank accounts, fancy houses, new cars, extended paid vacations, prestigious jobs, beautiful, youthful looks, and perfectly cloned behaviors. These societal values wring the worth from the vast majority of hard-working folk.

Create your own values by looking for the honor and worth in your work now. Any honest day's work is honorable and worthy. Finding the honor and goodness in everything you do builds dignity and honor within you.

Even if you wanted to career change but instead returned to the field you had hoped to leave, remember, there is huge honor and courage in this. Taking care of your family and responsibilities does not mean you are a failure. It means you are a responsible, caring human being.

If you cannot find any worth in your current job, that lack of worth will likely haunt your career change. Before jumping jobs, seeking fulfillment elsewhere, consider your current job as sacred work.

Your Job as Sacred Work

Monastic writers have described their day-to-day, menial work as the path to holiness. Your job is much more than a means to pay bills. Try envisioning your job as your ministry.

I have a very health conscious, spiritual friend who, at this moment in her life, sells lottery tickets, liquor and cigarettes in a liquor store to help pay her bills. Rather than bitterly resent her position, she has made it her ministry to create a positive atmosphere, giving kindness and care to every human being that passes through those doors. Not surprisingly, wonderful little miracles occur often. (And yes, she is also doing the groundwork to create new employment.)

Rarely are things what they seem to be on the surface. In every relationship, in every job, and in every life experience there is much more going on than meets the eye.

"The three foundations of spirituality:
hearth as altar,
work as worship and
service as sacrament."
A Compilation of Triads, Volume I John F. Wright

We are always being called to see the bigger picture and to grow nearer to our soul. To find more meaning within the work you do now, query your soul as to the larger view.

Ask Your Soul

Try sitting quietly for awhile. Practice letting go of passing thoughts while lightly noticing your breath coming in and going out. Relax your body and mind. Ask your soul, "What is my work really about. What work am I really doing here?"

When I had grown weary of facilitating the same career assessment program for nine years, I sat and asked my soul this same question. Within the whisper of my small, still voice I heard the truth, "You are bringing light and hope to people."

The work I was doing was not about self assessment tools or job search but about bringing light and hope to people. From that day onward the program was no longer repetitive for me and as I gained more depth and meaning in my work, so did the program.

When we see our work as sacred and honorable, we feel good about what we are doing and who we are. This goodness spins off into our family, workplace and ultimately the world. This also, builds an ideal foundation for career change, if we so desire. From honoring ourselves and our current work we can then successfully begin taking small steps towards change.

Teresa Proudlove

Teresa is the publisher/editor of Yourlifework.com encouraging people to listen to their inner guidance, be gentle with themselves and practice present moment awareness. Herein, we learn to navigate through life with more acceptance and peace.

Teresa Proudlove has been inspiring, supporting, and guiding over 3000 people upon their career and life path for fourteen years - with compassion and heart. This entrepreneurial woman also, successfully owned two clothing boutiques for ten years. A well-read columnist for twelve years, Teresa continues her successful writing and teaching today as an editor/writer.

---

How To Power Negotiate Your Next Bonus

A raise in your base salary is a permanent source of increased income. However, to increase your take home pay, you can also negotiate performance bonuses on... Read More

The Inevitable Job Interview Question: ?Why Did You Leave (Are Planning To Leave) Your Last Position

This is a question that you can almost count on being asked at your next interview What the interviewer wants to know is, "Why are you available?"The... Read More

A Workplace Romance Can Be Detrimental to Your Career

Over 70% of single employees will become romantically involved with someone they work with at some point in their career. The workplace has become the new single's... Read More

How To Create A Winning Impression In Your New Job

Congratulations! You've just been appointed to your new job. Now the real work begins.It is important from the beginning to convince your new employers that, in selecting... Read More

How To Write A Resume Cover Letter That Will Get Your Resume Read

A Resume Cover Letter has only one purpose - to stimulate the recipient of your resume to review your resume. This free resume cover letter tutorial assumes... Read More

Master Responding to Selection Criteria and Win Your Next Job!

As a human resources specialist for many years, I've seen it all when it comes to job applications. Most disheartening were those applications in which applicants had... Read More

Experience Hear-See-Do

Research indicates that we retain only 10% of what we hear; 20% of what we see; 65% of what we hear and see; but 90% of what... Read More

Successful Job Seeking ? The Importance of Your Cover Letter

As an employer I receive many job applications each week. Some cover letters are so well written that I am compelled to review the attached resume even... Read More

How to Ask For a Salary Increase and Get Your Raise

Feeling overworked and underpaid? If you're starting to feel like you deserve a raise, here are eight DO's and DON'Ts to build your confidence and tact (and... Read More

I Just Lost My Job: How Am I Going To Tell My Kids?

One of the responsibilities of a human resources professional is to let employees know that their job has been eliminated. It is seldom easy to do and... Read More

Job Search Campaign Tip: An Activity Diary

Looking for a job involves a wide range of responsibilities: preparing a resume, looking at ads, contacting employers, calling and visiting friends and acquaintances, follow ups, interviews.... Read More

The Interview - A Few Tips for Making a Great First Impression

Searching for employment is one of the most nerve-racking activities to engage in. As if the direct need for income is not stressful enough, the process of... Read More

Take This Job and...Re-staff It

Deciding to leave a job isn't easy. In fact, quitting a job requires courage, especially in today's soft economy when the unemployment rate has reached 6.4%. However,... Read More

Ask For That Raise!

For nine years Jeff worked for company G as an engineer. Flying airplanes was his first love. His job came in a close second place. That changed... Read More

Does Your Resume Have What It Takes To Survive The First Cut?

Qualifications" or "Personal Profile") uses bullets and succinct wording to highlight what is likely to most intrigue the employer. Before writing this section, make a list of... Read More

Career Development - When Its Time for a Change

There's a certain courage required to hear your gut. To really be true to how you are feeling. And that is never more important than in your... Read More

An RX For Your Résumé

Whether you are an accountant, virtual assistant, or a corporate executive, your job skills are constantly refined. A new sales presentation you've organized or the new spreadsheet... Read More

Job Interviews: How to Answer the How Do You Handle Stressful Situations? Question

When answering the "How do you handle stressful situations?" question during an interview, the best strategy is to give some examples of stressful situations you've dealt successfully... Read More

Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position

It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.... Read More

So You Want To Be a Nurse When You Grow Up?

You're interested in becoming a nurse. How do you get into the field? First of all, you need to assess your basic interest. Why do you want... Read More

Risk-taking - Get Your Feet Wet!

We often use the phrase, "Get Your Feet Wet" when we are just beginning to learn how to do something or are about to pioneer a new... Read More

10 Things to Do to Get the Job

10. Understand all of the opportunities available to you. Don't just assume that you can only work at the standard place of employment for your area of... Read More

Learn Some Useful Feng Shui Career Tips

As it does with every main life aspect, feng shui also provides tips and guidelines to help you improving your career. If your career is not moving... Read More

Driver Team Solo Positions: The Nitty Gritty On Truck Driving Jobs

Trucks and truck drivers are a constant presence on US highways and interstates. A person on even the shortest drive is likely to pass by a truck... Read More

The Interviewable Resume

It is rumored that the only word William Shakespeare wrote on his resume was "Available." We'll probably never know if that is true. But it raises an... Read More

No Degree, No Problem

According to a recent survey, 52% of job candidates polled lied on their resume about having a college degree. Here are 3 brief horror stories: A new... Read More