What do you do when the work you carefully chose--and have loved--for decades no longer inspires you, or brings satisfaction? You are an expert in your field, and you have a secure future, a handsome salary, and even a measure of status to show for years of hard work. And, still . . . you find yourself increasingly wondering, Is this all there is to my life? Where has the fire gone? Do I need to fix my attitude, or do I need to do something wholly different? This was the general theme of today's Let's Talk Work!
It doesn't really matter that one caller was from New Zealand and another from California--these are human challenges that transcend cultural differences.I have come to look at these disenchantments that all of us face over the course of a lifetime as "small deaths." They are whispers from Psyche that we must shed some outmoded way of being to make room for something new. If we fail to heed these signs, Psyche will get our attention with big deaths, like getting demoted, or fired.
If you are reading this, I know that you have made a commitment on behalf of Jung and the individuation journey. You may not have realized it, but you also made a declaration into the ether, the invisible realm, and the gods will not allow you to stay long in work that deadens you. And, there is no going back to being a sleepwalker in the collective. Best to put on your "listening to Psyche" ears, and step into the future that is your birthright!
The good news is that most often you're not required to quit an unsatisfying job. More likely, you are being called to quit an outmoded way of moving in the world. When people tell me that they hate their job and are ready to quit, I encourage them to own the words they are speaking: So, you're telling me that you are no longer invested in this place, this job. Is that accurate? Sometimes, when confronted, he or she will back away from their bold language, which changes the direction of our discussion. However, if the workplace or position has lost the individual's full commitment and loyalty, then from that day on he or she is free to use the job to practice new ways of being at work.
In one sense, a job is just geography, and we take ourselves with us wherever we go. If we have unconscious issues around maintaining good boundaries, or taking a contrary stance in discussions, etc., we WILL at some point face the same fundamental issues in a new environment. That's just the way it works! However, when the need to succeed in a particular job or organization ceases, you have complete freedom to play with taking actions that scare you. See what happens; you have little to lose, because part of you has already moved on. Hopefully, you'll mine these astonishing opportunities to learn about yourself before you give your official notice.
Please join us Tuesdays at 7:30p, or Fridays at 10:00a Pacific time!
Click the link to join the session online:
https://zoom.us/j/909381641
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ID: 909 381 641
Int'l call info: https://zoom.us/zoomconference?m=pYj6Zgd3ntu6YmnuVk05fxzd_wz8Dzq1
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