Did you finish figuring out what you were best suited to do before more-or-less locking into a career or type of job? Did you complete the process of learning the job options in your preferred career area and gaining the qualifications?

If you are not in the right line of work, are you more spiritual or less as a result? That is, more engaged with your spirituality? Most of us probably are more engaged if dissatisfied, out of work or under-employed.  Either we’re blaming God or seeking some special guidance, maybe even a “miracle”! But we may be more positively engaged if we have satisfying work, feel we are contributing.

What about while preparing for the job market… for a career? Do we tend to approach that with a view toward our spiritual beliefs and practices? Or does it seem irrelevant?

It is clearly relevant for some…. people interested in church ministry or other religiously-oriented jobs.  But what about the rest of us? A good chance we give it little thought.  My contention is that we should. And more than just passing thought.  There are more tie-ins between our “spirits” and our work than we generally realize.  That goes whether you consider “spirit” in a loose and broad way (like “team spirit”) or believe you have a spirit that is distinct from your body or even your “soul”.

I am gearing up to begin a series of posts on career development, an area of increased Focus for me, and in which I find a great need among particularly young adults, but also young teens, beginning to make choices, on up to people of retirement age.  There are few good structures or processes in the US (or most countries, to my knowledge) to help guide the “novice” adult toward finding and entering the work area and setting that’s most fitting for her or him…. What is likely to bring both strong success and satisfaction.  It’s not hard to be more likely to than the haphazard or poorly informed way most people, even with a college education, get into jobs.

Almost any systematic focus on exploring oneself and the career options most likely to fit well will bring some benefit.  The key is systematic… and sustained over a good period of time, in most cases.  There are people who, from an early age, have a clear sense of their passion and their natural abilities line up well so that entering a career involving that is a “no-brainer”.  All goes pretty well, though often with some barriers to overcome.  But people who are that lucky are a small minority.  I’d guess less than 10%, maybe well less.

So it is for the other 90% or more who struggle and often fail to get into a suitable and satisfying career (many surveys show the dismal numbers) that I begin this focus.  As I plan out this series, which will be the basic outline and content of a book I intend to publish in a few months, I would love to get your input….

What situation are you in regarding work or career? What would you like guidance on? Do you know where to find it?

Do you know or sense, personally, a “calling” that you would or might consider “spiritual”? 

What have you learned that you’d like to pass on to other seekers or dissatisfied workers? What you share with us here will be a big help in making what I design and share more suited to my audience and more on target.  Thanks!