I got a chance to visit with some long time friends this last week. One of these friends had just recently gotten a new job and I was struck by his whole demeanor when he talked about it. His face lit up.
The Friend
You might think that this is just a natural result of a fresh start, but it was more than than. We talked quite a bit about the difference.
In his previous job, he mentioned that he was pretty far removed between the actual use of the products he was a part of creating. He couldn’t really tell how customers were using the product. Was the product use for nefarious purposes?. Was it used to help people? Was he really making a difference in the world? He didn’t know.
Now in his new job he is a part of a team that is researching a cure for cancer. It’s not just a nifty idea to my friend. It completely explains why he’s so excited in his new job. Sometimes his teammates will get into a disagreement about something, and my friend shared that he will say, “Guys this really doesn’t matter. Stop arguing. We’re curing cancer here.”
This is the experiential difference between just getting by in life and being a part of something significant. When you are a part of something meaningful, people will look at you and say, “Wow! Your face lit up.”
My Experience
I can relate to the feelings my friend has experienced. When I was an employee creating software, I was working for someone else. I was helping someone else fulfill their dreams. It paid really well, and though it was fun, it wasn’t a passion. It certainly wasn’t a passion in the sense that I thought it was significant to the world and changed lives for the better.
This sense of insignificance became very apparent to me when I had my heart attack in 2005. Having a fun career is good, but it’s not good enough.
When Rena and I started Simply Great Lives, it was a whole new experience for me. A number of things happened:
- I became a lot more engaged in our work as it is something I care about deeply.
- My work became about more than just me and my satisfaction. There are people out there depending on me – hoping and praying for me (or someone like me) to show up, light their way, encourage, and speak life into them.
Your Experience
While I share a lot about me and my life here, this blog really is about you, the reader. What is your experience right now. Where you work, is it a paycheck or is it your purpose? When you think about the results of your efforts, is your work or other engagements making a really significant difference? Or are you in a place where you really can’t tell?
Tell us about the last time you got involved in something meaningful and your face lit up?
