The Practice of Meaningful Work
Cartoon by Steve Heath
As I’ve said before, I consider my yoga practice a template for how I live my life (credit for the “template” metaphor goes to Cyndi Lee, though Kimberly Wilson was the first to introduce me to the larger concept). Once you immerse yourself in yogic philosophy, it’s hard not find connections between yoga and, well, everything (I feel the same way about improv). And yet, despite the fact that finding meaningful work is one of the major themes of my adult life, I’d never connected the lessons of yoga practice to the process of finding my “right livelihood”…that is, until I came across this article by Tama J. Keives on the Kripalu website.
Even if you don’t know a thing about yoga, I recommend spending the 5 minutes or so it takes to read this article. The main idea: Finding meaningful work is a lifelong practice. If that sounds overwhelming, recognize that practice means small steps that can lead to breakthroughs at any point along the way. It’s not about deferring fulfillment, it’s about realizing that fulfillment is fluid.
Kieves is a an honors graduate of Harvard Law School who left a corporate law practice to pursue her dream and help others do the same. Isn’t that a familiar narrative, at this point? I’m sure you can conjure examples of similar stories: The lawyer who opened a bakery, the woman on the corporate ladder who decided to walk dogs/write a novel/etc. I’m afraid we relegate these examples to charming or inspiring exceptions to the rule of how one lives an adult life, without paying attention to the universal lesson they offer, which is this: You can change your mind, and you can change your life. By “you,” I mean, anyone – it doesn’t require a special gene.
Maybe you always wanted to be a journalist. And then you didn’t. Yes, it’s hard work to bring everyone in your life up to speed – to help them understand why you’re changing, why they need to change how they see you. And it’s even harder work to allow yourself to want what you want, and to acknowledge that voice inside you that says “Hey! I’m not so sure about the status quo.”
The fact that it’s such hard work is one reason we should take stories like Kieve’s seriously. We should pay attention to people who insist on aligning their outer and inner lives – who make their lives a true expression of their values and voice. These aren’t cute, light human interest stories – they’re roadmaps. Lessons.
So check out Kieve’s article. And ask yourself, What is your purpose in life? How does your work relate to that purpose? Could it be time for a change?
Then ask yourself again. And again. Savor the insights that emerge, and be patient when all that emerges is nothing. The only way to find the answers is to ask the questions.
Everyone gets the experience; some get the lesson.
—T. S. Eliot
Related Reading:
- Be In The Scene You Want To Be In
- Seeking Fulfillment, a post from my previous blog, Creative DC
- How to Find the Work You Love, also from Creative DC
As I sit at my desk in my office at a job I’ve loved but more recently lost heart for, my mind is on a job interview coming up later this afternoon. A job I really, really want – like I have not wanted a job in a long, long time. A job that will connect two of my personal passions and several of my professional skills, and that could, if I play it right, open up new career possibilities for me. It’s also a job that will pay me significantly less than I’m making now. It will introduce a greater financial inequality in my marriage that could push us to hash out that hardest of marital issues: money. Not to mention, I might not be able to buy new shoes again for months. The tradeoff? Doing something that feels more “me”. That feels like the right kind of investment – like what I offer matched what is needed, and what I could receive matched what I need. Don’t know what to expect, but thanks, Amanda, for the very timely post and that fantastic article from Tama Keives.