- I am feeling a sort of emptiness in my life.
- I am not getting the kind of recognition, I deserve , in my office/ home.
- I am finding it difficult to manage my work-life balance.
- Fast paced career and family responsibilities are sweeping away most of my time
Sounds familiar ? We hear such kinds of complaints from our friends, colleagues, family members including ourselves. Yes, modern day life and fast paced careers demands a lot more out of us and makes us push our boundaries. And over a period of time, we simply put on our "autopilot" mode to the extent that everything we do becomes mundane and boring. The work doesn't motivate us any more and become less interesting.
Almost everyone of us go through such kind of experience at least once in our lives. Though it may sound reasonable to have such feeling once in a while, considering our innate nature of seeking pleasure out of everything we do. The real problem starts when such feelings (lack of appreciation, recognition, self image, motivations) last over a period of time.
Thankfully, the answer to this feeling is simple. We just need to look inwards and rearrange four building blocks of our living.
- Personal
- Professional
- Social
- Spiritual
If properly balanced, these blocks bring a state of equilibrium to our existence.
One may refer to the news of Google executive Patrick Pichettea, who recently left his plush corporate job to follow his passion. Not everyone of us is privileged to do so. Rather, one need not take such steps to seek the passion and fulfilment. The answer is always present deep within us. We just need to peel back the layers of our conscience.
It's really important to find the purpose of things we do in our day to day existence. That sense of purpose brings clarity to our thoughts and actions.
One may refer to or define a set of guidelines like following.
Find out things You like the most The things which give me real happiness, pleasure, a sense of accomplishment. Is it some passion/hobby like reading, writing , a sport , designing, programming, talking, music or the work at hand? Keep looking to find out the answer. Notice the signals sent by mind from time to time.
Commitment to act : be committed to act on your likings. Make conscious efforts. Allocate right resources [time and energy] towards the commitment.
Find a mentor. Reach out to people you trust who can help you out.For me, books are the best mentors.
Appraise your efforts over a period of time. Reflect upon your commitment and ensure that you are taking efforts in right direction
Few more words...
Have I found purpose of my life? No. Am I going to find it ever? May be. But I am sure that one day I will definitely find it by looking inside me, being committed to find it and appraising my actions towards it.
Finally, keep hunting for answers to following questions. [Source book : How will you measure your life, by Clayton Christensen]
- Am I sure that all my relationships are going to last forever?
- Am I happy in my work and career choices I have made?
- Am I living my life with integrity and authenticity?
