What is Your Contribution?
I like to believe we all come to this life with a spiritual purpose to fulfill, but I do not believe that this spiritual purpose falls within the limited walls of our economy or capitalist system. Our purpose and contributions to the world are not directly linked to making money. Financial success can happen, of course, but it is not a straight line of connection.
When I first transitioned to coaching, one of my mentors told me to do the work no matter what and be of service first and foremost. Basically, she was encouraging me to love my work. I do make money coaching, I love my work, and I have done it both while being paid and while not being paid.
I also believe that if we pay attention to our how we show up in the world and what we contribute, we will find our answer to our purpose and our callings.
It is like swimming in the water but not recognizing the water in which we swim. Our contribution and our purpose are interwoven.
Here is the tricky part: if we are not conscious of our contribution then we may be contributing to this world in a way that does not align with our integrity and our values. So we need to pay attention and bring our awareness of our values to the forefront.
To know your values is to know what lights you up and what frustrates you. These are the markers to what is most important to you. If you desire more satisfaction and fulfillment in your life, then use your values as the roadmap. If you value teamwork but are working alone, then you will feel unfulfilled. If you value a thriving planet but work for a company that does harm to the planet, you will feel out of alignment. If you value communication but work on a dysfunctional team that does not communicate, you will feel alone and frustrated.
Choose your contribution consciously. Align your work and your values with intention. This is where you will find deeper satisfaction and fulfillment. And if you can’t find it at work, then find it through volunteering and your community. But no matter what, give yourself fully to what matters most to you.