Each day I start my morning outside, by myself, in the quiet. Most days, I will do some meditation, and yesterday I heard something so profound that I had to share it with you.
While listening to the new meditation series by Oprah and Deepak Chopra about Hope and Oprah said that sometimes the part of us that is broken and wants fixed is battling with the part that is ok with being broken and doing nothing about it.
That reminded me of being in my corporate career and feeling the exact same way. I was so stuck, frustrated, and miserable in my career at one point. But I had a good job, so I didn't do anything about it. I had a great paycheck and benefits, which I should feel grateful for, but I just couldn't. I had a job that people would say to me, "You are so lucky!" And yet, I didn't feel lucky; I felt guilty because I didn't feel lucky at all. What I felt was, there was something wrong with me because I couldn't be happy in my career.
Well, guess what? There wasn't anything wrong with me, except for the fact that I was ignoring what my inner guidance was trying to tell me. I wasn't in the right place.
A good job and a great paycheck don't equal success unless you're in the right place in your career for you.
So, are you in the right place? Are you trading the security of a paycheck for the satisfaction and fulfillment you deserve? Is what was important to you a month ago, still important to you in your career? Do you know that you're playing small or playing it safe, but haven't done anything about it?
If so, there may be two parts of you that are at war with each other.
Most career coaches will give you strategies, external things to focus on to achieve the next level in your career. I do things differently. It's not about what you add to yourself to get to where you want to go in your career; it's about removing what is covering it up. There is so much external noise about what else you should do to achieve career success, but at some level, you already know what it is that you want and how you're going to get there. All of that external noise isn't allowing you to hear what your inner guidance has to say. It's being drowned out.
How can you tap into your truth when it comes to your career? Focus on the spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects and get curious. Spend time "being" quiet. It's not about "not talking" it's about quieting your mind with meditation, or taking a solitary walk, or drawing. Something that you can do to quiet the chatter in your head so that you can hear what your inner wisdom is trying to tell you. It's there, but do you give it a chance to speak? It may be praying, or yoga, or some other way that you connect with the spiritual element of who you are.
It's also thinking time. Time to be in a space where you have the chance to just let your mind wander on what may be next for you in your career. Let yourself experience pure curiosity. Write them all down. Make a list of as many options as you can possibly come up with. Don't judge your answers, treat it as an experiment.
Examine the emotions that you have when you think of new possibilities for your career and whatever is next for you. What comes up? Is it fear? Self-doubt? Catch yourself when these negative messages and emotions arise. Challenge them and seek the facts, instead of the story you've been telling yourself. Finally, Change them to something more positive that allows you to move forward in your career and life.
Be good to yourself, and here's wishing you the clarity you deserve!
Related: Five Choices That May Have You Stuck in Your Career
P.S. If your curious to know what your next level or next chapter in career could look like, I'd love to dive into this with you on a Career Clarity Call. You can book yours at www.ClarityWithDebbie.com