By Doris Helge, Ph.D. © 2009
One of my clients recently spent days trying to find the perfect black blazer and white shirt to wear to a job interview because she had been advised, “That’s what the company will expect you to wear.”
My client doesn’t usually wear black because, “I look washed out.” She doesn’t own a blazer because she hates the way they fit, “I feel like I’m stuck in a straitjacket.” This woman is extraordinarily talented and well trained in high-tech applications.
You can imagine her big sigh of relief when I asked, “If you aren’t yourself during an interview . . . if you wear a black blazer and white shirt because that’s what everyone else does . . . how will you stand out? And, more importantly, who will you be during your 8 to 5 if you weren’t yourself during the interview?”
There are over five billion people on our planet. Not one single person, even when they have an identical twin, is exactly like anyone else. Why do over 95 percent of the people you know struggle to become like everyone else?
When you’re being yourself, your competition vanishes because no one else is qualified to be you. You are the only person who can play your unique role.
Limit the distance between who you are and how you earn a living. You’ll be living “on purpose.” This guarantees that you’ll be happy most of the time.
Pay attention to what you’re doing when you feel content or happy while you’re working. Joy on the job is a message from the universe that you’re in touch with your life’s purpose.
Do more of what you enjoy and become creative about doing less of what drains your drive. Since we’re all different, there is someone who will enjoy doing the tasks you dread. There are also proven ways to transform the chores you dread into fascinating activities.
Take responsibility for your own well being. If you’re employed by someone else, remember that managers are impressed with employees who take the initiative to suggest ways to redesign their jobs in ways that everyone will win.
The point is to honor who you are. Then you can capitalize on your strengths instead of warring with your weaknesses. What if world-renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking, had avoided being in the world because he “didn’t fit in?” Hawking doesn’t focus on his paralysis. He’s having too much fun proposing theories about how the planet can be saved so your grandchildren will have a place to live.
Stop holding back until you feel like you’re “good enough.” Identify something you’re passionate about and have fun discovering how to make that part of your life’s work. Make a positive difference while you’re on Earth.
Do it for you, because you want to live like Helen Keller who often said, “Life should be a daring adventure, or nothing.” Don’t cheat the world out of the special gift you are genetically programmed to provide.
Do it now.
Visit http://www.FreeJoyEbooks.com now and GET YOUR FREE EBOOK: “Get the Respect & Appreciation You Deserve.” Doris Helge, Ph.D. is “The Joy Coach.” Dr. Helge is 100% dedicated to your happiness and success.
© 2009. This article was excerpted with permission from “Transforming Pain Into Power” by Doris Helge, Ph.D. Permission to reprint this article is granted if the article is in tact, with proper credit given. All reprints must state “Reprinted with permission by Doris Helge, Ph.D. Originally published in “Joy on the Job,” © 2009. Download sample chapters at: www.TransformingPainIntoPower.com
