What’s Love Got to Do…With Your Career
Success Principle #1: Love
Last month I shared an article on my top 10 spiritual principles for achieving success. The first principle is Love and I try to apply it to every area of my life — especially my career! Let’s face it. Many people simply work to pay the bills. While there is nothing wrong with taking care of yourself and your family, it can be a limited career experience that often leaves people feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or unhappy.
I’m a firm believer that God is love, love is power, and it’s this power that inspires us to create, engage, innovate, and live meaningful lives. Love is a person’s natural state, and when you remember that nugget of truth, you start to think, talk and act differently — especially when it comes to your career. You stand taller, speak more confidently, and believe in the gifts and talents you possess to achieve your full potential. Therefore, love directly impacts the amount of success we experience in our profession, including the desired salary, work environment, and level of influence.
Love makes the difference between a dead-end job and a fulfilling career that enables you to positively impact the workplace. Complete this statement by filling in the blanks:
My name is ____, and I am known for ____.
This may take a little bit of self-reflection if you’ve never articulated it. You may benefit from getting feedback from friends or trusted colleagues as well. The goal is to understand how you create and add value to your work environment. It isn’t the title, the status, or the responsibilities that make the difference; it’s the unique way you contribute to the company that makes the difference. That is how love shows up in your career.
You show honor to yourself, your family, and this world when you are productive each day and excel at the work in front of you. If you are not excelling, it’s time to make a shift. Shifting isn’t always easy, but it is worth it when you find yourself in a career rut and simply go through the motions of performing your job. I remember having that experience a few years ago. I felt drained throughout the entire day and became desperate for change. I realized the first step didn’t involve a change in career but a change in my spirit; I had to operate from a place of love instead of fear.
When I worked from a place of love, I bloomed where I was planted. There was a stark difference in how I perceived my work and the untapped opportunities. Fear kept me in a role where I wasn’t experiencing the success I desired and had no idea how to course correct. Love helped me rediscover my greatest strengths and use them to charter a new course for my career. Fear kept me in a familiar industry because I was afraid to take a pay cut and adjust my lifestyle. Love helped me bolster my expertise at work and use those skills to develop multiple income streams in various industries. Fear kept me at a job because I was afraid to fail at a new venture. Love helped me leverage the support of my professional network to learn the skills needed for success.
Making this spiritual change from fear to love prepared me for a career shift at the right time. And when the opportunity to transition presented itself, I was perfectly positioned to impact this world in a new way. So, show your career some love! Doing so will produce more good fruit in your life.
Now I’m asking you. What’s love got to do with your career? Let Tina and I know your thoughts!
Jalyn Isley is a success coach and author. Visit JalynIsley.com to learn more about her services and resources.
