If you've been following along the past month, I've been sharing my favorite podcast episodes of all time - those which have most impacted my life and the lives of my clients.
This week's episode might just be my all-time favorite, and coincidentally also the shortest: in this 12-minute speech from the On Being Annual Gathering, poet David Whyte lays bare why it feels so darn hard to find a fulfilling career today, and what to do about it.
If you’ve been asking yourself questions like, “Why can’t this job search thing be easier?” or “Is there something better out there for me? What’s my purpose??”, this one's for you.
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality” - Seneca
If there’s one thing I see getting in the way of people’s job search and career success more than anything else, it’s fear.
Fear is that racing in our chest, or the doubting voice deep in our minds that holds us back from taking the actions we most desire. Actions like searching for a more fulfilling career, negotiating for the raise we know we deserve, scheduling a networking conversation, quitting a job before we have a new one lined up, starting a tough conversation with our boss, or simply speaking up in meetings.
Fear says to us, “Maybe you shouldn’t…”
And sometimes that “maybe” is all it takes to send us into a state of paralysis.
There’s no way to eliminate fear from our emotional repertoire. We all feel it (I sure do!)
But we can change how we handle fear -- how we evaluate it, put it in perspective, and methodically decide which fears are worth leaning into in order to build our happiest careers and lives.
Next up in my “My favorite podcasts” sequence is an inspiring interview with author Elizabeth Gilbert, on the importance of curiosity.
I often return to this episode for Elizabeth’s perspective on why "find your passion" is bad advice, and how curiosity drives success and happiness.
Click here to listen to 23 minutes of pure joy with inspirational speaker, Iyanla Vanzant.
When I first listened to this, I spent an entire grocery shopping experience belly laughing - out loud - up and down the aisles. And if there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that job searching (and life!) require some heavy doses of laughter.
I also walked away with a host of messages I knew could impact my life and my clients’ lives
