Purpose > Career

I hate my job. I don’t hate my job; I’m not a fan of the perceived sense of identity, purpose and self-legitimacy the career symbolizes.   Far too long, I’ve let my career define my being – my purpose. Occupation trump everything and my purpose was tied to that profession. After college, I entered Corporate America determined to be “successful”. Not sure the origins of my missions, but those missions were two-fold: 1.) Make lots of money 2.) Climb the corporate ladder - Advance to the C-Suite by working my tail off.  As I understood existence, accomplishing those tasks was my focus. That’s what I was supposed to do, that was living the American dream, that was creating a better life and making both parents proud. Therefore, like a thoroughbred horse in the Kentucky derby, I put the blinders on, concentrated strictly on those assignments.  So for over a decade the life that I chose consisted of 12 hour work days that provided a sense of self gratitude; supervisor recognition’s that fueled my ego and confirmed my abilities, promotions or lack thereof that defined success.  That life’s journey didn’t sit well with my soul – manufactured a void.  I’ve always known life encompass something meaningful; however, I usually tied that something significant to success within a given company/firm. For example, once I made it to the C-Suite, I would be an advocate for that oppressed person (minority, poor) looking to advance their career. As a result and just like livestock branding, my career was brand into my consciousness as my purpose…. 
…Recently, I reread and studied the true biblical story of David vs. Goliath. Most are familiar with the epic battle where David takes a stone, puts it in his sling shot and hits Goliath right between the eyes - killing him. David vs. Goliath is the classic underdog story. Coaches, writers, motivational speakers, all tell this story to inspire and motive their audiences. Since rereading David vs. Goliath, the epic battle is not the story that has resonated with me - the prerequisites leading up to the battle are what I remember.  Let me explain, David was a Shepherd. David wasn’t in the king’s military. David wasn’t training to be a professional fighter. On a daily basis, David attended to his sheep. As protector of his sheep; he was forced to fight against lions and bears acquiring a set of skills that he would later use to kill Goliath. Those same tangible and intangible skills David obtained from his career led him to define his legacy and in due course define his purpose.  Modernizing the thought above, I reflected on Jay Z’s career and how he’s skillfully utilized the skills he acquired from selling crack to creating a brand that’s inspiring a generation and maintaining the longevity of an entire culture.
Maturity, wanting to maximize my potential and soul searching takes me to places of self reflection. During those periods, I tend to view myself from a bird’s eye view – an elevated view of an object from above. From those assessments, I’ve realized that my reason for living is greater than my career. I believe that one should not tie their purpose to their occupation. On the other hand, one should utilize the lessons learnt from their occupation, hobbies, and upbringing to aid them in fulfillment of their purpose.   Secondly I’ve realized that labeling yourself (i.e. lawyer, doctor, consultant, etc...), puts you in a box that places controls and limits around your contributions to society and mankind. Purpose should trump occupation and occupation shouldn’t over power the natural law of creativity that’s aligned to the outer expression of the soul and one’s reason for being. Your aim should not stop at the American Dream. Your aim must continue until you completely understanding and solve the soul’s intention.  Similar to David and Jay Z, our careers are points in time where we develop and obtain the necessary skills to assist us in accomplishing our ultimate task. Simply put, the tools we gain from our careers are to be used to advance our purpose and the betterment of mankind. --Tight Tight