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Author: Asoka Selvarajah, Ph.D

Many people these days hate their jobs and wish they were doing something else. Given that each of us has tremendous genius potential within, why do we fritter it away on an activity that consumes most of our life and yet brings little satisfaction? Why do we live only for the weekend, saying "Thank God it's Friday"? Why is it medical fact that the highest incidence of fatal heart attacks occur at 9:00 on Monday morning?

The answer may partly lie in the fact that we are too casual about our initial career choices. A large number of people find themselves at the end of the formal education process, with little idea of what to do next. They have to make some rapid career choices, without thinking hard enough about what the big picture of life will be. Motivated by immediate economic necessity, they choose careers they are unsuited for. Once the mistake is made, it is then persisted in. Change seems increasingly impossible to accomplish; simply too much effort or risk.

Due to chenges in the workplace, a once promising job may become mudance and boring, even dreadful. Perhaps you were lied to at interview and the job is totally different to what you expected. Perhaps it was another reason altogether...

However, the truth is that if you are in a job you dislike - even hate - then you are selling yourself down the river. Nobody else is doing it for you. It results in low self-esteem, high fatigue and stress levels, chronic under-achievement of your true potential, inexplicable illnesses, and usually a low level of income, both financially and in terms of job satisfaction.

What is the other possibility? You find something you really love to do and pursue it with all your heart. This is what the great geniuses of history were basically doing. Imagine Leonardo da Vinci thinking to himself "God! It's Monday morning. Do I have to?....." and then rolling over in bed. People like this possessed high levels of energy, and could carry on day and night, because they were passionate about what they were doing. Their job was their passion and their life. That is how it is meant to be. It can be the same for you. You need to start by believing that YOU are here for something; that there is something that YOU can do better than anyone else.

Misguided people sometimes say of a wealthy person, "Why does he/she keep working? After all, he/she's made more money than anyone could spend in a lifetime!" This betrays a basic misunderstanding of the nature of work. The reason such a person continues working is NOT because of sheer greed, but because it is the work itself that matters. It is their passion and their joy. The money is merely a means of keeping score. Such a person might still do this work even if there was little money in it.

Change IS possible for you. If you think "I'm too old", "I don't have enough experience" or whatever, the only thing holding you back is your own mental interpretation of the situation. The world has all the opportunities you could possibly want, no matter what your starting point. However bad your situation might be, someone else has had it much worse and then gone on to great success. It is well worth remembering that!

If you lack the education you need, you can get it. You do not need to go back to school either. There are seminars, tape courses, and excellent books. There are trainers in almost every subject. A huge number of training resources are now free.

The reason that all these excellent resources and opportunities do not get used is because the mindset of the person stuck in a work rut shuts down. It fails to see the unlimited possibilities. Children are amazingly spontaneous and capable of seeing all the available possibilities. However, adults have shut down this capability to a large extent; especially if they have allowed themselves to remain in situations they hate for extended periods. They engage in a form of learned helplessness: "It doesn't matter what I do. Nothing will change. I may as well stay here and put up with it. Better the devil you know......"

If you hate your job, why don't you start right now to make the change you desire? If you hate it badly enough, why not quit? The answer is invariably.... FEAR. This word forms an acronym: F - False E - Expectations A - Appearing R - Real. In other words, fear is creating false dreadful visions of the future, making them appear real in the mind, and thereby acting upon them as if they were real and inevitable. However, with a little mental effort, you could just as easily envisage a situation where opportunities came to you when you take a risk and make a change.

Life is about risk. The only people not subject to risk are already dead. Which do you think is REALLY more risky in the long-term - staying in a job you dislike and where you are unappreciated, or taking the time to find something more suited to your abilities and life goals? There are no jobs for life anymore. You can spend years in a job you hate, and one day come in to find yourself fired. If you do not like the job, you are unlikely to be doing your best. So, guess who is most likely to get the chop when the time comes?.....

If your work situation is chronically bad, consider quitting immediately and then looking for a new role. Often, the universe needs you to create a vacuum in order to fill it. In one job I loathed, I lingered on for over a year in an ever-worsening situation. I did have several job interviews but nothing came of them. The negativity of my work situation doubtless carried over into my attitude at interviews. Finally, there was a management change at work. I was called in 48 hours later by the new Head, and promptly made redundant. Within a week I had interviewed with a new firm that rapidly offered me a job. I was working within six weeks of the redundancy on twice my former salary, with a supportive manager and a much better future.

It really can work this way. Note how this new job appeared immediately AFTER I hit the street. A year of more of prior job searching took me nowhere.

If you are not ready to simply quit and look for something new, then at least begin to prepare for the event. Begin saving money and getting your affairs in order. There is nothing like money in the bank - six months of salary for example - to boost your confidence and enable you to make that needed change all the sooner. It gives you FAR more options.

If simply quitting on a job you hate is not your style, or if your dependents and bills prohibit it, then make the change in gradual increments. The first step is to actually get a clear idea of what you actually DO want to do. It may have nothing to do with the industry you are currently in. The good news is that in this modern age, most people can expect to have several different careers in their lives. Hence, a complete change of direction is no longer inconceivable. Getting clear on what you really love to do is where it begins.

What if you have no experience for the role you want to get into? One solution is to try a sideways move. Get into the type of company offering the role you want, but do so by getting in through offering the same job you are currently doing. Then gradually make the move to the role you desire by getting the additional training you need over time within the new firm.

Of course, an excellent way to achieve work satisfaction is to start your own business. The internet is one excellent way to do this, and to begin it in your spare time. Create an information product on a subject you know and love, and offer it to others online. The entire world is now your marketplace for the cost of a phone line and a simple website. Alternatively, find an offline market that is clearly popular and copy those people who are already successful in it. There is no existing product or service that cannot be improved in some way. Do this with a product/service that is already a hit, and YOU have a sure winner.

In summary, the only thing holding you back is mental attitude - resistance to change and fear of uncertainty - and a touch of misplaced complacency. If you are willing to make some time to think and plan your future, then there is a real chance you will actually have one that you will be happy with. In this world of tremendous opportunity, the only person holding you down in a position you hate is YOU. Begin to take some time every day to think about what you would really like to do, and make a plan to achieve it. You are here for something to be passionate about. The sooner you find it, the happier you will be, and the more you can give to the rest of humanity.

Copyright 2002, Asoka Selvarajah. All Rights Reserved.








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Dr. Asoka Selvarajah is an active author/researcher on personal development and esoteric spirituality. Asoka's work helps people achieve their full potential, deepen their understanding of mystical truth, and find joy in their true soul's purpose. You can visit his website at:

http://www.aksworld.com/7gs.htm?SGR

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