Why have you chosen to do the work you do?
I asked this question the other day at a workshop I was conducting on The Four Agreements. More than a few participants looked at me as if I had lost my mind. A few people murmured under their breath “to get paid of course” a few others admitted that this was their first job out of college or that they just needed a job. I wondered about this and realized that I found their answers somewhat depressing. Later that day I asked two of my coaching clients (one man & one woman) to tell me about their Visions for their lives. I noticed that a transformation came over both of them as they told me about their dreams for their lives. There was almost child-like wonder and a twinkle in their eyes as they shared these dreams with me. I noticed that I felt happy listening to them. Later going home on the train I contemplated these scenarios and realized one reason why I do the work I do.
I started thinking about the uniquely human tendency we have to dream for a better life. It seems that this is what makes us humans and what I find so precious when I am talking to people about their dreams and Visions. Everyone seems to display that child-like quality of hopefulness when they engage in dreaming. Dreams can be very fragile and precious things. I realized that one thing I enjoy when coaching people is the feeling of being honored that they share their dreams with me and are enlisting my help in making these dreams a reality.
This dream sharing is just one element of why I love my work but it was a nice insight for me.
(first posted 9.30.09)
