I Go to Work and Keep My Mouth Shut: Part 1

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“True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”
– Helen Keller

It was Saturday afternoon on my weekly adventure at Walmart buying groceries. After I checked out and was leaving the store, I ran into a young martial arts student who used to attend my school. I asked him how and what he was doing these days.

He looked at me with a deep sigh. “I am a manager at a factory.”

“Well, good for you! I hope you enjoy working there,” I said with a smile.

Looking straight into my eyes he replied, “No, not really. I hate it. I just go to work every day, do my job and keep my mouth shut.” Dropping his head, he turned and walked away.

I stood there dumbfounded. Not even the chance to reply with encouraging advice to do something better for himself. Instead, I was left feeling the emptiness he carried inside of him.

The reality today is many people just go to work every day, do their jobs and keep their mouths shut. Like a broken record over and over again, I hear people’s stories about how miserable they are in their jobs, careers or as business owners.

But, what if you’re performing well at the job you hate? Are you successful?

What if you’re earning significant income? Does it make you happy?

What if you have power and status? Are you fulfilled and joyful?

If you are working in a job you hate, the answer is no. You are not happy. Sorry!

Truth hurts. Truth is scary. But you know what, if you are in a career you hate being unfulfilled, the truth is you are unhappy because you’re not living aligned with your soul purpose.

But, you deserve to be happy.

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Firefly: Shine Your Bright, Inner Light

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“Someday perhaps the inner light will shine forth from us, and then we’ll need no other light.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It was a mid-June evening with the warm and peaceful air smelling like fresh cut grass. Hunter and I stood under the silver dollar moon watching in awe at nature’s magical performance. A swarm of fireflies danced around the sky creating a spectacular light show illuminating the night. Captivated by their essence, we felt transported into magical land of wonder and beauty.

But, the real magic wasn’t the show itself. It was seeing one of God’s creatures living and flying free as they were meant to be with ease and grace.

We can learn so much from these tiny creatures who light up the summer night. During the day, they look an average bug. But at night, their true beauty of illumination is revealed.

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