
June 24, 2021
This week, LinkedIn posed the question, “Does the dream job really exist?”
It’s a question, that like many others, isn’t sufficiently answered by a simple yes or no answer. I will tell you, though, that in my experience, the answer is yes. But I will also tell you that dream jobs have far less to do with the jobs themselves than with the people doing them.
And that’s the point for the week.
Finding a dream job is not much different than finding personal happiness. It is rarely a matter of living out some childhood ambition. And it is never a function of external circumstances, other people or material things. It is 100% driven by one’s view of themselves and the degree to which they are grateful for that which they already have.
I often tell people that I would be happy living above and running a bait shack anywhere. While some look back at me with incredulity upon hearing me say so, most who know me aren’t particularly surprised. Those who find my claim dubious believe I’d struggle to give up some of the nice things I have in my life. But see, here’s the thing, I don’t base my happiness on nice things. Of course, I’m grateful for everything I have in my life, big and small. But my dream fulfillment isn’t dependent on things … or jobs … or the opinions of other people.
Those whose happiness and self-worth are tied to possessions, circumstances or other human beings tend to lead unhappy lives – lives spent in a constant search for fulfillment. These people are unlikely to ever find their “dream job.” But even in those rare instances when they claim to have done so, their joy is often short-lived as they realize, in very short order, that happiness based on anything other than one’s own sense of self is a mirage, far from the dream they endlessly seek.
But those who are grateful for every thing, every circumstance and every person in their life are likely to describe each day of their life as a dream come true, because for them each day of their life presents something to be thankful for, something they didn’t have the day before. Even on what others might describe as bad days, these people find things to be happy about – because they choose to. See, like most else in life, living a dream is a choice; it’s not a matter of stuff and it’s certainly not a matter of privilege.
Some of the most miserable people I know came from worlds of plenty. Likewise, many of the happiest souls I’ve ever encountered were born into or still reside in abject poverty. Because they understand that living a dream has virtually nothing to do with anything other than waking up each day with love and gratitude in one’s heart.
The decision to see our jobs or life itself as a dream is almost entirely up to us. It’s a choice to believe with every ounce of our being that it doesn’t matter what’s going on outside of us – things like titles, bigger offices, larger salaries, or other entrapments – not one bit of it matters if what’s going on inside of us is broken. It’s because happiness, and indeed finding the perfect job, happens from the inside out.
So yes, I believe that dream jobs still exist. Most of us probably have one already. We’re just a measure of gratitude away from knowing it to be true.
So find your dream job. Wake up tomorrow with a grateful heart.
And win.
Too pre-order Phillip Kane’s new book from Amazon, follow this link: https://www.amazon.com/Not-Subtle-Art-Caring-Leadership/dp/1789049083/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Not+So+Subtle+Art+of+Caring&qid=1630960840&sr=8-1
For more about the author, click Day Job