Surrender to Achieve Happiness
When I rejoined one of my former companies as a Consultant, some people who know me very well said that I landed my dream job. As someone said: "Oh great, now you get to discover what's wrong with others and tell them what to do, you must be in heaven!”
This person was joking (partially), but in reality, my job had three main parts:
Discovering my clients' pain points and gaps (and fast).Presenting options to find the most viable solution (the more creative, the better). Implementing the solution (establishing processes, systems or educational programs, etc.).
And yes, it was awesome!
In the Beginning
I started my professional career very early in my life and, over 30 years (don't try to make the math, I was very young!), I had a several seemingly unrelated jobs ranging from babysitting to telecommunications, and from marketing & advertising to insurance.
The one thing that was common between these jobs was that I always ended up in some type of educational role. It didn’t matter what my job was, which company, or what in what country I lived, I was always recruited into some form of people development.
In short, I always ended up being a Consultant, a Facilitator, working with the Development of People's Talents and their Potential. Me, a naturally shy person and an introvert, ended up with a microphone and a spotlight.
The Calling
Less than 30% of the population is fully happy with their current jobs or roles.
That's crazy!
Most of the reason we aren’t happy is that we don’t listen to ourselves, or others, and we end up running from our calling.
You see, when you are good at something, when you are meant to do something in this world, it doesn't matter how much you move, run or hide. Your mission will chase you and always find you.
If you are looking for happiness, you must surrender to your calling and your mission. You must yield to the inner voice that is constantly telling you what to do, whether you call it "gut feeling,” “intuition,” or simply your "I knew it!”
Some people know what they want when they are little, some take more time, but we allhave a calling. Luckily for everyone, we have different callings, for different reasons and at different times.
This calling is based on what I like to call "your gift.” In Spanish, we have a more poetic phrase, ”tu don.” Some people have a couple of gifts, and some have many, but for sure we all have at least one! Let’s talk about ways to find your calling.
Discover Your Gift
Here are some ways to recognize “tu don”:
You are able to complete tasks quickly that take others forever.You do something effortlessly, while others just can't seem to grasp it. You "saw that coming,” while others were clueless. You love, love, love doing that thing, while others detest it, or just find it boring. You can do that at 2:00 am, on a Sunday and with a smile, while others won't. Some people even say you were born with that talent or that “you're a natural!"Your aunt, your best friends, your cousins, your persistent neighbors, your ex, everyone, have all told you “Oh, You are marvelous at______.
If you have one or more of these, you have discovered your gift. Now, if you have a gift, what are you going to do with it?
What are your talents?
Do you know how to bake the best cakes ever? Do you know to fix any electronics? Can you decorate a place? Can you help someone get better? Do you have healing abilities? Do you know how to build something? Are you great with animals or plants? Did you learn how to play the piano or sing? Can you shop for hours? Could you take care of a child or a senior citizen?
Acting on Your Gift
Your gifts are not for you and only you; they are for the good of others because people need you. They need that gift that you have, because they don't have it, or because you are simply better at it.
Your gifts complement others, and their gifts help balance your weaknesses or the things you might lack.
Your goal should be to live out of this dream of yours. Monetize your gift, your worth, your effort in such a way as to not to take advantage of others, but to be able to create your income based on what you love the most, and what you are called to do.
When you truly learn to do what you love and love what you do, your work and vacation start feeling like the same thing. Best of all, because you feel so free and so fulfilled, your definition of success and happiness will be synonyms.
Surrender to your calling, figure out a way to capitalize on it and pursue your own happiness relentlessly.
I am a coach, a speaker, a thinker, an insurgent, a dreamer, a writer…
and
… I surrender.
