Tag: thrive

Success beyond limits

Everyone knows the saying “there is a limit to what we can do.” Indeed, we all define and thereby limit our potential in the course of life. For most of us, there is power in knowing our own personal limits, so as not to overextend ourselves. Yet in principle, as we often tell our kids: “the sky is the limit.” There are so many paths, so many options, so many experiences to choose from in life that it is often difficult to determine and accept our limits. We are all born with unique aptitudes and develop personal desires which help us determine the path we wish to travel, while our bodies through stress, discomfort, and other forms of resistance let us know the range of our comfort zone. Observing when we feel drained give us insight as to our respective limits.

I have observed for myself that my attitude towards limits is usually to push beyond. I always do my best work when I get just beyond the limits of my comfort zone, where I extend the range of my capabilities. Others might thrive within their own limits, actively shaping their circumstances. Indeed what inspires or invigorates one individual may exhaust or overwhelm another. I noticed, however, that there is another type of limit that I periodically come up against, where I once decided that “no” this was not for me. I was not going to do this type of job; I was not interested in this field; I did not like this person. Each time I set such a threshold, life has a way to push me against my own limits, and I have been surprised to discover that my limits thereby change over time. In fact, my willingness to get beyond these limits has helped me flourish in many ways.

You may discover as you go about life that your limits are there to be gently transgressed. They reveal themselves as a way to smoothen your passage through life. You realize that you become a “bigger” person for overcoming your upper limits. Ultimately, the best things in life are those that cannot be quantified, that are essentially unlimited. Looking at one’s life, success could be summed up in three questions: Did I love enough? Did I give enough? Did I live enough? Pushing the limits in these regards may just be the way to go!

Leadership: it is not the title it is the job

In the past decades, I have occupied many positions with various levels of professional satisfaction. I discovered that a high-status job did not necessarily mean job satisfaction, but that positions that allowed me to live in accordance with my values and contribute something of myself ensured professional satisfaction. I understood that what I did was far less important than how I did it. I could even turn a mediocre job into a fulfilling occupation by exploring how to be helpful to others. Service to others is always possible and gratifying for all.

For many of us in society, our titles – including our job titles – define who we are, even our worth. Society does not look at all jobs equally. Yet, “ordinary” jobs may be occupied by people who manage to contribute their skills and talents to the world irrespective of the tasks they accomplish at work. It is not what we do but how we do it that matters. As leaders, setting and meeting goals are important. However, the goals are everyone’s business, but how people achieve these goals, whether they enjoy the experience and thrive or become miserable in the process, is the job of leaders. Ultimately, leadership lies with who you are as a person and how you care for others, rather than what you do for a living. It is a quality of heart rather than an occupation.

So, if you are wondering how to find a fulfilling job, or perhaps how to find your job fulfilling, the key lies less in the job title or menial tasks involved, and more in being your true self as you go about it day to day. If you are a waiter, be proud of your work and enjoy the contacts. Try to contribute your talents and skills to your surroundings, whatever may be the job. It is not the kind of work you do that takes you to lead your life happily, it is the choices you make in leading the way towards your own happiness that will make a leader of you.