WORK OF PASSION
To many, work is a trade-off between their time put in and their salaries. There are more people who feel they “have to work” and than people who feel they “want to work.” Work is more than just completing a task, serving a customer or meeting an organisational goal. The truth is that unless one finds greater meaning in work, one will not commit to achieve one’s best. And without people putting their best, companies cannot become excellent. Here lies the key to developing competitive excellence in organisation – changing the way employees look at work. organisations can become more productive and effective if leaders can get their staff look at work beyond making a living and search for its greater meaning.
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Communicate better with others
Work with others through cooperation and teamwork Control one’s temper to enable us to work with others
Deal with conflict and resolve problems
Understand others better
Martha Graham, the great dancer, said: “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” Through their passion, they constantly improve themselves and then achieve excellence.
Work As A Way To Establish One’s Credibility
Of course, work can become one’s path to establish credibility. The work that one does develops a good track record of its own. People who work with you will know of your track record. You will win their respect and trust. And when you have trust, you can have great influence over people and hence, you will become an effective leader. The late Stephen Covey said: “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”
Work As A Therapy
Work can be therapy. If one can inculcate a positive attitude towards work in oneself, then one can see all the good that work can bring. For those who are passionate about their work, the fruits of their labour provide them satisfaction and fulfilment. For those who face a loss in relationship, for example, work can be a refuge to allow time for feelings to heal or for situations to improve.
American writer Joseph Campbell said: “Passion will move men beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures”.
Allow me to share the lyrics of a song that I wrote many years back:
Work of passion, love of life Artist paints a masterpiece Author writes a bestseller Start your work with passion now
To win, put in your best To reach goals, do no less To win big, work with zest Take this road to success.
When we find our work of passion, we become energised, creative and productive. We can do all things and we come alive. In this process, we find meaning and we feel that life is worth living. Work can be so therapeutic that it improves our well-being and bring joy to our lives.
However, the meaning of work lies beyond the outcome of the task; it is who we become.