From the course: Creating a Career Plan

Contribute to others in your career

From the course: Creating a Career Plan

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Contribute to others in your career

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- The context for everything you do, the foundation for all the careers you'll have in your life are service and contribution. Let's talk about service. To be of service to others means to always have their needs in mind, and to act accordingly. Gandhi said, "The best way to find yourself "is to lose yourself in the service of others." Think of service as your philosophy of living. If designing a career is about expressing your needs by finding an outlet for your passions and talents, the idea of putting the needs of others may first seem counterintuitive. You will discover your monetizable passions if you haven't already, and there may be a number of them during your lifetime. Think of yourself as the conduit between those passions and gifts and talents and the people whose lives can be impacted, because having the opportunity to work with you gave them access to all that. For example, Harold worked in an administrative job in a hospital. While he wasn't directly involved in patient care, his work was an integral part of the process and supported the doctors and nurses. He was an African-American man who, on weekends, worked in poor neighborhoods as a volunteer counseling young black men. He believed they needed an older man who could serve as an example of what might be possible for them in their own lives. Whether it's in your vocation or your volunteer work, in Harold's case it was both, you can structure your life so that you, too, are giving back. Your life can make a profound contribution to the world. In Harold's case, he literally saved the lives of dozens of young men by providing hope, guidance, and an inspiring model of how they could move their lives forward in a more positive direction. Consider that sharing your passions can be your mission. I've worked with hundreds of people over the years. Trust me, no two people have exactly the same combination of gifts. It's your job to share yours. Working just for the money will not sustain you. You need to have, shall we say, a higher calling. Something that pulls you out of bed in the morning. I'm lucky enough through many careers to have found my calling. May you, too, have work that makes a difference to the people around you.

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