Do you ever find yourself wondering if you have out grown your current position? Maybe you feel the need for something greater? Bigger and better may be more exciting, but it’s not always more fulfilling. As my friend, Pastor Erwin McManus of Mosaic Church says, “Your ministry in life can be accomplished right where you are.”
As individuals, we all see the world a little different. The views we take form our perspectives which influence and shape our very lives. In the same way, the way in which we approach our roles has a significant meaning on our well being.
No matter your rank, or where you fall in the hierarchy of your team, the mission you set out to create can always be achieved right where you are.
It all comes down to how you view your craft…
There is a great parable about 3 bricklayers:
The first bricklayer is doing his job, the second has a vision, while the third bricklayer is motivated by a mission. The third bricklayer has purpose, he’s working for a higher calling. He’s out to create something spectacular.
If we were to picture ourselves within that parable as a bricklayer, how would we respond to that question? There is no wrong answer. There are successful people in all three categories, but the question does make you think.
According to research from Yale management professor, Amy Wrzeniewski, “Callings have little to do with formal job descriptions. Any occupation can be a job, career, or calling.”
It all comes down to how we approach our daily lives…
Even if we find ourselves in a position that might not ultimately be where we want to end up, we can still work towards our mission. As Wrzeniewski says, “Whatever you do — whether you’re a janitor or the CEO — you can continually look at what you do and ask how it connects to other people, how it connects to the bigger picture, how it can be an expression of your deepest values.”
There are certainly moments you may feel it’s time to move on, however, while you are still in your position, remember that no matter what you do, you can make a positive difference. You can work towards the mission you have set out to create.
As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said:
“If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.”
Let’s all make the choice to work towards something spectacular.
Until next week, thanks for reading!
JP
Keep Chipping Away at your Greatness
