I was talking with my husband the other night about a family member of ours who’s in and out of work. (If you are that family member, reading this post… please do not get upset… keep reading, there is value in this). My husband was getting exasperated about this person, as was the rest of his family.

I on the other hand can totally relate. In fact, at the Online Business Breakthrough Workshop I just came from (my own business coach’s live event that I’ve been to for three fabulous years now) I heard how many, many people in that crowd had trouble holding down a job.

Whether it be from quitting, getting asked to leave, or eliminating the position due to down-sizing… many of the people in the audience agreed that they felt like the ‘workplace’ was not for them (myself included). So far, in my short experience as a nurse professional, I have already worked in three different jobs.

Five years as a psych nurse; a little over a year as a nurse at a gym; coming up on three years as a Clinical Nurse Research Fellow. And I still work at the gym (a bit), am part-time at the hospital, and work feverishly at my business!

So when my husband (and family) are getting down on this one topsy-turvy professional… I can totally relate.

In fact, what occurred to me is this: not everyone is cut-out for the ‘workplace’. Lots of people just can’t report to a boss, won’t work for something they don’t believe in, or refuse to stay stuck in a job if they’re just not having fun. (Me, me, and me!)

Some of us have that inborn entrepreneurial spirit inside of us, that creative spark, that’s just dying to come out. This is what I plan to talk with my husband’s family member about… the next time I see this person.

But for now- for you and for the purposes of this blog- what can we learn from this?

For one, we are all unique beings. I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. It’s imperative that you find out what your unique purpose is on this planet. And don’t worry… you can have more than one purpose. But you’ve got to start making decisions from your heart, instead of from your head. Find what lights you up. In fact, if you jump out of bed each morning with a huge smile on your face, ready for your ‘work’ day, you’re really onto something!

Number two, think outside of the box. Just because you are a ‘nurse’ or a ‘teacher’ or whatever professional training that you have under your belt- is there a way to use those skills in a way that you love? Can you turn your background and education into something that is enjoyable?

Finally, (as Confucius said) do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life… right? If you don’t enjoy it; let it go. No amount of money, reward, or recognition is going to make you happy if you can’t stand what you’re doing, who you’re doing it for, or don’t believe in the values of the workplace.

I’d love to hear your take on this topic! Leave a question or comment below. Or better yet, join me for my upcoming webinar in which we will delve more deeply into issues like these. If you’re ready to ‘Breathe New Life Into Your Work’ sign up for this free call by clicking here.