Women's Empowerment Stories ...

Joyful Work
~ Odayin Ikway

Do you love your work? Joy is the return for finding our heart’s calling.

True success to me is not determined by anything other than our own hearts. So very often we measure our value by what it is we do rather than how we feel about what we do. The ‘why we do it’ is more important than what we do. I have performed many jobs throughout my life that took me away from my feelings in order to provide for my family. There came a day when I could no longer stand the pain that I had denied for so long brewing inside of me waiting for my attention.

Noble of me to offer this to my family although it was not caring for myself to do so. I had lost balance in my work, joy was not present and it showed. I did not see the service there or the merit of doing this kind of work. In short I was not where my heart spoke nor could I hear where this was. I felt no love for this work nor did I feel the purpose in it or the gift that I gave to the world no matter what was said to me.

I believe that each of us has a gift to bring to the world, if not several gifts that we bring to improve the world around us. Our happiness is the proof of this as well as the happiness it brings others. If perhaps we came from the standpoint of finding what our gift to the world is, perhaps there would be less cause for depression. Imagine for a minute getting up every morning and going to a cause that you believe in rather than a job that pays you x number of dollars for performance. Perhaps the hurry out of bed would no longer be a chore but a joy that brings energy to our hearts. No more would we be living from loss of purpose but a sense of duty in the world, serving a higher purpose other than accumulating things that erode with time. To feed ourselves on all levels is important in our work and this can be expressed no matter what job we take on. We can tell by the amount of personal joy it brings to us.

I have met enlightened bus drivers, cashiers, chamber maids, all performing hard tasks non-descript jobs that pay them while they perform from the heart. It does not always have to big loud jobs that everyone claps for. If destiny calls you there, happiness will elude you until you step into your place in the world...claiming your spot that feeds your soul...

~ Odayin Ikway

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