Podcast | You Have A Calling

Episode #14 – New Rules for Career Success: Interview with Dan Schawbel

Job competition is fierce these days. We’re either a casualty of high unemployment rates or the elevator to the top is already crammed full. Companies have tighter standards, and we can say good-bye to our father’s loyalty program between worker and organization. Let’s face it, we’re not guaranteed anything when it comes to a career this day and age, which means it’s up to us to promote ourselves and stand out from the crowd.

We all have trials and tribulations in life. We are presented with challenges, and these challenges can either tear us down or teach us lessons to help make us stronger.

“Its better to shoot for the stars and miss, than to aim for the gutter and hit every time.”

We have all been at a crossroad where we want to make a change and do something different with our life, but taking the uncharted path seems too scary and uncomfortable. Doubt, worry, and self-criticism creep in leaving us stuck and afraid to take the next step.

If someone were to ask if you are gifted what would you say? Many people assume that being gifted only applies to the brainiac rocket scientist, or the Mozart’s and Leonardo DiVinci’s of the world. We don’t realize that we are all gifted in our own personal way.

Where in your life would like to see transformation? Maybe it’s improving your character and becoming a more patient and compassionate person. Maybe you want to excel in your career, or start exercising more often and eating better. I believe as human beings we are motivated to seek autonomy, personal growth, and a sense of competence. We all have the ability to become better people and fulfill our potential, but it’s easier said than done.

Stress is one of the top causes of physical and mental illness. People experience stress from many sources, whether it be money, work, relationships, or personal health. If we’re not aware of our stress levels it can catch up to us and leave us feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. If you have ever had one of those days where it was difficult to get out of bed and you just felt emotionally and mentally checked out you may have been experiencing some burnout. When we start to notice emotional and physical changes it’s important to manage our stress.

Our beliefs were instilled at a very young age, and many of these beliefs are toxic and false. Our beliefs have been established from our past experiences and interactions with family, friends, teachers, church, the media, and culture. Fortunately we recognize the beliefs that hinder us and begin to shift our thinking and expectations to develop beliefs that serve our happiness and success. Our mind is like a garden and we can plant what we see fit.

We all get stressed, feel anxious, and get depressed on occasion. We live in a world with constant stimulation where it can feel like we never have enough time. If we’re aren’t careful this stress and anxiety will wear us down until we’re exhausted. I have learned that it’s all too easy to get myself stressed out if I don’t take measures to cope and relax.

Happiness can be an elusive topic. Many people seek this state through pleasure, entertainment, and other materialistic pursuits. This makes sense, as we live in a civilization where pleasure and mass consumption is at our command, and we’re presented with messages to have more and more, whether it be sex, food, sports, or shopping. It seems that with access to all of these pleasures we would be the happiest people, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and we may have even become less happy in the process.