Accounting For Joy

Several years ago I found myself in a bit of a career funk. I was restless, annoyed, and generally prone to a good deal of whining.

Conveniently, I had given the whole mess a spiritual stamp of  approval by filing it under the “God Has Bigger Plans For Me” department. These particular plans happened to include a high-impact leadership position at a different, better company. Also, with a far richer comp package.

After several months of unresolved angst, I decided to consult a trusted friend – an older, wiser mentor – to help navigate this important career decision and discern God’s will more clearly. This friend is a British chap with a great accent and a terrific sense of humor, along with a long list of business accomplishments. Kind of like Monty Python with a briefcase. We agreed to meet at my office.

I shut the door and immediately unloaded my great burden upon him, working myself into a lather over the untapped, underutilized leadership potential that was completely going to waste. He let me rant for a while, and then we sat quietly for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke up, and said: “As we grow older, it becomes more important to find joy in what we are doing rather than what we can achieve. Do you agree?”

“Sure thing,” I replied.

(What I was really thinking): “I don’t want joy, I want a kick-ass career upgrade! I want stock options and an IPO in two years and business trips to Europe and the Caribbean!”

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Image by Lalit Shahane. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr.