Two Things That Will Up Your Game at Work

Have you ever wondered how to up your game at work? If there is a secret to thriving in the workplace?

Recently I attended a reunion - not a usual high school or family reunion, something much larger than that.

On the surface it was a gathering of folks from all walks of life, with all types of skills, who had all worked in the same school building at one time or another.

It was exciting to think about meeting those whom I had not seen in a long time; whom I had lost contact with.

You know how it is - people appear in your life, touch your heart and mind, move on and time dances forward. All of a sudden, ten or twenty years pass by.

So, reunion time presents a great opportunity to reconnect.

Well, once all of our souls gathered, something unexpected and exquisite transpired.

This reunion became way more than an occasion to reconnect physically.

It provided an opening to reconnect on a much different level.

“Connection doesn’t care about the laws of the land. Your soul will be pulled to the place it belongs.”

~ Unknown

Yes, this group of us ‘belongs’ together because we have a physical building in common.

But it soon became clear that our sense of ‘belonging’ runs much deeper than any physical measure. Our sense of belonging is almost palpable, frolicking just on the fringe of our consciousness.

There is a thread that runs through each of us, tracing back to those whose feet graced our halls so long before our time as to almost be forgotten (yet not quite), and extending beyond us to those who have yet to even realize they will one day be woven into this particular magical web.

That thread binds us together so loosely that we are able pursue the freedom to follow many different paths within and away from this building often called our second home.

That thread also draws us together so closely in the center of our very being, never letting us forget for long that, no matter where we are physically, a part of us is continuously influencing the energy, efforts, and happenings of every moment within our second home.

Back at the reunion, as the evening went on, the clear sense of connection and timelessness intensified.

Stories of family, compassion, support, loyalty, friendship and ‘remember when’ abounded, each one veiling within it a common, subliminal significance.

Soon an underlying message emerged:

This is not just a job, or even a career –

It is a mission.

And we are forever bound together by it.

Whether each attendee knew it or not, when they walked into that gathering they could not help but realize that truth by the time they walked out.

Working in our school, in our community, demands and draws out the best from us.

We are successful as individuals because of those around us supporting, challenging and cheering us on, because they believe in us. And we, in turn, do the same for our students and families.

This atmosphere and sense of purpose may be present in other work environments but I know it is not present in all of them, and that is what makes us unique.

Many people can say they show up for a job or a career each day.

How many can say they show up for their mission?

So just what is it that has sustained this singular, purposeful focus for so long in our school?

Through all of those stories and remembrances a second message was revealed:

This mission is a passion.

And what happens when your ‘work’ is your passion; when the energy that has bathed your workplace for years and years and years comes from the vibration of passion?

Let me fill you in on the magic of that phenomena.

Passion feeds your persistence

There is a saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” When you are passionate about what you are doing, you are more driven and motivated to ‘get going’ and move through whatever the obstacle or challenge is in front of you.

Passion feeds your productivity

When you are passionate about what you are doing, you tend to be more motivated.  You work more efficiently. This helps you to be more productive.

Passion feeds your energy

Have you ever done something and thought, “Man, I could do this forever and never get tired,”? I bet it is something you love doing; something that feels totally in alignment with who you are. Doing something you love actually energizes you, so the more you do it, the more energized you feel.

Passion feeds your confidence

When you are doing what you love, what comes naturally to you and what is in alignment with your true self, your days go more smoothly. This in turn allows you to feel more confident in your abilities, which is then projected to others.

Passion feeds your success

The more you love what you are doing, the more you work at it and the more you are committed to its success.

Passion feeds others

Your passion feeds others’ passions. When you allow yourself to follow your passion, you just might be inspiring someone else to follow theirs.

The impact of passion is unmistakable.

On this particular evening we could feel the legacy of those from the past merging with and enriching those of the present.

We could feel that new combination of energy seeping out into the universe to touch the lives of the future - a timeless binding of knowledge and compassion.

And there, my friend, is the thread which we each, consciously or subconsciously, sought to reconnect with, strengthen, nurture and share by showing up at this reunion;

The thread of passion and sense of mission;

The thread that binds souls together into a whole, much greater than its parts.

Mission + Passion = Oneness.

No matter where you work, two things are game-changers: sharing a common mission and being passionate in the pursuit of it.

Up your game. Impact your workplace.

Embrace that shared mission and amplify your passion towards it.

Thrive each day.