Making A Difference

One thing that has always struck me is the way different people describe their jobs and to be more specific the way people who are passionate and love their work verses those who are not. Now some might say ‘well of course I’d be passionate or love what I do for a living if did what they do for a living’, would they? Really? Or if they had that job would they find some other of making it sound like they do the most unimportant thing in the world?

Here’s the thing it’s not the job or what’s on the outside that makes someone passionate or love what they do, it’s how you create passion on the inside and has nothing to do with the job that you do. I have met teachers, senior managers, trainers and charity workers who are passionate about what they do and you’d probably expect that given their line of work, however I have also met cleaners, waitresses, estates agents and insurance sales man who are equally if not more passionate about what they do.

So what’s the difference?

People who really enjoy their work and are passionate about what they do, no matter what it is, tend know the difference that they make in the world. For example a cleaner doesn’t ‘just’ clean the loos at work, they ensure the hygiene of 100s of people on a daily basis so those people can just go about their jobs and an insurance sales man doesn’t just sell insurance for a living they get the opportunity to let people know about something that could potentially take care of their families for the rest of their lives if something unforeseen should happen to them.

If you have never read The Starfish Story, it really sums up how anyone can make a difference to someone or something

One day a man was walking along the beach

when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?”

The youth replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean.
The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

“Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?
You can’t make a difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,
and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…”
I made a difference for that one.”

Homework

Write down what is that you do for a job

Now write down difference you make to your customers, colleagues, your business, the world and notice the energy that creates on the inside