Help and happiness
Job satisfaction doesn't always depend on the job.
from the May 4, 2007 edition
Page 1 of 2
A recently released study by the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center suggests that those who help others are most satisfied in their professions (see "Workers who help others report most happiness" Monitor, April 17).
Clergy and firefighters topped the list as the most satisfied in their professions, while roofers, unhappily, were at the bottom.
How to find satisfaction is an age-old question. Not all of us are cut out to be members of the clergy or firefighters. But we all – including roofers! – are entitled to happiness.
In my quest for satisfaction, I've found that it's not what I can get from my job but what I can bring to it that matters most. I've held a variety of positions ranging from cook, cashier, and paper carrier to mom, teacher, and spiritual caregiver.
Not so long ago, I took on a paper route for economic reasons. As I prayed, I glimpsed that this was actually an opportunity to love God more by loving my fellowman. I decided to see it as delivering "good" news by making sure I did it well. I strove for precision in everything – neatly folded papers carefully stuffed into plastic sleeves precisely placed on the right doorsteps by the prescribed time.
As my focus changed from "poor me" to loving God through precision, the heaviness of the papers and the dismalness of the early hours ceased to be factors. Satisfaction came from knowing the job was well done. Happiness derived from appreciating the unique perks – sparkling Venus in the velvet black sky, the squeaking crunch of snow underfoot, and comments from extremely pleased customers.
Right where we are now, no matter what condition we find ourselves in, satisfaction can be ours as children of the one all-loving and compassionate God. Looking to God, Soul, has helped me understand that satisfaction and happiness are accessible and demonstrable, regardless of occupation or circumstance.
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