this was a stunning read. as someone who has climbed the corporate ladder, been on the trading floors at jp morgan, graced forbes lists, and worked with the capitalist behemoths... i can tell you that it means nothing - absolutely nothing - if you don't feel alive. i am finally doing my most meaningful work by diving into the depths of my lineage and helping others to reclaim their roots. it is unpaid (for now) and i am my happiest. thank you joel for giving me a term for it - "sacred work".
I'm right there with you, that feeling of being alive and here and in your own skin as you pursue your work is such a necessity. I can feel the potency of your work in your words, helping others to reclaim their roots, what an incredible calling.
This is fantastic Joel. I am finally on my best work right now and it feels so different from other jobs, it’s not a job it’s a calling and one for life. Thank you for your writing and passion to help others! 🕊️
The feeling really is incomparable isn't it? I remember in the early days of pursuing my sacred work, though it was tough and bumpy in the beginning, it just felt so deeply correct. It's really cool and inspiring that more and more of us are entering into that space in life.
Great read, especially for someone like myself facing a lot of these questions and challenges. Working on escaping the clutches of soulless corporate life. Thanks for the additional inspiration today.
You're welcome and I totally understand. When I was in the grips of work that didn't feed that deep spot inside, I too was seeking sources of inspiration as well. Needed to keep reminding myself that even though I hadn't yet lived it, that it was possible.
Such a thoughtful analysis of work and purpose. This all rings incredibly true for me — especially now. I was recently let go from a job that certainly contorted me into an identity that was not my own. I love writing and have put off my own writing for far too long — and, for so long because of that, I have felt my soul nagging at me. I’ve felt less myself, unfulfilled, without purpose. (This from someone who has the phrase “I live to write, I write to live” tattooed on her wrists.) And now I actually have the opportunity, without pressure, to do my “sacred work,” as you put it. Today I was doubting my abilities, so thank you for the reminder.
In many of the paths I've studied, being let go from a job can be the best thing that happens to someone and opportunities can really present themselves in those in-between spaces. So I love that you've found the space and time to connect into your sacred work and your writing and I'm glad that this article could act as a reminder.
How you describe work is how I would describe the almost primeval desire for creative expression that some of us have. Turning it into corporate work makes it stultifying and saps it of energy so if you can pursue it on your own terms, maybe separate from the corporate treadmill, it is perhaps the most satisfying of all. Thanks for a great post!
That's really interesting, we could very well be poking around and into the same thing. Because I see work without the sacred in it lacking vitality and life and it's full of clouds and greys. And it sounds like there is quite a bit of overlap which is cool.
Thank you for the kind words. I think we're at an incredible point in history whereby more of us will tune into our sacred work and the world will be better for it.
That's great and the coherence between work and passion makes life so full! Hopefully humanity continues to move to a place where more and more people can experience what we do.
Love this. 💕 and agree with the idea that work is (can be) sacred. I write about making workplaces better for human growth and contribution. Work can make us more fully alive, instead of draining us. Thank you for sharing your voice and perspectives with all of us.
Yes, absolutely. There's such a shaking off of this old mentality isn't there? Whereby the places we work and how we go about it need to be more. Wonderful to know you're in that space and seeking to elevate it, because the world needs it.
This is beautiful and poetic. I’ve been writing something very similar around how we find meaning at work and after so much research, I got to the same conclusions as you. Maybe not necessarily “sacred work” but something more about how reclaim our value … what we lost from a history of over performing. Similar to what should remain whole in work, should we have a metric for post-AI? Curious to see what you think: https://open.substack.com/pub/thehumanplaybook/p/the-human-metric?r=1fr1e&utm_medium=ios
This is exactly how I've felt this year since becoming a therapist. I had a feeling deep in my bones that this was my "sacred work". And it has proved correct.
Thank you for this, just found your Substack and so glad I did. It’s hard to get out of the habit-loop of associating worth with a successful job, and pushing all creative endeavors aside. Just started writing again, and finally posting to Substack, it’s scary how much more meaningful and fulfilling this work is compared to my day job.
this was a stunning read. as someone who has climbed the corporate ladder, been on the trading floors at jp morgan, graced forbes lists, and worked with the capitalist behemoths... i can tell you that it means nothing - absolutely nothing - if you don't feel alive. i am finally doing my most meaningful work by diving into the depths of my lineage and helping others to reclaim their roots. it is unpaid (for now) and i am my happiest. thank you joel for giving me a term for it - "sacred work".
I'm right there with you, that feeling of being alive and here and in your own skin as you pursue your work is such a necessity. I can feel the potency of your work in your words, helping others to reclaim their roots, what an incredible calling.
This is fantastic Joel. I am finally on my best work right now and it feels so different from other jobs, it’s not a job it’s a calling and one for life. Thank you for your writing and passion to help others! 🕊️
The feeling really is incomparable isn't it? I remember in the early days of pursuing my sacred work, though it was tough and bumpy in the beginning, it just felt so deeply correct. It's really cool and inspiring that more and more of us are entering into that space in life.
Great read, especially for someone like myself facing a lot of these questions and challenges. Working on escaping the clutches of soulless corporate life. Thanks for the additional inspiration today.
You're welcome and I totally understand. When I was in the grips of work that didn't feed that deep spot inside, I too was seeking sources of inspiration as well. Needed to keep reminding myself that even though I hadn't yet lived it, that it was possible.
This is at the core of everything we are working on. Beautifully written and incredibly synchronous 💫 thank you
Wonderful, the more people we can have pursuing sacred work, the better.
Such a thoughtful analysis of work and purpose. This all rings incredibly true for me — especially now. I was recently let go from a job that certainly contorted me into an identity that was not my own. I love writing and have put off my own writing for far too long — and, for so long because of that, I have felt my soul nagging at me. I’ve felt less myself, unfulfilled, without purpose. (This from someone who has the phrase “I live to write, I write to live” tattooed on her wrists.) And now I actually have the opportunity, without pressure, to do my “sacred work,” as you put it. Today I was doubting my abilities, so thank you for the reminder.
In many of the paths I've studied, being let go from a job can be the best thing that happens to someone and opportunities can really present themselves in those in-between spaces. So I love that you've found the space and time to connect into your sacred work and your writing and I'm glad that this article could act as a reminder.
How you describe work is how I would describe the almost primeval desire for creative expression that some of us have. Turning it into corporate work makes it stultifying and saps it of energy so if you can pursue it on your own terms, maybe separate from the corporate treadmill, it is perhaps the most satisfying of all. Thanks for a great post!
That's really interesting, we could very well be poking around and into the same thing. Because I see work without the sacred in it lacking vitality and life and it's full of clouds and greys. And it sounds like there is quite a bit of overlap which is cool.
sacred work is an obligation, not an option
Absolutely.
This is so beautifully written and so essential for all of us to read at this moment in time.
Thank you for the kind words. I think we're at an incredible point in history whereby more of us will tune into our sacred work and the world will be better for it.
Absolutely loved reading this. I’ve always seen myself as privileged that my work and passion resonate at a universal frequency.
That's great and the coherence between work and passion makes life so full! Hopefully humanity continues to move to a place where more and more people can experience what we do.
Love this. 💕 and agree with the idea that work is (can be) sacred. I write about making workplaces better for human growth and contribution. Work can make us more fully alive, instead of draining us. Thank you for sharing your voice and perspectives with all of us.
Yes, absolutely. There's such a shaking off of this old mentality isn't there? Whereby the places we work and how we go about it need to be more. Wonderful to know you're in that space and seeking to elevate it, because the world needs it.
Agreed, Joel. Thanks for saying hello and chiming in. 🙂
This is beautiful and poetic. I’ve been writing something very similar around how we find meaning at work and after so much research, I got to the same conclusions as you. Maybe not necessarily “sacred work” but something more about how reclaim our value … what we lost from a history of over performing. Similar to what should remain whole in work, should we have a metric for post-AI? Curious to see what you think: https://open.substack.com/pub/thehumanplaybook/p/the-human-metric?r=1fr1e&utm_medium=ios
This is exactly how I've felt this year since becoming a therapist. I had a feeling deep in my bones that this was my "sacred work". And it has proved correct.
This is the most brilliant thing I’ve read in a while
Thank you for this, just found your Substack and so glad I did. It’s hard to get out of the habit-loop of associating worth with a successful job, and pushing all creative endeavors aside. Just started writing again, and finally posting to Substack, it’s scary how much more meaningful and fulfilling this work is compared to my day job.