"work" vs "Work"

The distinction between "work" and "Work" is huge, yet it is missed by most people.

John K. Galbraith, the late famous economist, wrote in his little book The Economics of Innocent Fraud that it is a pity that the word "work" is so ambiguous. He bemoaned the fact that it refers both to the brutish, manual and repetitive work of a janitor as well as to the exquisite, masterful and fulfilling performance of a top surgeon.

The surgeon obviously gets a higher salary, but he also gets what the janitor does not: psychic income. That is, he feels psychologically fulfilled because his work requires talent AND is meaningful at the personal level.

In my Ideal Career workshop, I insist on the fact that today, ALL of us can find "Work" and not just "work."

"Work" is what you were born to do. It has to do with your natural talent and your natural love of something (i.e. your passion).

On the other hand, "work" is just a job to pay the bills. It doesn't mean that "work" should be boring or not enjoyable. You can be very good at your job, and enjoy doing it, and STILL feel that ít is not what you were born to do.

Many young people (in their late teen years or early 20s) ask me for career advice.

I often advise them to pick up marketable skills so that they can get a job. A job allows you to be financially responsible and to pay for your living costs.

The good news is that marketable skills are not hard to pick up: punctuality, reliability, people skills, communication skills (written and oral), work ethic, etc.

These skills, once habitualized, make you a better person.

Then, after you take care of your "financial survival", you can then search for your "Work."

This "Work" has four major dimensions: passion, talent, need and meaning.

Every great career in the history of mankind has included these four dimensions. Oprah, Bill Gates, Pope John Paul II, Peter Drucker, Joseph Campbell, etc. have had or still have a great career that includes their passion, their talent, a real need in the world, and meaning.

I should add that "Work" is not something you need. A job ("work") is what you need. "Work" is what you WANT.

In fact, you can live an "okay" life without "Work."

A G.O.O.D. job is all you need (Get Out Of Debt).

But if you want the ultimate in life, if you believe you are "worth it," then you have to search for your "Work."

An ideal career is when you get the chance to do your "Work" every day and get paid fairly for it.

There are many reasons why people are seduced into doing "work" all their lives, without being given the opportunity to find their "Work."

One reason is that sometimes, the "work" pays so well that it seems to shut people's minds to other possibilities in life.

They might think: "Look, Peter, I have a good, well-paying job. I'm saving money for my retirement. I get to travel once in a while. I have a good life, why do I need to search for my ideal career or my "Work"?"

I would answer that in searching for your "Work", you will be engaged in a mysterious process that allows you to find yourself. Your true self.

In the end, your "work" is about what you do, whereas your "Work" is about who you are.