Holiday greeting cards and beautiful inspirational music express our deepest wishes for peace on earth—and rightly so! But when it comes to career transition, job search and re-entering the marketplace, “unpeace” will serve you well. Your discontent and the intense desire for something “more” in your work life will motivate you to pursue the right work for you. This drive, while quite unsettling, is actually a gift in disguise.

Unwrapping the uncommon gift

It does seem strange and counter-intuitive to think of discontent as an ally. No one likes to feel uncomfortable. In fact, we actively avoid it.

I know that longing for right work can really gnaw at you. But the yearning has a very positive side. It compels you to keep on going. Without it, you would have no inclination to explore your talents and to seek out the best venues for them. You wouldn’t be in the least bit curious.

The gift is the spark, the energy, the restlessness that inspires you to pursue your vision. Can you be grateful for a gift that will give you no rest now—but will enrich your life in untold ways later?

Use your energy

As discussed in our previous post, Passion for Your Work is a Double-edged Sword, if you have an intense interest, do explore it. At least try window shopping. Don’t deny self-discovery.

Resist the urge for a quick fix. Although you’ll want to quickly restore your mental, emotional and financial balance, finding the right work is a process. Investing the time, planning and focused action now greatly improves your success.

I wish you all wonderful holidays!

Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace. Amelia Earhart

For more about working with passion, please see our earlier posts, How to Discover Your Passion and Explore Your Passions with these Powerful Tools.

We’ll talk about 2010 planning and how you can find excellent resources in future posts.

Today’s question

Regarding finding the right work, can you see your inner “unpeace” as a gift?