In the past, I didn’t enjoy when people asked me to help work on their resumes. My family and friends asked often and referred all their friends, and it became a burden to find time to work on them all.
At least that’s what I told myself.
But honestly, I can work on a resume quite easily. It doesn’t take me much time at all given how many resumes I’ve seen and worked on over my career. I’m not sure why I felt so much hesitation to do this work, as it does bring me satisfaction and joy when I know I’ve helped a loved one. It’s funny how the talents that come easiest to us are often the hardest to give away.
When you’re navigating the intersection of spiritual life and business, it’s hard to value your services and know when to charge, how much, and when not to charge. Some questions I’ve often wrestled with are:
- How do I balance making money with getting paid in love, respect and legacy?
- Should I work to support those who need me most or those who can best support my livelihood? Can I do both, and if so, how do I balance these efforts?
These are real and constant dilemmas as we work to bring our full spiritual selves into our work lives, and there are no easy or simple answers. I still grapple with these questions frequently, hoping that I am finding the right balance between giving away my gifts to the people I want to help most and making sure I’m valuing my own life experience enough to seek the appropriate amount of security for me and my family.
My intention is to share my gifts.
This week, I encourage you to focus on these dilemmas and consider how you want to use your gifts.
Think about your gifts and your livelihood, and reflect on these questions:
- Should you be sharing your talents for free? If so, which ones?
- How much is enough?
- How much is too much? Is it possible for you to assist others while still maintaining your boundaries around work and personal time?
- Is money the main way you feel compensated for your time? If not, what other things are valuable to you?
- In thinking on helping others, what do you think is expected of you based on your spiritual beliefs?
- Do you want to change your behavior in any way?
These are hard questions to engage with so take your time and go easy on yourself. The goal is not to come up with a definitive answer for these questions, but instead to make sure you are considering the implications they have on the work of your life.
Wishing you a peaceful and intentional week.