Week 415 (brendan@brendanbarca.com)

Here's your weekly dose of Fuel Your Mind Friday where I share business building ideas, lifestyle design hacks, and inspirational content to help you thrive in your work and find purpose in your life.

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PSA: My wife, Pema Sherpa, and I have another blog called The Mindful Minute! Check it out.

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HOW TO FIND PURPOSE IN YOUR WORK (NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO FOR A JOB)

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One day, centuries ago, a man was walking down the road and observed three bricklayers building a wall by the side of the road.

The first bricklayer was crouched down, the second half-standing, and the third standing tall, working very hard and fast.

The man approached the first bricklayer and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Can't you see, I'm a bricklayer? I'm laying bricks to build a wall."

To the second bricklayer, the man asked the same question.

"I'm laying bricks to make money so I can feed my family," the second man replied.

Finally, the man turned to the last bricklayer, and asked the same question, "What is it you're doing?"

The third bricklayer turned to the man with a gleam in his eye, "I'm building a great temple so our community can worship!"

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This parable, which has gone through many iterations over the years, is as true today as it was hundreds of years ago.

If we look at our work at only the surface level, as the first two bricklayers do, we'll treat our work as just a "job."

This is dangerous if you're an employee as it can lead to lower productivity, lackluster performance, or burnout.

It's equally dangerous for business owners or executives who need to motivate their employees.

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The difference in the third bricklayer is that he is able to tie a purpose to his work.

He looks beyond the simple fact that he's laying bricks and instead sees the big picture.

He sees his work as being tied to a mission that aligns with his values.

It's from this greater purpose where he gets the power to work harder & happier than the rest.

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If you're an employee today, and you're reading this email, you probably aren't laying bricks.

Maybe your job entails answering emails, making cold calls, or analyzing spreadsheets.

The key for you, whatever your job title or daily task, will be to look beyond the spreadsheet and find a greater purpose in your work.

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If you're a small business owner or in a leadership role, your job is to help your employees find their greater purpose and tie it to their work.

Your customer service associate may be answering the phones all day, but maybe their underlying purpose is helping customers reach their goals.

If you keep the company mission in front of them consistently, this may help instill in them the third bricklayer's big picture mentality.

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Regardless of what our "job" is today, we must find purpose in it if we want to do it well.

It doesn't matter if we are a bricklayer, a data analyst, or a customer service associate.

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Look beyond what your job title says you are and think about how you're serving the greater good.

Within that, you might just find that you too are "building a temple."

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Thanks for subscribing,

- Brendan

​Let's connect on LinkedIn!

​brendanbarca.com​

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