I heard Marcus Buckingham speak this morning on the radio.  He said that 2 out of every 10 people are stuck in a job that is not well suited for them and that they are basically miserable in their positions, living out the life of someone who is much more well suited for that position.  He has a new book coming out on September 30:  The Truth About You which goes into detail about how to create a satisfying, long-lasting career based on what you really, really want to do.

I know that Buckingham is big on people living out their strengths and embracing their core assets so that they can be paid to do what they love.  This is great in theory, and the reality is that the majority of people (his 2 out of 10 stat is staggering) never think they can actually do what they love and get paid to do it.  Talk to any starving actor, and they will probably confirm this belief.

However, I do believe that in every job we do there are opportunities to exercise our strengths and embrace who we are and what we love about life.  This can happen in the way we lead, the way we wash the dishes or in writing a report.  There are many doors to open in each thing we take on in life and opportunities which are endless.  We just have to be open to those opportunities and then plant ourselves in the middle of those opportunities.

Today, as you are reading this blog, I would ask you to consider your five greatest strengths and how you can use those, starting right now, to make the job you do more enjoyable, more fulfilling.  If you aren’t quite sure about your strengths, then pick up a copy of Buckingham’s Buck NOW! Discover Your Strengths.  The book comes with an access code to take the Strengths Finder Profile.