When Ambition Is Not the Problem

For years, I believed my drive meant dissatisfaction and discontentment. That my desire for more out of my career meant that I wasn’t grateful. What I learned was that ambition is not the problem. Misalignment is.

Having built two successful businesses, I was always trying to understand and modify what I was doing to get more joy and the lifestyle I desired out of my career. Was I discontent? Ungrateful? I discovered that my ambition was not the problem. My spirit was misaligned with aspects of my work.

The Subtle Signs of Career Misalignment

My wedding and event business focused on floral design and specialty rentals. I lived in a dream world. Every week, I designed beautiful things, curated inspiring aesthetics, landed my work on television, magazine and blog features, and was compensated well for my artistry.

But, there was something in my spirit that felt off about it all. The accolades and the following didn’t fill the deeper desires of my heart. It all lacked substance and felt like vanity. Weddings are sacred, but sometimes I questioned why these people were getting married?! Was it for the party, or true love? My heart wasn’t aligned with the vanity of the work I was creating.

Success Without Alignment

After doing some soul searching, and being very burnt out, I decided to move into the real estate world. Having gone through the home purchase and sale process a few times myself, I valued having someone reliable, competent and full of integrity on my side.

Helping people find a home felt different. This was their sacred space to recharge and where they could find meaning and peace. I loved helping people find something that suited their lifestyle, personality and needs. Advocating for my clients when it came to negotiating contracts and explaining the “chess” game of real estate was exciting, stressful at times, and fulfilling.

I have been blessed to have such a successful real estate business. One of the things that was always challenging was that I didn’t love the sales aspect of doing open houses and schmoozing strangers with small talk. That’s just not me! I was however able to navigate how to work within this industry while remaining authentic to myself and still closing deals.

When God Redirects Your Path

Over the more recent years, God led me to a career in ministry. I can honestly say that I never expected to be working in ministry. When you hear people say God calls you into ministry… there is truth to that, it was an inbound call, not an outgoing one!

What Career Alignment Actually Feels Like

My current role grows me daily, expanding me in ways I haven’t experienced before in entrepreneurship. My business experience has been a wonderful addition to what I do, but from a spirit-level, this role has far more purpose and meaning than careers I’ve had in my past.

Not everyone is called to full-time ministry. I believe whatever your career is, it should align with how God designed you and your values. Your career can be a place of your ministry. A place where you serve, lead, and impact others with integrity.

How to Know If You’re Misaligned

If you feel discontent in life or in your career right now, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ungrateful or unmotivated. Your ambition my not be the problem, but a misalignment may be.

Sometimes, that means re-framing how you operate where you are. Sometimes, it means considering a bigger change. Either way, it starts with honesty.

If you’re interested in exploring more and chatting about the feelings and ideas you wrestle with, I’d love to hear more about you and your story. Check out my contact page for next steps!