There’s a profound difference between simply doing a job and pouring yourself into something that truly speaks to your heart. When your work is driven by purpose, the hours pass unnoticed. You find yourself lost in the flow of creation – writing, thinking, building – crafting something you believe will make a difference.
For me, this is the heartbeat of A Positive Start CIC. It’s not just a project or a career – it’s a calling born from my own journey of survival and recovery. At one point, I was considered ‘furthest from the labour market’ – exhausted, overwhelmed, and unsure of my future. But from that place of darkness, I found my ‘why.’
I began to research trauma to make sense of my own experiences, to understand how deeply it shapes us, and to break the cycle for my own children. What started as a personal quest for understanding became a mission to help others – to reach the parents who, like me, wanted to do better for their children but didn’t know where to start.
Today, my work is deeply personal. It’s about helping parents protect their children, help adults heal from trauma, and find their voices. It’s about creating resources that empower others, driven by the belief that even one person finding safety or support makes all the effort worthwhile.
Purpose-driven work has its own energy. It pulls you forward, ignites your imagination, and fills you with a deep sense of accomplishment. It’s like breathing fresh air after feeling stifled for too long – a relief, a release, a return to what truly matters.
In contrast, the grind of a job that feels disconnected from your heart is a very different experience. Your body feels tense, your mind dulls, and every small task can feel like a mountain to climb. Motivation drains quickly, and you begin to distance yourself just to cope. You disconnect, not just from the work, but from yourself, until you feel like a shadow of who you once were.
The difference is in the connection – the feeling that what you’re doing matters, that it has purpose, that it aligns with who you truly are. One path leaves you enriched, inspired, and ready to keep going, even without immediate rewards. The other can leave you depleted, struggling to find meaning in the effort you expend.
As Viktor Frankl once said, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how’.” Finding your ‘why’ changes everything. It transforms work into something deeply fulfilling – a legacy you’re proud to leave behind.
So, if you ever find yourself struggling to find the energy to keep going, perhaps it’s not your work ethic that’s the problem, but the work itself. Real purpose breathes life into every hour you invest, reminding you that what you do matters.
#PassionAndPurpose
#HealingJourney
#HeartWork
#TraumaRecovery
#CommunityInterest
#protection #prevention
#breakingthecycle