We are here for a purpose ---must read

One evening Swami Sri Ramakrishna was addressing the participants on the concept of work culture. One of the participants asked the following question to Swamiji. "I am senior manager and I joined this organization 28 years ago.  Over the last 28 years, I have gone through every experience in the organization and I am now the senior manager. During the initial part of my career, the job was very challenging and interesting.  Every day was exciting and I looked forward to each day with lot of interest. However, all those exciting days are gone since I do not find my job any more interesting.  As I have seen and handled every conceivable situation, there  is no more challenge in my work. I am living in the same house for over forty-five years. I am the son of the same parents for over forty-five years.  I am the father of the same children for the past twenty-one years and the husband of the same lady for the past twenty-two years.  In these personal roles, I do not feel bored and the passage of time has not taken away the Zeal from me. Please tell me why I am bored of the routine in the office and not in the house? This was a very interesting question and we were all very anxious and  curious to know what the Swamiji had to say. He asked the manager. "Please tell me for whom your mother cooks". The manager replied that the mother "serves" others. Swamiji replied, because of this service, she is not feeling tired or bored. But in an office, we work and not 'serve'. Anything we consider as service will not make us feel bored. He asked the executive to consider his work as service and not merely a work! Whenever you put a larger context around your work and see a broader meaning for your work, you will take interest in your work. An awareness of larger purpose of your job and an appreciation of its importance will make a very big difference in your internal energy. You should believe that you are here for a purpose and should believe in the spiritual context of your role.