Anxious , Depressed, Job Not Inspiring?

Question from a reader: I feel low, anxious, depressed, job not inspiring, what should I do?

My reply:

1) Look for the high points in your job: co-workers? customers? whatever is uplifting.

2) Consider a different job or becoming self-employed. Those may or may not be viable options, but think seriously about it.

3) Look to get your true satisfaction from sources outside your job. Appreciate your family. Volunteer in your community. Help someone less fortunate than yourself - perhaps volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen.

As we work to create light for others,
we naturally light our own way.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Life's most persistent and urgent question is,
'What are you doing for others?'
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you don't like something, change it.
If you can't change it, change your attitude.
- Maya Angelou

The best way to find yourself
is to lose yourself
in the service of others.
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

The more we care for the happiness of others,
the greater is our own sense of well-being.
- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

The best cure for our own self-inflicted suffering
is often service to others.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
      

Signs of a Compassionate Person

I found a great article - 8 Ways To Tell If You're A Truly Compassionate Person - and decided to make a brief summary.

These characteristics are generally associated with a compassionate person...

1. Emphasizing one's similarities to other people, rather than one's differences.

2. Giving a low priority to money.

3. Taking action by volunteering and offering specific help to individuals.

4. Being kind to yourself. Being compassionate begins with self-compassion.

5. Teaching others. Teaching another is the most powerful way to reenforce any idea in oneself.

6. Being in the moment. Compassion requires giving one's full attention to another - without multitasking, or thinking about one's next appointment.

7. Understanding that each person holds their own valid point-of-view.

8. Being grateful for other people.