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In my personal reflection, I talked about Dorothy L. Sayers, "Why Work?" and how I related with her article. My major is going to education, and I know that is my calling. That I was put on this Earth, by God, to make a difference in children lives and give them the gift of education. I know the job does not pay good, however, when you go into education, you are going into it to make a difference in students lives rather than making tons of money.

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This is us sometimes. But in reality, we need to search meaning, and find happiness. We need to find what makes us happy, and what gives us meaning.

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“Deprived of meaningful work, men and women lose their reason for existence.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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Every single person in the world, as they grow up, wants to live a meaningful and significant life. Part of growing up is realizing what you are meant to do and what you can do significantly.
In this article, Dr. Guy Saffold proposes ideas and theories about what God is calling us to do, what the significance we can have in this life is.

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If God calls you to be a street sweeper, never stoop down to become a king.

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"Generativity Crises of My Own" By Bonnie Miller-McLemore 

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"Generativity Crises of My Own" By Bonnie Miller-McLemore 

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"I joined the long history of 'thousands of women' before me by beginning in my life with the same question: Must I choose? (between work and family)"

As a woman, I will face this question too when I get married and have children. Do I want to stay home and take care of my children and nature them and have my husband be the provider? Or do I want to go back to work, for something I went to school for and something I love, but not be home enough for the children? I could say that I can try to balance both however, I won't know till I'm in that situation.

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Book IX.8: Are Some Lives More Significant Than Others

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Book IX.8: Are Some Lives More Significant Than Others

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In the book there is a short passage that argues that:
"the excellent person labors for his friends and for his native country, and will die for them if he must; he will sacrifice money, honors, and contested goods in general, in achieving the fine for himself."
I half way believe in this. I think as people, it is our call to help others. Whether it is our friends, families, or someone in need, I believe that helping another individual is a noble act. It says that they would die for another. I believe that this part is easy to say. It is easy to say you would die for someone. However, if that time actually came, I am not sure if this statement would hold up, even for me. Are there some people we would die for but yet not others? Would we die for someone innocent? How about someone we dislike? It is easy to say we would die for someone, but would we really?
Another thing this passage brings up is are some lives more significant? This passage would have to agree with this. It says that laboring for another person is "the excellent person." This means that those who sacrifice and work for others are more meaningful essentially. I do not know if I believe this or not. However, this whole passage brings up a lot of good points and does really make you think.

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In the class we have read C.S. Lewis. I found this interview online and thought it was interesting. It is also the first time I personally have heard this brilliant man speak. He does not talk about the specific passage in our book, but this man is so knowledgeable and inspiring that it is a good listen. And it does relate to a lot of themes we have talked about in class.

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Annie Dillard writes the short passage about a time she encountered and locked eyes with a weasel. She mentions the moment as well as moments before her encounter with the weasel. After their brief stare-down the weasel leaves. This was an eye-opening event as she compares humans' lives over one of a weasel. She says that weasels live by instinct as humans live by choice. She believes that we need to live more like weasels.
"I would like to live as I should, as the weasel lives as he should."
I never thought that I could relate to an article that was about staring at a weasel. However, this article really does make me think. Should I live by choices and thought, or just instinct like the weasel. I think that a combination of both ways. There are some things in life where you really need to think and make the best choice for you. However, there are also times where you should just go with your instinct like the weasel. I think this article is also about finding your true calling and going with it. If you know what you are supposed to do with your life, then why think. Go with your instinct and do what you are supposed to do.

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On the first day of classes we were to take a personality test to determine our personality types. I was curious to do this, because I have taken this test multiple times in the past and I sometimes get different results for some reason. This time was no exception. I got a different personality again. This time I was an INFJ personality trait. One website described this as:
"Quietly forceful, original, and sensitive. Tend to stick to things until they are done. Extremely intuitive about people, and concerned for their feelings. Well-developed value systems which they strictly adhere to. Well-respected for their perseverance in doing the right thing. Likely to be individualistic, rather than leading or following."
Out of all the tests I have taken I believe that this is most accurate because I believe analysis is true to myself. Out of all the personality tests I have taken, one thing has remained constant however. That is being Introverted. This originally surprised me since I can be very outgoing with people I am comfortable with. Some of my friends would probably not believe that I am introverted. However, looking more into introversion, I found that it means that I get recharged when I am alone. I agree with this. I find to be more at peace when I am doing something on my own with no one around. I think in general, these tests are interesting because I learn about myself things that I never truly knew.

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My Next Move provides streamlined career search and discovery for students and job seekers. Includes a built-in interest assessment and access to training, education, and job opportunities. Straightforward, easy-to-read one-page career reports help guide individuals’ next move on their road to a satisfying career.

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The article "Learning in War-Time" by C.S. Lewis, he discusses reality during war. He discusses three main enemies in times of war. The first being excitement, the second being frustration, and the third being fear. I am primarily going to discuss a little about the third enemy: fear.

Lewis explains that in times of war, many people fear for their lives. Lewis explains that death is already 100% certain to happen, so why worry now. He even mentions that natural deaths are more painful because of the suffering that proceeds. He also mentions that it does not decrease our chances of dying at peace with God. So why should we fear it? Personally, I have feared death before. I even have had thoughts of dying at a new war. These points make me realize that I should not fear my own death if we come to a war. My death is inevitable. However, one thing that I still do fear in a war, is something that he did not mention. That is the fear of losing a loved one. Although, they might agree with Lewis as well that they should not fear death, it still would break my heart to see someone I love die in the hands of war. I wish Lewis would talk about this and whether to fear it or not and give reasons. However, if a war ever comes about, this would be the one thing I would fear the most.

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Speaking in more practical terms and looking at the meaningfulness of a job from the perspective of an employer. What to do to have workers that find more meaning in their work. And by doing so, enhance the performance of the organization.
Personally, I believe that meaningfulness can come from within but can also be seen as a goal that we can achieve together with our peers and managers.
Since Aristotle talked about a more meaningful life, and how to achieve it, it is important to see a more current and practical take on the search for meaning in the workplace, where us, seniors, will be in only a few months.

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From of West Africa: I've got a somewhat philosophical question about the nature of work. What can leaders do to make their employees feel that their work has meaning? And why is it important for people to feel that they're engaged with meaningful work? I've heard lots of perspectives on this topic... but would love to hear yours.

This is a wonderful question because it provides an opportunity for me to also talk about something I believe ranks right at the top of the list of key leadership qualities. First and foremost, let's be clear -- no one can "make" anyone feel anything. However, there are ways for company leadership to facilitate a sense of meaning and purpose for their employees.

Let's talk about what constitutes "meaning" for workers - is it contributing to the improvement of communities? Is it having a positive impact on coworkers and the company? Bottom line: there are many ways to define meaning, and it's important for every person, working or not, to have clarity about what has meaning for them.

There are some uniform characteristics of meaning, though; a led by Professor Catherine Bailey from University of Sussex illuminates some of the way employees identify meaning in their work. Interestingly, though probably a side note, while effective leadership was rarely pointed to in finding meaning, poor leadership was frequently connected to a loss of meaningfulness. Research has shown that meaningfulness applies across employees' full lives, and is driven by finding a connection to the rest of the world through their work. Organizations can support this process by developing and living a culture of ethics, morals and social responsibility that their employees can connect with and support. The net answer: the chief way that employees are able to discover meaning in their work is to reflect on their work, their contribution in the company and their impact on their respective lives.

So let's go back to the beginning: the leadership quality I mentioned. It's communication. That's how leaders can help their employees to find their meaning. Here are some suggestions for these conversations and communications:

Make sure to frequently discuss the meaning of the organization. It's absolutely critical that employees understand the purpose of the organization, along with its positive impact on both the business and greater communities. They need to be clear about the company's goals, plans for the future, overall values and vision - all of the things that paint a picture of the organization' s mission. In late 2015, conducted a survey with nearly 7,700 millennials from 29 countries, and discovered that a whopping 56% of respondents had ruled out working for a company or organization because of a lack of fit in values. Another interesting data point - 70% felt that their personal values were congruent with their companies. Open and authentic discussions about these key topics help to avoid the disconnect that occurs when an organization is "talking the talk," but not "walking the walk."

Give employees clarity about their personal contribution to organizational meaning. People need to see their work as part of a bigger picture and to understand how their work contributes to that big picture. Every manager should be able to explain how every role in their organization impacts the greater organization, and how each role contributes to the overall company mission. Sometimes this means diving into the weeds to show how day-to-day tasks, many of which are repetitive, push the company mission forward. This might be a tedious process, but it is important for employees to truly understand how their work impacts the good of the company.

Provide vision to employees about the cultural and community meaning and value of their work. A sense of meaningfulness also is driven by the human factor; that is, understanding and connecting with people who benefit from the company's work and by having positive and open relationships with their fellow workers. Again, communication is key- leaders need to find ways to help their employees feel connected to those who are impacted by the company's products or services, so they understand clearly who it is that they are helping. There are many ways to make this happen- it might be through creating specific feedback forums so employees can learn about and feel connected to their company's customers while also connecting with their fellow employees. It's almost like creating a community in which conversation and sharing are paramount and encouraged.

Meaningfulness often is hard to pin down; there's not much in the way of metrics to measure it. However, if leaders focus on communicating the company's mission, and the employee's place in the success of that mission, they can have a significant impact on the overall level of fulfillment of their employees.

I am a serial entrepreneur, have led divisions and companies and been a C-level executive for companies ranging from startups to multi-nationals. I am a consultant to C-level executives throughout the world, from South Africa to America, Canada, Europe and Australia. I have ...
David K. Williams is a serial entrepreneur, consultant to C-level executives and author of "The 7 Non-Negotiables of Winning: Tying Soft Traits to Hard Results," available here.

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How To Help Employees Find Meaning In Work

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From of West Africa: I've got a somewhat philosophical question about the nature of work. What can leaders do to make their employees feel that their work has meaning? And why is it important for people to feel that they're engaged with meaningful work? I've heard lots of perspectives on this topic...

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"Aristotle argues that a person of noble character will prefer a short but splendid life to a long life of steady accomplishment and satisfaction."

I personally have to disagree with Aristotle on this one. I think both scenarios are okay to live with, it just depends on which one you believe is more meaningful. Some people might prefer the shorter and more splendid life. However, living a long life where you have to work for your achievements and happiness can be just as meaningful and fulfilling. Personally, I like this latter option because the other one feels rushed. It makes it feel like I need to have my life figured out right now. With this option, it is about the whole process. Going through life is a challenge and accomplishments will take time. Both mindsets are acceptable in my opinion, but personally I would prefer a long life of steady accomplishment and satisfaction.

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"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In him we are also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

I feel like this verse from the Bible goes very well with Dorothy L. Sayers article, because God has chosen us for a purpose in life. I believe my purpose in life is to be a teacher. I know teachers don’t make very good salaries, however, I’m not going into teaching for the money, I am going into teaching because I want to help children and be a difference in their lives. Right now, in my life I am a server. I can make very good money on some nights and think I can do this and make more than a teacher, but when I really look at it, it’s not something I can do for the rest of my life. I can’t help children like I want to, and waste all the years I went to school for. I know my calling is helping and teaching children.

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“We have all got it fixed in our heads that the proper end of work is to be paid for- produce a return in profits or payment to the worker which fully or more than compensates the effort he puts into it. But if our proposition is true, this does not follow at all. So long as society provides the worker with a sufficient return in real wealth to enable him to carry on the work properly, then he was his reward. For his work is the measure of his life, and his satisfaction is found in the fulfilment of his own nature, and in contemplation of the perfection of his work” (Sayers 193).

In Dorothy L. Sayers, "Why Work" she talks about how people should choose a job by how the job should fit the person and not how the person should fit the job. I believe this is one of the main readings we read for class because many people just go out in the world and choose a job to support their families. Most of these peoples are in poverty and can't afford to do something they love, such as, painting. They must do a job that they probably really dislike and not wanting to do a lot of good work in it and waste their energy while supporting their families. Many people try to fit in the job they are applying for while being very dissatisfied with the work they have to do complete for their families. Many people sacrifice their own happiness for their families. Which is very sad, because life shouldn't be like that. People should be able to pick whatever profession they want to go into and not fear that they can't support their family.

Reading this article was a real eye opener for me personally. If we want to do well in something, we have to be passionate about it. By going into a profession, we have to actually care about our jobs and want to make a difference.