People often call me up and ask me to help them find a job or to help them brainstorm on the best job for them. I ask this simple question, “Do you just want a job, or do you want a purpose filled career?” Often times, they will ask me to explain to them the difference between a job and a purpose filled career.

So, I tell them that my thought process on this subject is that everyone has a gift. Gifts are intangible, creative expressions that are placed within us at birth, and they are perfectly designed and especially formulated for each individual. It is the one thing that separates you from everyone else. A person’s gift is not always easily revealed or understood, but if discovered, it can unlock a world of opportunity and a sense of purpose. Once a person comes into the full understanding of what their gift is, then the choices for jobs, or better yet, a purpose filled career becomes apparent to them.

Why else is it so important to understand one’s gift? Because operating in one’s gift is one of the purest things that a person can find fulfillment in and by operating within this capacity, a career will not feel like just another job. The engagement between you and your gift is the catalyst to unlocking your full potential. Your gift is interlinked to your purpose.

I will use my own self as an example. As far back as I can remember, I have always tried to help others. Whether it was writing a business plan, grant proposal, or contract for a friend, letter drafting on behalf of some individual or simply providing career, business and/or life advice to move an individual forward, assisting others during times of need has always been an art that has captured my existence as an individual. No matter what the circumstance entailed, I was doing something that felt fulfilling and did not feel like an obligation to me, because I was operating within my gift, and operating in this capacity felt like a very powerful place to be.

You see, my gift is the gift of helping others. When I realized what my gift was, I thought long and hard about maximizing it to its full potential. So, that’s why I decided to go into public service, because there, I felt that if I could use the same gift that was helping hundreds of people to be able to move forward, then I could put forth the same level of effort and have the chance at helping move thousands or millions of people move forward.

So, in operating in the capacity of my gift, I have decided to run for United States Congress. This is my way of maximizing my gift and engaging in a purpose filled career. So, my advice to you is to step out, step up and start operating in your purpose filled career.