Your new JOB- Helping other...

The literature of 12-step recovery programs has a lot to say about work. To paraphrase, the literature states that until we look at our jobs as opportunities to be of service to other people, rather than just a way to make money, we will never be content in our work. Instead, we will continue to face more anxiety as we attempt to hold onto what we have already achieved while craving ever more money to maintain our level of happiness and self-esteem.

We have all seen rich, powerful executives who don't seem to get much pleasure from their careers. Since many folks are just trying to pay the bills, a discussion of helping others at work might seem esoteric. But the fact is that most of us work, whether we want to or we have to, and any possibilities for making work more enjoyable and rewarding are worth considering.

First of all, what does it mean to be "of service?" This term, as it is applied in 12-step recovery, means helping another person without any expectation of reward or hidden motives. Therefore, being of service at work doesn't mean helping out the boss in hopes of a promotion, or taking care of your assistant to get him or her to work weekends. The kind of help we are talking about here, the kind that provides an incredible payback of self-esteem, is about the pleasure of the act itself.