Image: Photographer Mariia Britan
I joined an ‘In Good Company’ webinar recently where Danny Sriskandarajah, CEO of New Economics Foundation, spoke about the role of Civil Society.
Firstly, (and I paraphrase) it exists to fix things; secondly to speak truth to power and thirdly it provides a channel where humans can flourish. It was this third strand that really got my attention because I have witnessed that need for personal fulfilment so many times when speaking to people trying to find work in the sector for the first time. Yet I have never heard anyone talk about Civil Society providing a pathway to happiness through employment.
Having a sense of purpose generally doesn’t come from a job with profit as its main goal. Of course it’s not impossible but, in my opinion, hard to come by. For the majority who want to put their skills and talents to use to make a difference to their community, to society, they have to look outside corporate work.
There’s even a name for this depth of happiness – Eudaimonic. It means living in line with your values, growing as a person and contributing to something bigger than yourself. Not everyone has this awakening as they enter the job market, (kudos to those who do). For some, and I include myself here, it takes many years to realise that for a happier life, work needs a deeper meaning.
To quote Aristotle, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
There are many roots to happiness. How wonderful if working for Civil Society is one of them.