Finding Your Sweet Spot
August 30, 2024
To Inspire:
One thing that surprised me when I started working for The Joseph Group (my first job in the finance industry) was the number of people who seem to struggle a bit – or a lot – with what to do in retirement. Now I wonder if it would help some of those people if they found their “sweet spot.”
In a recent Guideposts article, writer Rachel Linden defined sweet spot as “…that wonderful place, where the things you love meet the needs of the world, and your passions create positive change in your community and the world around you.”
A perfect example of a sweet spot, I think, is found in our recent client story featuring Bill and Colleen Rains. Colleen loves to quilt and found a local quilting group who makes a lap quilt for every person going through chemotherapy at The James. She and the other women in this amazing group use their quilting skills to do something incredibly impactful in our community. (You can watch the Rains’ story here.)
Another example is a woman who I follow on social media who has volunteered to make birthday cakes for kids in foster care and shelters. She loves to bake and wants to use her skills to do good in the world. Imagine the excitement a kid in a homeless shelter feels when they get a special cake for their birthday.
Both women are doing things they absolutely love to do, what they’ve done for years and honed their skills at, and they’re using their expertise to make the world a better place.
You may already know your sweet spot – if so, that awesome! If you don’t, here are some ideas to help you think about what yours might be.
Get rid of the “shoulds” in your life. Stop worrying that what you love isn’t good enough or can’t help someone. Any gift, skill, or passion can be used in some way to make your community and the world a better place.
Make a list of the things you love. What do you love? Baking, writing, event planning, woodworking, gardening? If you’re trying to figure out what you love, think what things you played pretend about when you were a child. Think about what you naturally gravitate toward now. What are things you would do for free just because you love to do them?
Start brainstorming. Look online for others who love the same things and see how they donate their time. Think about local, national, or international organizations that might need your skills. Ask friends and neighbors and people at your church for ideas on how you can help.
Finding your sweet spot might be a process, but how worthwhile to live more fully with joy while making your community and the world a better place.
Written by Michelle O’Brien, Manager of Marketing & Communications