What If Your Workplace Is Part of Your Calling?

For a long time, I believed purpose lived somewhere outside of work.

That calling was something I would step into after hours, beyond my job, or someday in the future.

Work, to me, was about responsibility.

Purpose was about passion.

And like many people, I assumed the two would sit in different lanes.

But over time, something quietly began to shift.

I started to notice what I naturally gravitated towards at work — and it wasn’t just the tasks.

It was the people.

I found myself encouraging colleagues when they were unsure.

Helping others think through challenges.

Lifting confidence when someone felt stuck or unseen.

Even in my work with suppliers, I realised I wasn’t just managing processes — I was supporting people.

And that’s when it dawned on me.

What I thought I needed to do outside of work to live out my purpose…I was already doing within it.

My job title didn’t change.

My responsibilities stayed the same.

But my understanding shifted.

Purpose wasn’t an activity I switched on after hours —it was something I carried into every space I entered.

Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught that purpose only shows up when we are visible, promoted, or positioned on a platform.

But the truth is this:

You were designed to make a difference where you are.

Purpose is not only found in platforms — it is lived daily.

This is a realisation many people need, especially when work starts to feel heavy or disconnected from meaning.

Purpose doesn’t always arrive as a dramatic calling.

Often, it shows up quietly — in influence, integrity, service, leadership, and presence.

It’s found in how you treat people.

In the confidence you build in others.

In the way you bring clarity where there is confusion.

In choosing excellence, compassion, and consistency — even when it goes unnoticed.

For many of us, the workplace isn’t a detour from purpose.

It’s the training ground.

When you begin to see work through this lens, something changes.

You stop seeing your job as something to endure…and start seeing it as a platform.

A place where confidence is strengthened.

Where resilience is formed.

Where identity is refined.

Where purpose is practised daily — not postponed.

That doesn’t mean every day is fulfilling.

It doesn’t mean the environment is perfect.

But it does mean your presence carries meaning, even in imperfect spaces.

So how do you begin to reconnect purpose with your work?

Start with gentler, more honest questions:

• What do I naturally bring into this environment?

• Who benefits from the way I show up?

• What strengths am I developing in this season?

• How is this experience shaping who I’m becoming?

  
  

Sometimes work isn’t the destination.

It’s the preparation.

Purpose isn’t limited to what you do outside of life —

it flows through how you live it.

Reflection Question

Where might purpose already be present in your work — waiting to be recognised?

If you pray:

“God, help me see my work through Your eyes. Reveal where purpose is already present, even when it feels hidden. Strengthen my confidence, clarify my calling, and help me show up with integrity, compassion, and courage wherever I’m planted.”

Confidence Mantra

I don’t just work to survive — I show up to shine.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from purpose at work, or unsure how your career fits into your bigger calling, you don’t have to navigate that alone.

Through my RISE coaching approach, I support people to reconnect with identity, build confidence, and uncover purpose — not just in life, but in how they show up professionally every day.

➡️ Connect with me — let’s uncover purpose where you are, and prepare you for what’s next.

Best wishes

Adebola

I. Arise & Shine | iarisenshine.com

Coaching for Identity • Purpose • Resilience • Confidence