“Men live their lives in quiet desperation.”  (Henry David Thoreau, Walden)

I read “men” as gender neutral.  People live their lives in quiet desperation.

There as so many people that live unfulfilled lives.  It’s an existence really. They feel stuck, paralyzed, and succumb to the “this is the best it will get” attitude.  And I’m not just talking about the rank and file employee, I’m talking about leaders. Successful leaders, wealthy leaders, old leaders and young leaders.  Something’s missing.

Simply put, there is a void in so many people’s lives.  A gap, a whole.  What is it?

I have two answers and believe it or not they are both connected:

First, there are many surveys and so much research that continually confirms that the vast majority of people aren’t doing what they do best on a daily basis.  They are not working out of their strength realm.  They may be doing something with competence—even excellence—but it’s not what turns their crank or gets them excited.

Second, they are empty and void because they haven’t connected to God.  Have you ever watched the movie, Bruce Almighty?  On it they play a song, sung by Plumb, and the chorus lyrics are:

There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us
And the restless soul is searching
There’s a God-shaped hole in all of us
And it’s a void only he can fill*

To those who feel a void in their lives I advise two things:  Find what you love to do and do well and do that.  My sister was a social worker her whole life.  Most of it within the context of a rehabilitation hospital.  She was good at it.  Then they promoted her to an administrative role.  She was good at that too, yet there was a void.  She loved the more personal, clinical contact with patients.  So, she asked if she could return to that role, rather than being an administrator.  She did that because that was where her fulfillment was.

Find a way to connect to God. Our Creator designed us to want to have a connection with Him.  When we do, our life has purpose and meaning and that translates into purpose and meaning at work as well.  The vision statement for Pizza Ranch (www.pizzaranch.com) is to “glorify God by positively impacting the world.”  At Pizza Ranch it is not just about making money but making an impact on the lives of people and their communities.  The connection to God gives them an even greater purpose.

If you feel a void, look in these two places.  It may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

*God-Shaped Hole lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Downtown Music Publishing, Capitol Christian Music Group