DailyGood

For the last 27 years, DailyGood newsletters have offered a daily email that inspires you to respond to life with creativity and kindness. To join a community of 149,396 subscribers, subscribe here.

Mar 16, 2007

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." --Howard Thurman

Work That Makes You Come Alive

John Chen has bungee-jumped from 120-foot-high bridges, walked over 40 feet of red-hot coals and parachuted from a plane. What was his scariest feat? "Trying to figure out how to leave Microsoft," he says. The software-design program manager finally quit the technology giant in mid-1999. Now, Chen, a self-described experiential educator, leads individuals on life-changing adventures -- such as climbing nearby Mount Rainier. He doesn't regret his switch. Nor do two others who also forsook the fast-paced corporate environment to pursue more altruistic careers: Peggy Foerch Fitzgerald became a "doula," or childbirth coach, and Bruce Baker enrolled in divinity school, eventually becoming a Presbyterian pastor. In this Wall Street Journal article, the trio offers guideposts for those struggling to redefine their contributions to society.