139 - Calling, Adulting, and the Changing World of Work (feat. Dr. Michaela O'Donnell)

This week we talk with Dr. Michaela O’Donnell, the executive director of Fuller Seminary’s Max De Pree Center for Leadership and the author of the new book Make Work Matter: Your Guide to Meaningful Work in a Changing World. She tells us about how the world of work has changed, why adulting seems so hard, and how we could navigate things moving forward. In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about their favorite jobs.

Connect with Dr. O’Donnell on Instagram. Connect with the De Pree Center on their website, on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Buy Make Work Matter: Your Guide to Meaningful Work in a Changing World on Amazon.

Quotes:
- “We can’t necessarily predict what the world’s gonna look like in 5 years, only that it’s gonna be pretty different than it is right now.” (tweet)
- “We have, in American society, deemed work as a place we’re going to get primary identity and significance.” (tweet)
- “We treat work like our vehicle for meaning.” (tweet)
- “Wanting work to matter is, in many ways, a privilege conversation.” (tweet)
- “If work is a place for our significance, then if we do more of it that should be more significant.” (tweet)
- “One thing that’s least helpful is this idea that younger people are entitled and/or just aren’t putting in the time. Actually, we’re in a whole different world.” (tweet)
- “People change jobs between 11 and 17 times now.” (tweet)
- “Wherever there is challenge there is also opportunity.” (tweet)
- “Capitalism was never meant to be our vehicle for calling.” (tweet)
- “The very basis for doing the meaningful work that we crave can always benefit from starting with empathy.” (tweet)
- “Inner work sets the stage for any external work that we would do in the world.” (tweet)

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Intro/Outro music for this episode is ‘Fall Down’ by Rivers & Robots.