Blog 3

I think that article on “Spirituality, Religion, and Career Development: Current Status and Future Directions” by Ryan Duffy (2006) is very interesting and intriguing.  I went to Messiah College for my undergraduate work and my faith and what I believe is really important to me.  The article brings out very good points on spiritual and religious people. These people tend to have higher health benefits.  Duffy (2006) found that, “Recent empirical studies have shown that certain dimensions of spirituality in the workplace, such as meaning making, meditation, and sense of mission, relate positively to job satisfaction, job involvement, and productivity” (p. 3).  I believe that when someone is spiritual or religious they usually have the tendency to incorporate those beliefs in their everyday lives like their work place, which means they have a higher satisfaction rate for their job.  The article was not saying that being more spiritual or religious will help people find better jobs, but it was saying that when they choose their job, they are more satisfied than someone who was not spiritual or religious. 

            Another aspect of this article that I enjoyed was that people who are spiritual or religious say that a higher power has a calling for them.  Duffy (2006) stated, “Davidson and Caddell found that individuals who viewed their career as a calling, or a career chosen for them by God, were more likely to espouse social justice beliefs and report greater job security and satisfaction than those who did not” (p. 4).  I find this very interesting that spiritual or religious people who feel that they have higher callings are more satisfied with their career.  Is it the fact that they know themselves more than those who are not spiritual or religious?  In the Brown (2010) text, he talks about the a career information-processing model of career choice and saying that people can know their options, themselves, how they make decisions, and their decision making in finding a career.  What I am curious to know is that are people who are spiritual or religious find it easier to make these choices and therefore have better satisfaction outcomes?  It is just intriguing that people are coming up with this data saying that the spiritual aspect of someone’s life can have a great impact on their job satisfaction.  I personally believe this data is true and I feel that I do have a higher calling to serve people as a counselor.  It is hard to choose a career but my sense of calling helps me to believe that God knows what is best for me and is leading me in the right path. 

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.

Duffy, R., D. (2006). Spirituality, religion, and career development: Current status and future directions. The Career Development Quarterly, 55 52-63. Retrieved from https:// millersville.desire2learn.com/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=750610&tId=5   560163