“I am deep down a spiritual person who believes in the power of the inner spirit and have always wanted to help others. This is the reason why I joined the UN.”  -- Zohreh Tabatabai

What makes some of us wake up every day feeling energetic about our dance of life while others crawl out of bed feeling exhausted and willing to accept a “ho-hum” existence? From my interviews with successful people over the years, I’ve found that people can get burned out and fall into a rut for many reasons and that everyone from time to time gets hit with the ho-hums. They want something more: more fun, more invigorating, more exciting, more meaningful,,, more interesting.

Too often people find themselves stuck in the mindset of “I know my life’s not great, but I don’t know what to do about it. I’ll get by.” They habitually “get by” by moving to a subconscious rhythm of life without much forethought, without mindfully paying attention and directing their moves, without trying new things.

Many successful people get out of a rut (yes, successful people can fall into doldrums, too) and turn “getting by” into “getting interested” by taking time to identify and define the purpose for what they do during their waking hours. Some call it purpose. Others call it motivation or inner calling. No matter what it’s called, it doesn’t happen without trying new things.

What motivates successful people comes from a variety of sources, but none works as well as knowing your deep interests and trying different ways to work in a field that lets you develop them. Zohreh Tabatabai, Director of the Department of Communications of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, sister agency of the UN, says, “I am deep down a spiritual person who believes in the power of the inner spirit and have always wanted to help others. This is the reason why I joined the UN.” 

Zohreh was born in Teheran, Iran, but sent to boarding school in England when she was seven years old. She grew up in England, the U.S. and Switzerland. Her willingness to live in many different places and meet diverse groups of people helped Zohreh see the importance of countries working together to solve problems. She explains the role of the International Labor Organization, “The United Nations and its sister agencies were created at different times when the world leaders realized that they could not solve their problems alone, that they needed each other to make things better for their people. This is as true today as it was in 1945 when the UN was created, or in 1919 when the International Labor Organization was created.”

Zohreh found that getting ahead in her chosen field had a lot to do with her desire to help others. She’s proud of the role of the ILO in the world and her ability to contribute to it. “The ILO promotes fundamental principles and rights at work.” She adds, “By the way, it should be known that ILO conventions and recommendations brought us everything from the eight hour working day to maternity leave to the push for equal rights for women and men in the workplace.” Zohreh is a woman who found that “getting interested” in world labor problems set her path to a fulfilling life.

When you feel out of sorts and that things just aren’t going your way, perhaps you aren’t going in the right direction. Stop listening to others. Do something you’ve never tried before but have always been curious about. You’ll be starting in the right direction to turn “getting by” to “getting interested.”

Have fun.

Besides writing and speaking on topics relating to women in business, entrepreneurship and success, Pam loves to encourage others try things they’ve never done before to get more out of life. Pam and her husband did just that by renovating a house—with their own hands—and writing about it in their newly released she-said, he-said book Under the Carmel Valley Sun: An Adventure in Remodeling, Relationships and Red Wine. Check it out at www.underthecarmelvalleysun.com.