By Bill Nobles with help from Samantha Schwarz

A veteran I’ll call Bob has a good job as branch manager of a successful company and a loving wife and children. Yet when we met 15 months ago through the ACP website he was struggling with personal issues related to transitioning out of the Army. Bob recently recalled my assurance then that civilian jobs serve a purpose when he wrote, “I'm still lacking the sense of purpose I had in Iraq and Kosovo and could really use a fresh point of view.” This response prepared with help from Samantha Schwarz of the ACP staff may have broader interest.

I first emphasized how Bob should keep the “Big Picture” in mind. Remember that “purpose” is not just about personal self-fulfillment, but how one contributes to the success and endurance of larger entities. Whether it’s your company, your employees, your family, or community it is fulfilling to remember that your individual work and doing your best to fulfill individual responsibilities contributes to the survival and success of something bigger than yourself. Shifting how you think about “purpose” to all facets of your life can change your attitude.

Recession-related business and financial problems had also undermined Bob’s managerial confidence. Building on the earlier points I noted that from an economist’s perspective profits earned by his branch were rewards from customers for providing services they needed and valued more than competitive offerings. So by “barely keeping his branch performance above water” in a troubled economy Bob had helped his customers to survive and succeed while simultaneously paying wages that helped his employees to support themselves and their families through trying times.

If still unsatisfied I recommended Bob review an article in www.Military.com: "When Work No Longer Works -- How to Find Fulfillment Again," which discusses how questions on the Myers-Briggs test can help to identify personally satisfying work and work styles. He could also check out communities like “The Mission Continues,” “Team Rubicon,” or “Team Red White and Blue,” whose members understand the struggles that veterans face and can help provide new focus for purpose and fulfillment. In closing it is also worth noting that these ideas can help civilians worried about sense of purpose.