The Spirit Yearns to Be Free: Rethinking the Way We Work

When I was 20 years old, I had my first "real" job—Marketing Coordinator at Denny’s Inc. It was the early 1980s, before the invention of the internet. Everything had to be distributed on paper, so copy machines were essential, massive, and constantly in use. There were always lines—people waiting, arms crossed, holding stacks of documents.

I remember standing in one of those lines, waiting to make a set of copies. Just standing there, like everyone else. And something stirred in me.

I looked around and said aloud, “Does this seem right to you? That we work eight to five every day just to live? It just doesn’t seem right.”

No one answered. A few people gave soft smiles, maybe a flicker of resonance in their eyes, but mostly there was silence. A silence that told me more than words could.

That was the first time I felt the dissonance between what society told me was normal and what my spirit deeply knew to be true. I wasn’t meant for the repetition of boxed-in hours, the artificial lights, the endless churn. My soul longed for rhythm, not routine—for meaning over mechanics.

That one question—"Is this really how we’re meant to live?"—became the heartbeat of my working life.

It’s why remote work always appealed to me. It’s why I leaned into innovation and online learning long before it was mainstream. It’s why I sought careers where creativity and intuition were not just tolerated, but necessary.

And yet, even with all that, I still had to navigate within systems that were slow to change. Systems that asked me to trade presence for productivity, life force for labor.

Along the way, I also found myself doing R&D in the field of career development, particularly with youth. I was fortunate to collaborate with my friend and colleague, Ed Hidalgo, a leader in this space, whose work has deeply influenced how I understand alignment. Ed teaches that when young people identify their strengths, interests, and values, and begin to explore careers that align with those, something powerful happens—they don’t just feel capable. They feel alive. They experience passion, purpose, and belonging in the world because they’re being guided to make choices that reflect who they really are. They begin to trust that their uniqueness is not a problem to be solved, but a path to be followed.

That framework helped me name something I’d always felt: when we talk about alignment in work, we’re not just talking about skills or fit. We’re talking about the soul’s ability to breathe.

Whether we’re 17 or 57, alignment still comes from the same place:

• Strengths—Knowing what we’re good at:  From a spiritual lens, these are the gifts your soul chose to carry into this life. When we help youth identify and use their strengths, we are helping them activate their sacred design—the specific ways they are meant to contribute to the world.
  

• Interests—Knowing what lights us up: Interests aren’t just hobbies—they’re invitations. When we feel pulled toward something with genuine curiosity or excitement, it often reveals where our inner energy naturally flows. These sparks of fascination are more than preferences; they’re signals of alignment. In a metaphysical sense, they represent the threads of soul resonance, pointing us toward the kinds of experiences and environments where our spirit feels most alive.
  

• Values—Knowing what matters to us: Values are already a deeply personal guide, but when we ask young people to clarify what matters to them, we’re actually inviting them to listen to their inner compass—their spirit’s own truth about what feels just, meaningful, or fulfilling. This is a direct line to spiritual sovereignty, even if it’s not named that way.
  

When those three things come together, we don’t just find a job—we begin to live in integrity with who we are.

I’ve come to see that this is what the spirit has been asking for all along. It’s not about rejecting structure. It’s about building a life where our sacred design is honored.

Now, decades later, I see that moment at the copier differently. I understand that what I was feeling wasn’t rebellion—it was remembrance. My spirit wasn’t resisting work itself. It was resisting the disconnection, the dulling down, the separation from soul. Many of us are carrying that same quiet ache.

So I ask you today:

What does your spirit know about the way you're working and living right now? Are there rhythms you’ve forgotten? Is there a part of you still waiting in line, questioning silently, unsure if anyone else sees it too. You’re not alone. The question itself is sacred.

But what I’ve learned since that moment is this: You can live a life that honors your spirit.

It doesn’t always mean quitting your job or leaving the system overnight. Sometimes it begins with a small act of remembrance. A breath between tasks. A ritual to begin the day. A truth spoken aloud.

For me, the path unfolded in steps. I found ways to weave freedom into the fabric of my work. I said yes to roles that valued flexibility. I designed learning environments that honored autonomy. I followed the quiet thread of my soul, even when the map wasn’t clear.

And that’s what I want to offer you: not a prescription, but permission. Permission to listen to that whisper inside.To question what feels off. To experiment with a different rhythm, even within the life you’re living now.

Your spirit isn’t asking for perfection. It’s asking for presence.

So whether you’re standing in an actual line or just sitting in a life that feels out of step, remember—context changes. The internet didn’t exist back then. Work was physical, centralized, rigid. But today, you have more choices than ever. More ways to align your life with what your spirit has always known.

Let this be your reminder that even now, in this moment, you can begin again.

The way you work can be a reflection of the way you want to live. And the life you build from that truth? That’s not rebellion. That’s alignment.

Ask AI:

What part of my current work rhythm is out of alignment with my spirit, and how can I take one small step toward freedom today?