A JOB TO MAKE YOUR HEART FEEL BIG
“You have to find a job that makes your heart feel big instead of one that makes it feel small.” — The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Some quotes stay with you.
This one stopped me in my tracks.
It reminded me how often we measure our work by external markers—status, salary, job title—while ignoring the internal ones: joy, alignment, meaning. The sense of coming home to yourself in the work you do.
If you’ve ever felt drained by a job that looked great on paper but left you feeling flat, you’ll know what I mean.
THE REALITY OF A JOB THAT FEELS “SMALL”
Sometimes it creeps in quietly.
A gradual disconnection. A sense that you’re going through the motions, ticking boxes, counting down the hours.
Other times, it’s louder.
A Sunday-night dread. A knot in the stomach as the emails pile up. That feeling that something in you is slowly shrinking.
We can stay in roles like this for a long time—because they’re safe, or well-paid, or because we’re not sure what else is out there. But over time, the cost adds up.
Exhaustion. Burnout. A subtle erosion of self-belief.
WHAT DOES A JOB THAT MAKES YOUR HEART FEEL BIG LOOK LIKE?
It might not be glamorous. It might not have a fancy title. But it gives you something deeper:
A sense of contribution
Work that aligns with your values
A spark of energy and purpose
The space to use your strengths and grow
It’s not about loving every second. It’s about knowing you’re in the right place more often than not.
A job that feels big-hearted doesn’t drain you—it expands you. It reminds you of who you are and what matters to you.
MAKING THE SHIFT
Choosing fulfilment over familiarity is brave work.
It might mean stepping into uncertainty. Rethinking what success looks like. Letting go of roles that once made sense, but no longer do. It might mean having honest conversations with yourself (or with a coach) about what you really want.
And yes, it might take time. But the trade-off is this: energy, alignment, and a renewed sense of meaning in your day-to-day life.
Because life’s too short to stay small.
And you deserve a career that feels expansive—not just impressive.
A GENTLE PROMPT
If your heart feels heavy in your current role, it’s okay to ask:
“What would it look like to feel more alive in my work?”
You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to be willing to start the conversation—with yourself, with someone you trust, or with a coach who can help you explore what’s next.
You don’t have to settle.
You don’t have to shrink.
There’s work out there that makes your heart feel big—and it’s not too late to find it.
