Purpose, Meaning and Passion: Why Work Still Shapes Identity  (Especially in Hospitality)

It is the most common question in the modern world. You meet someone new, shake hands, and within seconds, one of you asks: "So, what do you do?"

In hospitality, we often answer with a title—"I’m a Chef," "I’m a GM," "I’m in Housekeeping."

We hear advice suggesting we should separate our identity from our employment—that we are not our jobs.

While this is true in a spiritual sense, it is practically impossible to sever the connection entirely. We spend roughly 90,000 hours of our lives at work. In hospitality, with our long hours and intense shifts, it can feels like and actually be, even more.

To suggest that this vast expenditure of time and energy shouldn't shape who we are is to deny the reality of the human experience. The danger isn't that work shapes our identity; the danger lies in allowing meaningless work to shape a hollow identity.

To build a life that feels authentic—a HAPPIER life—we must understand the triad that connects what we do with who we are:

Purpose, Meaning, and Passion.

The Triad of Fulfillment in Service
In Happier Professionals and my wider work, I distinguish between these three critical elements. They are not synonyms; they are the structural columns of a fulfilling professional life, particularly in the service industry:


Purpose (The Anchor): 

Purpose is your "Why." It is the long-term direction that keeps you steady when the double shift hits or the guest complaints pile up. It is the understanding that your work serves something greater than yourself.

In hospitality, your purpose isn't just "serving food" or "cleaning rooms"; it might be "creating a sanctuary for weary travelers" or "facilitating the moments where families reconnect".


Meaning (The Depth): 

If Purpose is the destination, Meaning is the journey. Meaning is found in the 36 daily details, the satisfaction of a perfectly plated dish, the genuine smile of a 
guest you helped, or the camaraderie of the kitchen brigade during a rush. 



Meaning is what makes the Tuesday lunch service feel valuable.

Passion (The Fuel): 

Passion is the energy that drives innovation. It is the "fire" that allows you to push through obstacles. However, we must cultivate "harmonious passion" (which you control) rather than "obsessive passion" (which controls you and leads to burnout).


From "Job" to "Calling" in Hospitality
Why do some hoteliers burn out while others flourish?

Research identifies three distinct categories of work orientation:


The Job: 

Work is purely a transaction. You trade time for money. "I'm just here to pay the bills." Identity is separate, but often fragile because 50+ hours a week feels like "lost time."


The Career: 

Work is a ladder. The focus is on prestige, becoming the Head Chef, or General Manager. Identity is tied to status, which is dangerous because status is fleeting.


The Calling: 

Work is an expression of self. You view the service you provide as a privilege 
and a contribution to humanity.


When hospitality work becomes a Calling, identity is not lost—it is enriched. 
As Kahlil Gibran elegantly put it, work at its best is "love made visible".


Finding Your SweetSpot
How do we move from a Job to a Calling? We don't need to quit the industry. 

We need to find our SweetSpot.


The SweetSpot framework is a diagnostic tool, adapted from the concept of Ikigai,* to help you explore where you currently stand. It asks you to locate the intersection of four distinct circles:

• What you love (Your Passion—e.g., creating beautiful environments, cooking).

• What you are good at (Your Profession/Skill—e.g., organization, hosting, culinary arts).
• What the world needs (Your Mission—e.g., comfort, nourishment, connection).
• What you can be paid for (Your Vocation).

When you operate in the SweetSpot, you achieve a state of high performance and high wellbeing. You are not just surviving the shift; you are engaging in Eudaemonic well-being (functioning at your peak) and striving toward your potential.


If you are currently feeling lost or burnt out, it is likely because you have drifted out of this intersection. Perhaps you are doing what you are paid for, but lost sight of what the world needs (lack of Purpose).

Or perhaps you are good at management, but you miss the hands-on creativity of the floor (lack of Passion).


Designing Your Way Forward
Remember the #SBB (Small But Big) philosophy from the previous article, you can make small adjustments to your current role to move closer to that center.

This is called "Job Crafting". You can redesign your daily tasks to better align with your 
strengths—perhaps by mentoring a junior staff member or redesigning a workflow to reduce friction.


In hospitality, we are the architects of experience for others. We must apply that same care to designing our own professional lives.


Dig Deeper at The Ministry of Happier
This concept of the SweetSpot is simple to understand but profound to implement. To help you map this out practically, I have curated specific tools and detailed materials.


I invite you to visit TheMinistryOfHappier.com, where you can access:

• The Purpose & Career Alignment Worksheets: To help you audit your current 
  position on the SweetSpot diagram.

• The Happiness Quiz: To measure your current state of "Happier".

• Deep-dive resources: On how to cultivate EGM (Experiences, Growth, and Meaning) in your professional life.


Your work shapes your identity. Don't leave that shaping to chance. Design it.

*=Ikigai is a Japanese concept translating to "a reason for being" or "purpose in life," representing the intersection of what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. It combines iki (life) and gai (worth), offering a, framework for finding daily joy, fulfillment, and meaning. 

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