There’s a special kind of silence that happens when someone asks, “So… do you like your job?” and you respond with a smile so tight it could slice cheese. If you’ve ever done that little nod-shrug combo that means “Well, I don’t hate it, but I’m also spiritually elsewhere,” this post is for you. A job you don’t love is not a personal failure, nor is it a life sentence. It’s a stage—sometimes a confusing one—where you’re trying to figure out whether you’re on a stepping stone or just standing in a swamp. Here’s how to make the journey less swampy and more meaningful. 1. Stop Waiting for Passion to Strike Like Lightning People talk about “finding your passion” as if it’s a rare Pokémon that appears if you wander the right patch of tall grass. But passion isn’t discovered. It’s built. One of my friends started her career in an accounting department she described as “the emotional equivalent of eating plain oatmeal every day.” Fast forward three years: she’s now the go-to person for solvin...