In this issue:

Are you working 9 to 5 and not feeling fulfilled in the work you do? Do you long for more than just a paycheck? What if you could start over and pursue what you really want to do? Discover how pursuing a new dream doesn't have to equal becoming a starving artist.

 

 

Podcast

Inspired Life: Career Change

When I was in high school, I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue in college. I shadowed my mom at her job as a nurse and thought maybe that was the thing for me too. A guidance counselor confirmed that this would be a good choice for me in a market that was full of incentives for people coming out of college in that field.

I had thought about something more creative, as I loved arts and crafts, music, writing, reading, and all sorts of artistic pursuits. But I was good at science too, so I went for the career that pays the bills.

Imagine if you had this conversation with a 3-year-old:

Adult: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Child: "An artist who paints clouds."

Adult: "You won't be able to buy insurance or a house with that job. You will live with your parents and eat macaroni and cheese forever."

Child: "This is perfect."

Adult: "You'll need to do something responsible."

Child: "What's a-spon-sible?"

We would not have this sort of conversation with a child. We nurture the dream and entertain the idea that anything is possible. So why do we kill our own dreams and talk ourselves into doing something responsible. Why do we give up on the idea that we could be both responsible AND have fulfilling work?

Can you relate? Have you made a smart career choice, but you have long passed the point of expecting to be fulfilled in that work? A paycheck isn't always enough to make us want to get up and go to work every day. What if you could love your job AND get paid for it?

I'm 50 years old. My career is just taking off! It isn't too late to discover how to do what you always wanted to do.

 

 

Life, Repurposed: New Purpose 

Stepping into a new career has been hard work. Anything that is worthwhile is work!

It was a leap to trust God to be able to provide for us financially if I left the stability of a job that pays the bills. When I chose to leave my career as a registered nurse to stay home with our children, we said goodbye to 2/3 of our income. Gulp.

I had a little time where I received maternity leave paychecks, which provided the illusion that all would be well. But then those ended. And there we were in the scary place of uncertainty.

Many years later, I would be back in that place again. I worked various self-employment, including teaching piano lessons, until I went to work at a 9-5 job at an agency when our boys were in college. Two years ago, I left my stable, full-time job to be a full-time freelancer. That just means I have to find my own customers and clients and my income is dependent on having enough projects every month.

Guess what? It works! It can work for you too.

I want to see others pursue a new purpose if they want to. Here's some self talk for you to practice: "I can do it."

 

Recommended Resources 

In the podcast, I read some excerpts from this book: