Faith and Career Change ~ 2010 Style

I had been waiting so long for an answer to what happens next for us with our careers that I was shocked when it arrived. The last three weeks since my husband went back to work in an office have been trippy for all of us. We've have to adjust from two of us at home worrying about who would get a paying opportunity first and where it would come from. Now we know and knowing is half the battle.

The other half of the battle, where I re-balance my life, has been taking most of my energy since Bill went back to an office. It has been over a decade since he worked outside our home and I really didn't see this coming in the script. The good news for me is that now I get to explore what's next for me with a little more clarity. With both of us out of work, it has been a true test of our faith with the plans we had for ourselves. We weren't sure were the solution would come from, we only knew that we had to hang on long enough to get ourselves there. After a year of neither of us bringing in much income, we were just about at the point of no return when the solution arrived. YAY!

Faith is a part of career changing - faith in a higher purpose, faith that it will all work out, faith in yourself. For me, this journey has been a test of my faith and now I feel content that things are going along as they should be. I was feeling pretty out of whack there, but I knew it would make sense eventually. Once we got a piece of the puzzle established- one of us employed- we were able to see how the whole picture is evolving. Now I feel like I'm connected with my higher purpose again which feels awesome. Amazing what happens when you pay attention.

With a sense that we can pay some of our bills, I can now analyze what I need to do next. Interestingly, I've come to understand that I don't need my job to have the meaning that it once did. In the past, working in non-profits has allowed me to feel good about my career and that's helped me feel good about my life. Now my life is multi-textured with family and community connections that bring meaning into my world. My career needed to do that in the past and now it doesn't. Interesting. Now I'm interesting in talking and writing and hopefully earning a giant pile of money so I can support my family in Los Angeles now that my husband has a non-profit job full of meaning. I feel focused and like I'm in the right place for me. Whew.

While I'm finding it hard to adjust to the new paradigm, I'm also feeling extremely happy about where I'm at these days. I feel like I'm using my natural born gifts for good and doing important work in a different way now. I feel connected to my own purpose and ready to just get the job done. YAY!

I'll post more soon about some exciting projects brewing in my world. For today, I wanted to share about keeping the faith - whatever that means to you- during hard times. Tests of faith help up prove to ourselves that we're on the right path. That we are not crazy ( or it doesn't matter) and that our plans are going to work out. These tests suck about as much as tests in school did, but they help us assess where we are. And just like a smily face and "perfecto" on a spelling test can make a seven year old beam with pride, so too can we feel pride in accomplishing our goals and making it through the rough, testy times. Hopefully all this testing leads to becoming more knowledgeable, wiser creatures.