Jumping With a Safety Net
Eloise Jumps in a Puddle by flapperdoodle
Welcome to the second post by Sarah Ivie, the When I Grow Up scholarship winner! If you haven’t read the first, Change is Like Laundry, I highly, highly, highly (highly, highly) encourage you to do so. Because it’s (a) awesome, (b) introduces her so well, & (c) is a total eye-opener. Without further adieu, post #2! (please don’t feel blue. I like you! Sorry, can’t resist a good rhyme):
I am a person motivated significantly by fun and happiness. I took a personality quiz (I love personality quizzes) and it told me this. Which I already knew. But somehow every time I re-discover this simple fact, I’m reminded of how important this is. Especially when you consider the alternatives. I am not as motivated by power, wealth (though I wouldn’t turn my nose up…), or reputation, though these things are REALLY important to a lot of people.
So, being that I’m so motivated by good feelings you’d think I’d be “following my bliss” (as my refrigerator magnet reminds me to do everyday). And while I do in some areas of my life, it seems I haven’t managed to follow maxim when it comes to my work, which for me (as I’m sure for most of you) takes up the majority of my waking hours. I lived in West Virginia for most of my life, and while it’s a beautiful state the job market has been the pits, pretty much forever. So I grew up with the understanding that having a job was a privilege, and doing what you enjoyed was a luxury reserved for folks who didn’t have to worry about making ends meet. So while I studied literature and the humanities (because it was fun), and spent most of my free time cooking and crafting (because it made me happy), I paid the bills working retail, and later with office jobs. I am one heck of a typer, after all. Moving to Austin opened up the job market significantly, but as my job experience is in administrative office work, for the most part, that’s what I ended up doing. My first job in town was so awful it made me sick, literally. I’ve moved on (side note – if your job ever makes you sick, or makes you cry more than occasionally, RUN AWAY!) and things are better now. But I still spend big chunks of my day doing things I don’t enjoy.
The thing is, I know what I enjoy, and I know I’d love to jump in and start my own business, baking away day and night. But I’m not quite comfortable enough (both nerve-wise and money-wise) to quit the day job yet. And the great part of my life-coaching with Michelle is that she’s helping me find ways to work towards what I want, reach for those goals, without leaving my safety net just yet. I can see how the business my husband and I want to start can actually happen, and I believe I’m on the right path to make it a reality. Best of all, Michelle is gently nudging me in the direction of incorporating more Happy and more Fun into my life! How fantastic is that?!?
Related posts:
August 21st, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Ah, another great post Sarah. Finding happy and fun in your daily work life can often be hard. I’ve always been extremely talented in the “administrative/business” role. But, for years I longed to spend my days and work time being creative. When my husband would ask me, “what do you want to do,” I’d say, “I want to be creative everyday.” And you know what? I’ve finally made it happen. I still use the old “left brain” when needed, but my “right brain” now soars! It will happen for you too. Keep pushing yourself in that direction and be gentle and kind to yourself along the way. So lucky you are to have Michelle guiding you in the process.
August 21st, 2009 at 11:45 pm
[...] When I Grow Up – The Blog » Blog Archive » Jumping With a Safety Net whenigrowupcoach.com/blog/2009/08/21/jumping-with-a-safety-net – view page – cached The second post from the When I Grow Up scholarship winner, Sarah Ivie. Here she discusses how she’s learning that it’s OK to jump with a net. Scariness unnecessary! — From the page [...]
August 25th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Fun? And happy? That sounds crazy. Perfectly crazy! Deliciously crazy. Divinely crazy.
(Can you tell I like crazy?)
Keep having fun. I like the blog updates of your work with Michelle, and now I am following you on Twitter: http://twitter.com/blossomdaily !
August 25th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Thanks so much for the encouragement Ann Marie! It is so wonderful to hear success stories like yours! And thanks Eric! (I enjoy a little crazy myself!). I’m so glad you’re enjoying the posts – I am too!