BlogHer - The Life I'm Supposed to Lead - Comments

Workday or Worthwhile-day

rebellious thinker — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:12:16 -0500

This is an excerpt from a thank you letter that I received from one of my students: "Thank you so much for being such a great teacher. As smart and accomplished as you are, you could have gotten a higher paying job but instead you chose to share your knowledge with us."

Tears came to my eyes when I read her letter, and I knew that I had made the right career move. No matter how great the brochure I would write, there is no getting around making a connection to another person and inspiring her.

By the way, mine was a forties career switch. It was my auspicious moment.

Laura, reflecting on the life in and out of school www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com

I'll definitely check out

semicharmedwife — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:16:12 -0500

I'll definitely check out your post! It seems like this is a common phenomenon among my friends--the late 20s/early 30s career switch. It's great to know that others have pulled it off successfully!

Jen

Semi-Charmed Wife
Helping you find your purpose and live your dream

Inspiring!

semicharmedwife — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:14:20 -0500

It's so inspiring to hear you say that! You wouldn't believe how many people have reacted negatively to my plan to teach. I've heard everything from "it's a waste of your education" to "your income will be cut in half" to "you'll burn out in two years". Thank you for showing me the other side!

Jen

Semi-Charmed Wife
Helping you find your purpose and live your dream

I Had a Lightbulb Moment Too

CeeDub — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:45:54 -0500

I was a defense contractor doing public affairs. I hated it and I realized that it was time for a change. I just got a new job and I'm enjoying what I feel I was meant to do. I recently wrote about this on my blog in a post titled "New Job, New Outlook." Hope things work out for your friend.

Carolyn a.k.a. CeeDub
http://cropchic.typepad.com/gotta_be_me

Career Switcher

rebellious thinker — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:33:26 -0500

Ah, the old flip flop. It's hard enough to know what we want when we're twenty, so why should that decision (which was probably more like an opportunity that presented itself), color the rest of our lives. I worked in the high-tech industry for years, until three years ago when I did the great switch (with Praxis results in hand--it wasn't too hard) and became a teacher. I never thought I would like it--but I love it. It's definitely good to think outside your box, and peek into other people's boxes to get an idea as to what's out there. There are so many careers that most of us don't know exist. (By the way, one good place to find them are in the Wedding Pages.)

Laura, blogging about living inside and outside of boxes at www.rebelliousthoughtsofawoman.com.

The Life I'm Supposed to Lead

semicharmedwife — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:51:41 -0500

A close friend of mine called me yesterday afternoon to tell me that the guy she’d been seeing had just ended their (somewhat casual) six-month relationship. Like any good girlfriend would, I picked up a bottle of cabernet and headed over to her place. She was absolutely devastated, which surprised me as I hadn’t realized that her feelings for him were that strong.

“Are you in love with him?” I asked.

“What?” she said, surprised. “No! God, no. I’m just…”

“Hurt?” I guessed.

“No,” she said. “Actually, I appreciate his honesty. We both knew it wasn’t going anywhere, and one of us was going to have to end it at some point.”

“So what’s upsetting you?”

“I just feel like this is not my life. This is not the life I’m supposed to lead. I’m not who I’m supposed to be, and I’m not doing what I’m supposed to do.”

My friend, like me, is a defense contractor. She feels like she’s treading water, a tiny cog in the unimaginably huge machinery of the federal government. She feels like what she does all day doesn’t mean anything, like nothing would change at all if she just stopped doing work (and I know exactly how she feels!). The end of this relationship was a wake-up call for her.

I asked her a few questions to try and get at what it is she feels she should be doing. After talking for a while, she came to the realization that she’s very drawn to disaster relief and the first responder community. This is something she’s always known deep down but had never admitted to herself because it doesn’t match her education and work experience. We came up with a list of options for her to investigate, and by the time I left last night, she was totally renewed and invigorated about the world of possibilities that had opened up before her.

It felt great to know that I had been able to help and support her as she tackled The Question (a/k/a, “What am I supposed to do with my life?”). More than that, it re-energized me in my pursuit of my own life’s purpose. I came up with my own plan to contact some people I know who teach in the DC school system and to begin preparing for the PRAXIS.

Are you living the life you’re supposed to lead? If not, what do you plan to do about it? I’d be happy to support you in your journey however I can!