Following your path is frightening as much as it is exciting. Using your skills and talents to improve your life takes determination and courage. Everyone has a talent that they can be using to live a happier, fulfilled life. But it’s easier to sit back and dream about “one day” when everything will be better, when you’ll be traveling on the path to contentment, when you’ll be doing what you REALLY want to do. Oh well, back to work unclogging urinals…
Talent without action is a daydream. Daydreaming without a plan ( or a map, like monkeys use) is wistful thinking…
There was a time recently where I took a risk and followed my intuition. I knew that a change had to be made. I was scared, I was doubting myself, but I made the decision to change. Here’s what happened…
See ya never again, city!
I was hurt while working at my last job. I was a cog in the Man’s apparatus. I was an unhappy municipal compliance officer…
My shoulder was injured and required surgery. My supervisors found “work” for me to do around the office… I was filing, copying and basically doing busy work. They knew it was difficult for me to do, with a hurt shoulder and me used to being on my own all day in the field (on patrol)…
I quit the city. I couldn’t work at that soul sucking pit anymore. My (tiny) pension was converted to cash and I went home to await my surgery and recovery. What did I do!?
Fear arose. I feared losing my identity. The structure in my life was gone (yes!). My pension was sitting in the bank, looking smaller each day. There wasn’t a pressing need to get up in the morning…
I needed to reclaim my freedom, my true identity and my authentic self, so I quit the city. It’s terrifying and wonderful in equal measures. No, It’s much more on the wonderful side. I’m free!
Sitting here three months post operation I’ve learned to trust myself and the universe (or whatever you call it; God, The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Fate, The Great Pumpkin). I’m putting all of my effort in to what matters to me. Working for others is not for me, and it never was. I seized the opportunity to develop my own income, be my own boss and be content.
This is still a work in progress. It’s still scary. It’s still wonderful. I’m still building up (or trying to discover!) income streams… If I had it to do over again, I would quit the city sooner!
Doug and I followed our hearts and are following our own path now. We’re growing towards the monkeys we know we’re supposed to be. It’s still a work in progress, and we can’t foresee all the results. But it’s fun. This blog is part of our dream. We want to help others and be creative… What about you?
Exercise
Have you ever followed your heart? Did you do something risky because you knew you needed a change, you knew what you were doing wasn’t the real you?
Think about this time…
- What risks did you take?
- What did you give up?
- What did you wish to gain?
- What actions did you take to make it happen?
- How did you feel?
- What was the outcome?
- How do you feel about the situation now?
Taking risks is necessary to grow, to move towards what you want from life. You’ve done it in the past… Read what you just wrote if you don’t believe it. You need to take risks again to find contentment. You’re braver than you give yourself credit for… Everyone is.
Don’t listen to the critics in your life. Decide that you’re going to do what you want to be happy. You may not know exactly what you’ll be doing, but deciding to change is the fist step.
See you on the monkey side…
Doug Does Life 