Debunking the Myths: It's OK I hate my job because...

It's Wednesday morning, you wake up to the sound of your alarm and you give yourself 10 more minutes to sleep.  During that 10 minutes, in the blissful state of almost awake, not quite asleep, you start dreaming of what it would be like to not go to your job.  You start dreaming about what it is you REALLY want to do.  As you lie there in the warmth and safety of your bed, with the covers lying in the perfect spot, before you disturb the cat and rush to start the coffee pot, you start to dream about what your life would be like if you could be living your dream, doing a job you love.  For a moment, you are peaceful and calm, a smile spreads across your face and you feel almost giddy.  Then poof out of nowhere the alarm comes to life again and you think, 'ah stupid to dream, get practical, I have to keep my job, I can't do (fill in your blank), that's just silly.' And you start your day, like any other, dragging yourself to the coffeepot, jumping in the shower and eating a quick bite of breakfast and heading out the door.  Yet another Humpday, you find unfullfilling. Another count down to the weekend.  But that's ok because you are doing if for ______.  Wait a minute,  what are you actually doing this unfulfilling job for?  For the money, your family,  the safety, the security, the health benefits?!?!

There are a million reasons why we talk ourselves out of going after what brings us joy.  Many times we convince ourselves that swallowing our passions, ignoring our inner calling or spirit is the 'right' thing to do.  It is the practical, responsible action.  I am here to call (excuse my language) b*ll sh*t on that response!!!  In an ode to Hump Day over the next few Wednesdays I will be debunking the myth that staying in the wrong job is the right thing.

Reason One:  MONEY
The most common reason I hear for staying in the wrong job is money.  "If I leave my job I won't make as much money".  Maybe, possibly.  Most of the time people say that without even researching how much their current job makes in comparison to their dream job.  It is a safe, easy response, that MIGHT be true.  True, we all need money.  We all need food, clothing, shelter and the occasional dinner/night out.  But many people drag themselves to work and through each day so they can have the fancy house. the nice car and the deluxe vacation that they take twice a year to recover from their miserable job.  In other words, they are selling their souls to make enough money to live a life they can't really engage in because they are so drained from their work.

What if instead of instantly blaming the money--you started looking at the quality of your life,  the time you spend with your family, the laughter you experience in a day, the number of times you feel truly alive.  What if you started adding more of that into your life.  What if you started figuring out what makes your heart sing and started adding little bits of that into your life.  Maybe you keep your 'wrong job' and start playing music on the side, learn how to be a landscape architect, take a personal training class.  What if you just start adding into your life the things that make you joyful and then figure out how to get paid for them. What if instead of stomping on your dreams with "I won't make as much money" you dip your big toe into the water of your dreams and see what brilliant ideas come to the surface.  What if you allowed yourself to explore your dreams more often then the 10 minutes between awake and asleep.  No one said that to live your dreams you have to be homeless or penniless, you can do both, it just takes a little creativity.  Most importantly it takes a desire to debunk the myth that I have to keep this miserable job because I have to earn money.

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