Dressmaker, Snow Cone Vendor or Archeologist-Are You Living Your Childhood Dream?

 

Dressmaker In Siena, Italy-May 07

Often when I am looking for writing inspiration I turn to those old tried and true writing exercises we used in college. You know the ones:

1. If you were on a deserted island what is the one thing you would take with you and why?
2. Name 2 people that have made a difference in your life.
3. If you could be any kind of animal what would you be? 

But one such question got me thinking today …

What profession did you want to go into when you were a child?  Did you attain that goal?

Did I attain that goal? Well the answer is yes and no. I wanted to be a lot of things just like many other kids. Here’s my list that I ran across one day when cleaning out a box of old things. I think I was about 10 when this was written. As as you can see, much like other kids, I didn’t really care what income one could make as long as it was fun and made me happy.

1) A vet

2) A shop lady selling pretty clothes

3) A person who writes the news

4) Snow cone vendor on the beach

5) An archeologist

So I guess #3 is pretty close to what I do. I actually did work at a TV station when I was fresh out of college and now I am a writer. Seems like I got close to one of my dreams. But that list still makes me wonder ….

How many of us go out and really achieve our dreams? Do those dreams change as we grow? Do we somehow loose our creativity and spontaneous nature we had as a child and retool ourselves to become what society terms as “responsible”?

In a recent national survey, adults were asked which jobs they felt held the most prestige. Interesting that as we get older, we look more to what others would think of us instead of what might be true to ourselves.

That’s why I feel like I must ask. Are you passionate about the work you do? What energizes you? How do you know if the job you currently do on a daily basis is the right fit for you?  

I must admit I am one of the lucky ones. I know that even though I am not selling snow cones on the beach, I honestly love what I do. Writing for some reason gives me a charge, it just feels right and when I am finished with my work, I can look in the mirror and honestly feel that I have been true to my passion for solving problems and connecting with people.  

My challenge to you … if you aren’t doing a job right now that is true to who you are,

 

• What can you do to change it? Time for a career check-up?
• Is there something within your company that’s a better fit for you? 
• Challenge yourself, see where it leads you. 
• Set some goals for yourself.
• Give yourself permission to dream and then act upon it.

 

A child’s vision of the future may be steeped in fantasy, but is often truer to their core than where our adult logic takes us. 

Good luck on your journey-

Sarah @ Dog-Eared Pages

What’s Your Passion?

As many of you know, I just got back from the Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago and I am excited about many new ideas, tools and people I encountered while I was there. If you’ve ever been to a conference on a topic that really fits you, you know how easy it is to get trapped in the excitement and feel by the end of the week that you could move any mountain that stands in your way. Last week, of course, I felt the same way.

Day 2 of Conference-Speaker Joan Gladstone

 

 

I bring this up as I think I may have found the secret ingredient to keeping that enthusiasm you feel sustained, long after you’ve unpacked your bags and realize that the weird looking thing in your fridge is leftover meatloaf you forgot to throw out before you headed out on your journey.

It’s what I call professional passion. Sounds interesting, but seriously I feel it’s the key to keeping your business sustained and fresh. Read more about rediscovering your passion. See what Sean M. Lyden the principal and senior writer of The Professional Writing Firm Inc., a Kennesaw, Georgia, has to say about discovering your passion.

While I was at the conference, I bumped into a woman from El Salvador. Yes, someone had made the trek to Chicago all the way from Central America just to discover the world of freelancing. As college student in El Salvador, this ambitious designer told me the reason she was at the conference was because she noticed the word “freelancing” in an ad for the conference and was curious. Of course being a writer, hearing that someone selected a conference based on a word … well, I was all ears. Don’t you wish your clients were always this interested?

After talking to her I walked away realizing one thing. What brought this student all the way from Central America to the midwest was passion. I wonder, how many of us still have that eager passion which propelled us into the professions that we currently hold? I know for myself it started with helping others problem solve and my love for connecting with people. Yes, that’s the focus of my company Dog-Eared Pages, but I wonder, do we get bogged down by the day-to-day operation of our businesses and forget what lit our fire in the beginning?

I offer this advice. Spend at least 10 minutes 3 times a week reflecting on your professional passion and then take action. Here’s some questions to get you started.

• Why did you choose your industry?
• What brings you to work each day?
• Is there something missing from your current work situation that keeps you from living your professional passion? What can you do to change it?
• How can you take your professional passion and make it a central part of your daily routine?
• If you aren’t passionate about your work situation, what can you do to get there?

Send me an email. Tell me some of your professional passions and how you plan to tap into those central themes to lift your business to the next level. I’d love to share your story with our readers.

Have a great weekend-

Sarah