A few weeks ago, I was talking with a good friend of mine. She is currently in a career transition. The career she is transitioning from was a difficult one. Very stressful. For the past few years, there was no guarantee that the job would be funded for the next year. So, while she loved the work, she was stressed out to the max. It came as a relief, yet still scary, when the funding fell through. Her job search began at that time.
She debated about staying in her field of expertise or entering another field for which she had received proper training. With very few jobs in her previous field, she decided to pursue her new field of training. It has been a struggle for her to get this career up and running. It appears as though there are blockages along the way.
This friend also has a hobby at which she is extremely talented. I keep trying to convince her to look at her hobby as a next career choice. It is my belief that when you do something you love, those blocks will disappear.
My own example from life follows this same philosophy: if you do soemthing you love, the blockages will disappear. As a elementary school teacher, I knew the job was getting the best of me. It had changed so much in my 20 year career, and I was burning out. I gave myself four years to retire, thinking I would know what I would do by the time retirement rolled around. But of course, I had no idea when retirement came, four years later!
So I decided to get a very part time job at my health club, because I loved my workout routine and knew that would help me pay for my membership. And I was teaching college-level online classes for teachers, keeping my toes in my field. The following fall, I offered a presentation at a conferences, in my field, but even at that time, I knew that this career no longer “fit” me. It no longer excited me.
My passions at the time were working out, with yoga a particular practice that I was enjoying, and also doing one day workshops for women on wellness. A friend opened a studio and encouraged me to offer wellness opportunities in her studio, so I started Women’s Circles. And then she encouraged me to begin training to be a yoga teacher. The rest is history. Today I own my own yoga studio in my home, I have my company that offers wellness classes, Circles, and retreats. I teach classes at businesses in the surrounding communities. And I make enough income to fund my traveling desires as well as put a little bit away for retirement.
When we pursue our passion, we see the blocks in our lives disappear. Events flow for us. Life is not a struggle.
If you are feeling a blockage in your life, perhaps it’s time to re-examine your hobby to discover how to make it a career.