“If you are going through hell keep on going” – Winston Churchill

“Hmmm, I say that’s debatable, but what I know for sure is no career/ profession should chip away at your spirit, your being, and the beacon of light within you. I officially resigned from _. The work brought joy to my soul, but the environment sucked it out just as quickly (along with the people). I learned that I can endure plenty, but I don’t have to. I’m God’s child, and through him I shall prosper. I learned that I crave and need stability, but also wish to branch out. I’m picking myself back up and moving forward. I ask for an array of per diem work that will lift my soul and bring me joy, knowledge, respect and truth (and supervision into licensure). I ask for balance to find time to love, workout, garden, and write. I ask that I not worry about finances. God’s wisdom: God is personally involved in the very days and details of your life.”

Reading this, I recall a few things that changed my way of thinking. 1) Self-awareness is imperative- not just as a clinical social worker, but in ALL professions. I love the quote above, as many of us always think about everybody else (clients, family, peers, and friends) when making a major life changing decision. We should be examining why we stay in bad places. I do have to agree with a colleague who said “We do not quit places, we quit managers” What are your thoughts on that one???

The biggest thing that changed the way I look at jobs was Martha Beck (I love her). Her article “How Three Simple (But Powerful) Words Can Put You On the Path to Happiness” really opened my eyes and made me speak my dreams/purpose differently (letting go of that one so called prestigious position has opened more doors then I could ever imagine. Opportunities that feed my soul and truly make me feel happy and satisfied with my life have come along.). She wrote of using adjectives to put your desires in a positive framework. I never thought of explaining my career using adjectives. I have been practicing this for some time, and at the beginning it was very hard because many times we say things in the negative. For example, “I want a job that doesn’t have blah blah blah” (real life moment!). Or we focus on what we want (a noun) rather than on how we want to feel. So, I absolutely love, love, love this and I love that she calls it “magic” too, because it really is magic and works like a charm!!!