Doing Work You Love

"One of the most important results you can bring into the world is the you that you really want to be." - Robert Fritz

i bought the book "Doing Work You Love" by Cheryl Gilmore when i found out i would be moving to indiana to start "my career" as a journalist...and i just decided to open it, so far so good...ive read a few interesting things, and most importantly, i have asked myself some important questions...

lately i have been stressing over my career moves, so much so that i have actually gotten a few tension headaches, after the last one i told myself to 'let go and let God'...i rented two Tyler Perry plays over the weekend: Madea's Class Reunion and Meet the Browns and i have to say after all the laughter i had i did take away a couple things...
1)worrying wont make anything in my life happen sooner and wont add anything to my life but actually take precious moments away and 2)ask and it shall be given to you, all you have to do is ask God and at the right moment when He says you are ready you will receive it.....its all about faith....

so i started this book and i wanted to share some of the things i had to stop and think about...

a gift is something you are born with. its something you can do thats as easy as breathing.
a skill is something you learn to do. it may draw upon your gifts.
an interest is something that draws you, that speaks to you.
an experience is an emotional or mental perception that you have or something physical that you have done.

been there heard it before, yes i know, but i kept on going...the book asked some questions i was like aiight lemme attempt to answer these....

1. What is easy and effortless for you to do? whats as easy as breathing? where and when are you doing it now? there are your gifts.

i would say reading and learning is effortless...i enjoy research and i enjoy writing (although i am feeling a little apprehensive about my writing right now.) those things have always come easy to me weaving sentences together, making something concrete that had my ideas laid out has always appealed to me. and reading has always been a joy. reading has relaxed me and allowed me to relieve the stresses of the day, one reason i love fiction...

2. What was the first thing you ever did that you thought was fun...(whatever image or thought that comes to you first is the answer.)What did you like about it? how are you doing that now? these are your gifts.

this is tough, i honestly dont know...i want to say reading again but i dont know if thats right...maybe i need to stop looking for an answer thats "right" cause im not sure if there is one...i dont know if i can answer this question but if i did go with writing, i am writing for a living although i have learned over the past year that i really enjoy editing and page design...

3. What was the first job you ever had (paid or unpaid)that you really enjoyed? What did you love about it and what gives you that same kind of feeling now? these are your gifts.

its a toss up...i enjoyed my job as the assistant manager at a retail store a couple years ago and i also enjoy the work i do now...before then it was fast food crap and babysitting...being a manager was fun, telling folks what to do, making up schedules, meeting new people, helping customers, seeing new merchandise before it comes out, hanging out with co-workers, plus i got a NICE discount on clothes and accessories...and at my job now, i like gathering the news, i like designing pages and seeing the stories i want to see in the paper...

4. Look at what you hate doing, procrastinating on or are constantly struggling with. Write these things down. Choose one thing from that list and delegate it to someone else.

dang...i procrastinate on everything...i dont like this question too much...i like having a deadline to meet so i set myself up to have deadlines..i mean im in an industry full of deadlines...but ive always been like this, throughout school i finished my papers like 20 minutes before class start, and they were good papers..sometimes i would be like whoa i dont deserve this grade...but always maybe procrastinating is a problem cause im laid back to the point where its crunch time and then i worry...

okay so i leave this exercise full of questions for myself...not necessarily with the answers to unlock my potential..or whatever...but questions are good...makes me think and eventually i will solve some things...im going to have to read some more into this book...as far as my career goes, i know im on the right track because i am doing something i love to do, but now i need to go to the next level...i need to focus on reaching my goals...many, many goals...i cant get all the answers in a book, but i can take some things and use them in life...i shall see what i can take from this...

"Do you want to be really happy? You can start by being appreciative of who you are and what you've got." "The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff