I spent January 1st on the beach in Miami. I got every ounce of joy out of my 12-day sabbatical – Christmastime with family, rest, play, and napping to the sound of the Atlantic’s waves crashing on the South Florida shore. In fact, I didn’t get back until New Year’s night. I fussed at myself (well, in my head, I fussed) as the wheels touched down at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. “Why didn’t I close the office on January 2nd, too?” I thought.
While a buffer day to get back into the rhythm of things would have been nice, my spirit felt rejuvenated and excited about 2013. I was ready to get back to work. So on January 2nd, I headed to the office. Just as I pulled up, I received this text from my assistant:
Soooo … per the calendar you are supposed to be off today.
Just letting you know. 🙂
Had I known, I’d still have been in bed. But I was dressed (in an outfit I thoughtfully picked out, no less!) and ready to rock. So I got out of the car and headed into the office. When my dad called midday, puttering around the house because he was off all week, I told him the story.
“I was supposed to be off today too, but I didn’t realize it until I was already here!”
His response was echoed by several others as I jokingly recounted my dilemma that day: “Wow, now that’s passion. It’s obvious you really love what you do when you go to work even though you scheduled one more day off!”
Funny, I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it’s true. I love what I do. And I’m grateful. That wasn’t always the case. I made a deliberate decision in 1999 to find my purpose and pursue it. Despite my worst fears that I somehow might not make a living at it (getting paid to “inspire” people isn’t exactly on Forbes’ “Top 10 Jobs” list), I went for it. My worst fears did not come true. But my dreams did. By 2001, I was doing it full-time.
Are you doing what you love for a living? If not, will you make a plan to start? Making a dream come true begins with this simple thought: It’s possible.
In the beginning, you don’t have to know exactly how to make it happen. You just need to believe it’s possible, and start moving in the right direction and asking the sort of questions that will lead you onto a new path. Make a decision to do what you love. Start small. Start now. I started part-time while I was running my own public relations agency. The road hasn’t always been smooth, but it has been absolutely worth it. There’s nothing like getting up in the morning excited about the day ahead, knowing you are going to make a positive impact on somebody. It’s fun to be able to say, “Thank God it’s Monday!”
Are you living your dream? Or are you hoping to get there? Leave your comments. I’d love to hear from you.
