To gain satisfaction in life, one must be willing to take leaps, get out of comfort, and change. This all sounds scary, but the alternative is remaining unhappy.
My first job out of college was as a Senior Operations Associate working for a financial company in Massachusetts, where I eventually shed many frustrated tears.
You see, I wanted to be a creative writer, not to be a monetary wizard. Where others found satisfaction, I found a straight path far removed from anything resembling satisfaction.
Why did I settle?
Why oh why did I settle for something so apparently astray from where I wanted to be?
I thought money equaled satisfaction
I needed the green bills and this company gave them to me. I had a new, shiny, red car in the driveway and a lovely three bedroom apartment in the city of Providence. I succumbed to the lure of comfort, which resulted in many sleepless nights, wallowing in useless self-pity and drowning in relentless tears. The need for money was my obstacle. It forced me on a path which I didn’t want to be.
How to gain some satisfaction
When I measured my dream against my reality the two were remotely off. The problem was that there were few positions available as a writer that did not require solid experience—something I did not have. There seemed to be no answer–no way to “break in.”
On a long hike one day, a friend turned to me and asked, “Isn’t a writer supposed to write?” Fueled by my laborious trek up the mountain and a biting need to defend myself, I answered quite hastily, “I don’t have time to waste on foolish dreams. How am I supposed to carve out time to write when I have to concentrate on cleaning, grocery shopping, and oh yeah, working?” Her patient reply was, “You shouldn’t feel guilty. Write to help others–not yourself.”
And so began my writing journey, and my trip down the path of satisfaction.
For many years, I volunteered writing articles for a local animal advocates group to help educate the public on issues pertaining to domesticated animals. Simultaneously, I began volunteering my time to write articles for hair salon trade magazines to help educate stylists around the globe on ways to market and build their businesses. Eventually, I discovered my real writing love — novels that depict real life struggles and bring a sense of awareness that love is a beautiful thing!
I’ve learned that to stand for something requires action.
If I want to be a writer, I must write. I can’t just talk about it. I must do it. And, I also need a definite purpose behind writing to experience the kind of satisfaction and purpose I crave. That definite purpose, of course, is to serve others.
Have you had a similar ‘ah-ha’ moment in life?
