What happens when you realise that the life you are leading no longer brings you happiness because one part of it, in my case my career, consumes all of your time and energy?
When one thing takes over and becomes all you focus on, eveything else slips down the ladder of importance. It is easy to forget to live a life of fulfillment when you are trying to hold so tightly to something you know you should release.....
The answer to my first question (for me) is a work in progress...which I am still trying to figure out two years after I decided to leave aside the career that I loved so much, which was no longer giving me a sense of joy.
What does one do, when dreams are achieved and success comes to you for doing one thing you are good at for many years? How can anyone just flip an imaginery switch and learn to be something else?
The solution, I have found, is to be honest with yourself, value your skills, be aware of your weaknesses and realise your self-worth.
One of the most life-affirming things that can be done, is to really believe that you are capable of more than just one thing and to bravely dig deep down and find the courage to try something new. I have done this, it was not easy to do, but I have found something else that I love doing and I bring value to others as well as myself....
In previous blog posts, I spoke about the power of education and retraining, and this is especially relevant, if like me you considered exploring a different path later on in your career. I can assure you that in my experience there are many others in the same boat. I have met many brave people in recent times with stories of having worked in one job for years, but realised that they always wanted to be creative, or wanted to do something that had been put off because life got in the way.
My re-designed life may not always be as busy (or stressful) as it was in the past. But everyday I look forward to meeting new people and helping others, using some of the knowledge and skills I have gained. I now have time to rearrange my life, focusing on the things I put off for too long and I am happy to say that I can still learn something new every day.
There are some great courses available for people to re-train and upskill and it is a great opportunity to network and re-imagine a new path for yourself.