I often get told, “you work too much,” and to be honest this comment always takes me by surprise because one of my biggest secrets is that I absolutely love teaching fitness and none of what I do feels like work. I used to worry that I looked too happy in my position at the Pointe Claire Aquatic Center and I would try to hide it because so many around me looked so miserable doing their jobs. I often thought to myself, “what to heck is wrong with this picture? Why am I so bloody happy?” I even received a ‘bad review’ once on an customer evaluation from that location that said, ‘teacher is too happy, laughed and smiled too much!”
I still don’t have an answer as to why others look so unhappy at work but I think I have to come to understand that part of the issue is people settle into a job because it pays the bills and never work toward a better future on the side. Sure I have had some clerical positions that felt like a chore but I have always kept learning and honing my passion in my free time.
And the key is not to compare yourself to others. I think my constant striving for a better future puts some people off because they are so exhausted carrying their current work load that they could not imagine doing what I do. But that is the key. You don’t have to do what I do, you need only do what feels right for you. Allow yourself a few minutes each day to work toward a dream that you want to achieve. Ask yourself, if money and time was no object or obstacle, what would you do and then start dreaming. I begin each day with just 15 minutes spent on improving my current situation, studying or planning for an even better future.
It all begins with you dreaming about what you could and would do if you could and then take it from there.
I reminded my women’s circle group yesterday of the old saying, “if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.”
If you are hating your life right now, aside from Covid, take a deep breath and get quiet with youself and listen to your heart. What is it telling you? What lights you up? What could make you want to jump out of bed and get to work on your future?
It starts with a dream.
See you soon,
Beth
