| Do you ever feel like you are still trying to figure out | | | | both topics that will be covered in December) and |
| what you want to be when you grow up? Or rather, | | | | set about doing them. What would make you NOT |
| you always knew what you wanted to be, but | | | | drag yourself out of bed in the morning? These |
| somehow that got lost in all the craziness of life. You | | | | questions are not to get you thinking about what |
| drag yourself out of bed each morning to go through | | | | 'could be' and to downright depress you, they are to |
| the routine of the day, not having time to ponder | | | | get you thinking outside of the box. Because in all |
| the niggling little feeling that is saying, "I was meant | | | | honesty, we get into the mindset that what we are |
| for something different." Does your job define you, | | | | doing is our lot in life, like it or lump it. We're just not |
| or are you defined by your job? It's important to | | | | lucky like the few people who ARE pursuing and |
| analyze this, to figure out what your life revolves | | | | fulfilling their dreams. Stop it! Those people were |
| around. Because so many people spend most of their | | | | mostly just like you, they just dared to take action |
| days doing a job they care little about, working on | | | | after answering the questions I just asked you. |
| another person's dreams and goals, and sooner or | | | | The norm in our society happens to be work for an |
| later find that they've lost sight of their own. I wrote | | | | employer and have them define who you are to |
| an article a few weeks ago about escaping the rat | | | | answer to, how you will use your talents (IF you are |
| race and the motivations that made my husband and | | | | using them), when you are to work, how you are |
| I determine to escape the rat race. I discussed our | | | | going to spend your time and develop yourself, and |
| first motivation last week: freedom to do what you | | | | why these things are important (risk of losing job and |
| love. This week I'm going to discuss the second | | | | not giving you or your family the life they desire). |
| motivation, freedom and ability to pursue dreams, | | | | These things are not bad if what you are doing in |
| hoping to encourage you to work to break free | | | | this context fits you, and your dreams are obtainable |
| from the rat race as well and embrace the life that | | | | through it. But if your job is a circular hole and you |
| you've always desired. | | | | are a square peg, I'm here to tell you that pursuit of |
| The freedom and ability to pursue your dreams, | | | | dreams is possible, you just have to want it really |
| motivation #2. For us this was/is traveling around the | | | | bad, and be willing to work to make it reality in your |
| United States more extensively and overseas; | | | | life. It can and will be reality if you work hard enough, |
| mission/charity work; supporting our missionary | | | | and the work that is required until you reach that |
| friends and building a retreat for hurting children; | | | | point is a small price to pay when you are living the |
| investing; owning a cabin in Montana where we could | | | | reality of having freedom and ability to pursue your |
| journal, hike, and read to our heart's content; and the | | | | dreams. |
| dream of owning a big old house in the country to | | | | Quoting someone else who determined to escape |
| use as a beacon for many a weary soul (with a | | | | the rat race...ask yourself; "I'm attending an event 10 |
| wrap-around-front porch of course). I really want to | | | | years from now, honoring me. What will they be |
| learn to play the guitar, make pottery, and learn how | | | | honoring me for?" My husband and I asked these |
| to sew. I'm determined to do these things within this | | | | questions that I've discussed of ourselves, pondered |
| next year. What about you? What do you want to | | | | what we were passionate about, what we dreamed |
| be, see, or do in the next few months, the next few | | | | of doing, seeing, and how we wanted to spend our |
| years, in your lifetime? I'm going to talk about goal | | | | lives. We determined to escape the rat race, and |
| setting in a later article, but I really think it is | | | | with hard work and determination, we discovered a |
| important to think about what you would be doing if | | | | way out. And in the process, I get to learn to make |
| you had no restraints (like time and financial freedom, | | | | pottery, sew and play the guitar. See you next time. |