"Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and keep it lit." -Mary Lou Retton

Have you ever had that feeling of pure joy and excitement when doing something you love? The exhilaration and sense of doing what you were made to do? It doesn't happen very often but when it does watch out!

Passion is defined as an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction; a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; an object of desire or deep interest.

We all have things we enjoy doing and things we do well. If you know what you love to do, then chase after it!

Are you great at sales? Do you love working with the public? Do you enjoy teaching? Are you a computer genius? Do you have a knack for fixing things?

Ask yourself what your strengths are and what you enjoy doing. Then see what steps you need to take to start doing what you love and start getting paid for it!

It sounds too easy, right? Maybe not...

I understand that times are tough and you really need your current job. I'm not telling you to quit your job. I am challenging you to see yourself in your dream job. If you could do anything with your life what would it be? Do you need to take a night class to achieve that dream? Maybe you need to go back to school part time or maybe you just need to look in the newspaper for you dream job.

We place many limitations on ourselves and our careers. STOP! We are capable of more than we realize.

"Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be."
-Karen Ravn

Believe in the possibility of your dreams. Imagine your dream job. See yourself in you dream job. Take the necessary steps to get to your dream job. Before long, arrive at your dream job.

One limitation we often place on ourselves is that we can't love our current job. I'm here to tell you that you can.

When I first started at my current job, I was just looking for a job. Go to work and get a paycheck. I followed the stereotype of hating my job. I kept the job because I had to pay my bills. I didn't give it my all and I didn't put my heart in it.I had been with the company almost one year when I gave up. Bad management and burn out caused me to try running away from the job. I did find another job, went to interviews, and was hired by another company. I gave my notice at work and then I started to realize what I would be leaving. There were some really good things happening but I was too busy looking on the other side of the fence to notice. Obviously there were still problems but there were solutions to some of them as well. Just three days before I was supposed to start at the new job I decided to stay. It was a hard decision but one that I will never regret.

Some aspects of my job have not come very easily for me. For instance, this was my first sales job. Sales are not my strong suit. I have grown in that area but it is not one of my strengths. Other things have come quite naturally like operational tasks and training other employees. I have also grown in these areas.

There were many times I wanted to hate my job because of the requirements or the things I didn't feel I would ever improve in, but for some reason I stayed. Maybe for security or just because it takes too much work to find another job. But now I stay for a different reason: I love my job! People ask why I love my job and its hard for me to answer. Let's see if I can sum it up:

I love my job because I know God gave me this job for a reason. I love my job because of the leaders, coaches, mentors, and friends who have impacted my life along the way. I love my job because of the experiences and opportunities I have been given. I love my job because of my customers. I love my job because of the growth and change I see in my life. I love my job because of the growth and change I see in others. I love my job because of the company I am privileged to work for. I love my job because I am still growing and learning!

The list could go on.

I have worked for the same company for almost five years. There have been many ups and downs but I wouldn't trade a single one. I have grown and changed in ways I don't think I could have elsewhere. I believe that as long as I am growing as a person and still learning things at my job that I have no reason to look for another job. Once I have reached the end of what can be learned in a position or company, then I can move on.

Find your passion and chase after it! Analyze your current job and find a reason to love it! The choice is yours!

Monday again???

Do you dread Mondays?

Do you want to hide under the covers when the alarm goes off?

Do you grumble all morning?

Then this blog is for you!

My hope is that you will find something here to help you see Monday in a new light, something to give you a reason to leap out of bed in the morning, and give you a burst of positive energy!

Now if you want to stay in a bad mood and continue hating your job, that's fine. I won't stop you. In fact, you better stop reading and just leave now. You wouldn't want things to get better, now would you?

All kidding aside, I really want to give you a reason to love your job. You may think it's impossible but it's not. I've been in your shoes. I hated my job. I found a reason to stay and I found a way to love my job. I don't have any magic words or some trick to fix everything. I just have my experience and lessons I've learned from others.

If you want to love your job or at least enjoy it, then this is the place for you!

Learning to love your job is a journey. One that requires dedication, sacrifice, and hard work. It's up to you if you are willing to take the first
step in the journey.

So let the journey begin...