Q&A: Is it Time For a Career Change?
Question:I've been working with the same company for years, and I just know it's time to make a change. I have a feeling that it's time to do something different with my life.
The problem is that I'm not sure what that other thing is! Further complicating matters is the fact that there's nothing really wrong with my current position. I have a great working environment, I like my co-workers and actually feel fairly satisfied.
So basically, while my intuition is telling me one thing, other factors are keeping me from feeling motivated to act on it! How can I harness my intuition and let it move me toward my next job?
Answer:First of all, congratulations on listening to your intuition. It's indicating it may be time for a change! Your inner guidance continually informs you about your life purpose through feelings, images, words, dreams and "knowings." Paying attention to these is step number one in beginning to create a larger dream. When you take one step in the direction of saying "yes" to what you love, the universe rushes in with help, guidance and miracles.
Here are some questions to get you started:
What are you doing when time seems to fly by?
Perhaps your ideal job might exist or be created within your present company. If you were offered the ideal job, what would it be?
What do you look forward to doing on the weekends or on a vacation?
When you think of someone who has a "dream job," what do they do?
If money were no object, what kind of work would you love to do?
If your boss told you she'd give you a year off to contribute to the community in some way, what would you choose?
Are there any classes you might like to take at the local college or adult education center?
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and relax. What images come to mind as you see yourself in your ideal job?
What is your intuition communicating to you right now about your ideal job?
Is there any action that you're being guided to take? Is there anything that feels exciting or joyful that you want to act on?
I realize that the answer to any of these questions is not necessarily going to evoke instant clarity about either your vocation or your life mission, but it's a start! Every single person who is living a life they love had to begin by asking themselves questions like these. They also had to believe in themselves enough to take the risks to move in the direction of their dreams. You don't need to quit your day job right now. You simply need to begin spending more time doing what you love, reaching out to others who might be able to help you create your dream, and continuing to dream a little bigger with each step forward.
Life can be easy. There isn't any great virtue in struggling and suffering. Begin to ask the question, "How could I... ?" rather than "Why can't I?" If your heart and mind are open to the limitless possibilities that God can provide, all that you seek will begin to flow smoothly into your life.
The Power of the Pictures in Your Mind
My clients often tell me that they can clearly state what they don't want, but find themselves at a loss to describe what they do want. It's difficult to begin to create a life you love when you haven't defined what that life might look like!
Spend time practicing the steps of the creation process. Write in your journal about your ideal life. Take about five minutes every day to visualize and feel yourself achieving your goals. Pay attention to any intuitive guidance that comes your way and remember to take action only when it feels joyful.
Begin to collect magazines and cut out pictures that represent something you want to create in your life. You might find inspirational words or pictures that evoke the feeling or image of your ideal job. I keep my collage over my writing desk and glance at it frequently. Every time I look at it I smile with anticipation, knowing that divine intelligence is directing its unfolding in my life.
Ask for Help
When you tap into the universe and ask for assistance in understanding and realizing your dreams, miraculous events may begin to occur. Information about your life purpose will fill your thoughts and fuel your actions. Impediments such as low self-esteem and anxiety will diminish and maybe even fall away, leaving you freer to allow your aspirations to emerge and gain strength. Little by little, step-by-step, a new life will begin to take shape. Have faith and courage, and listen to the voice within you. Then begin to act on the insight you receive.
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