Something incredible happened to me a few weeks ago. Something life changing. Something that gave me a lot of clarity. Something close to miraculous. I lost my job. That’s right, I lost my full-time job. And do you know what? It was one of the best things to happen to me in a long, long time! In all the hustle and bustle and “busy-ness” of keeping my career going on just about a 24-7 basis, I lost sight of a lot of things.
Since I lost my job, I’ve had a lot of free time. And free time is a good thing. Maybe the best thing in life. It gives you time to slow down and actually see the things that surround you everyday. Things you take for granted. Yup, I’m talking about family…wife, kids, dogs…you remember them right? Well, it’s been amazing spending entire days playing with my kids. Noticing how much they smile and laugh. How big they’ve gotten. How much fun they are to be around. And it’s been amazing spending time with my wife. Realizing once again why it was her that I married. She’s the most supportive, positive, amazing person in the world. And it’s been nice getting to know that again (although I’m not sure I ever forgot that or doubted it).
Besides spending time with family it’s given me a lot of time to do what I love doing most, riding my bike through Colorado’s beautiful mountains. Cycling is a meditation time for me. It’s when my mind finds the most clarity and everything starts to fall into place for me. During all of my recent cycling, I’ve found a lot of clarity in my life. I’ve thought a lot about the direction my life and my career should go in next. And I’ve realized that where I was may not have been the healthiest place for me mentally, physically, spiritually or even career-wise. I’ve been given a great opportunity to really think through the choices I’ve made in my life and reevaluate them. I have the time now to decide what will make me and my family the happiest. And I believe that if you’re happy with your life and your choices, then that’s as good as it gets. As Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com said: “When your work is an extension of who you really are deep down inside it’s no longer a job or a career. It’s a calling.” I think it’s time I found my calling.
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3 comments so far ↓
1 Lisa Braithwaite // Aug 28, 2009 at 10:51 am
Congratulations on figuring out what’s important to you! And good luck on finding your next path! It’s exciting!
2 Pat Mishler // Aug 29, 2009 at 6:13 am
You’re blessed to have realized it is about ‘the calling’. Not all of us have the same one of course, but – when you have found what fills your spirit – you have found your calling. Congratulations!
3 Angel Jordan // Oct 20, 2009 at 8:42 am
Congratulations and thank God for finding clarity! This an awesome story and it just makes my heart and soul feel good! May you and your family be blessed!
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