Wednesday, April 11, 2012

"J" is for Joy

I've watched my father work hard to progress his career. He has as strong of a work ethic as I have ever seen. There is no quit in him. There is only drive and persistence. When he retired at the end of last year, he could finally take a breath, relax, and reflect on all he had accomplished in his thirty plus years of management service. And his conclusion was that he hated nearly every minute of it.

I've seen the toll of what hating what you do everyday has on a person. And that's not a path I wish to follow. I want to enjoy what I do. I know that's asking a lot in these uncertain economic times. I should be happy with what I have. And for the moment I am. A few months ago I disembarked on a new adventure and am learning about an entirely new industry for me. So that's my day job, and by night (well, not specifically night...in my baby-less free time) I work on my writing, which I love!

One day I plan to support myself and my family through my writing. I wouldn't be able to ask for a more fulfilling and joy-filled life. So that is where I place my attention. On my joy. I want a life full of color and high-definition. Daily joy makes that possible. Working in coffee, I saw so many people fighting just to get through each day. That's no way to live. When I retire, I don't want to say, "I fought to get here." I want to be able to say, "I enjoyed getting here." And I'll have the pictures to prove it.


8 comments:

  1. Finding joy in every thing is a talent I think your plan is an excellent one. There are no boundaries! If you believe you can...you can! :)

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  2. Great thoughts here. My favorite thing is when people tell me, "You really are a Joy." I feel like I'm living up to my name and helping others feel joyful too.

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  3. Such a key reminder to all of us. I'm so thankful for the time I get to write and pursue that daily joy!

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  4. you and I have the same dream. I hope one day we do achieve our goal of being able to support our loved ones by doing something we love doing.
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com
    Dropping by from the A-Z!

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  5. I sincerely hope your wish comes true,
    A great read and a good J word.

    Yvonne.

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  6. First of all, I know what you mean about loving to write. My writing isn't lucrative but it's what I think about all the time.

    Secondly, I completely changed my career a couple of years ago. Even though I hate change, I think change keeps us from becoming job zombies. Few people get to make a living doing what they are passionate about, but there are those who do. So keep trying. The rest of us need to keep life interesting by reinventing self from time to time. :)

    Excellent post, Michael.

    Teresa

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  7. Wonderful post. Best of luck accomplishing your goals!

    New follower here. I’m enjoying reading my fellow “A to Z”ers. I look forward to visiting again.

    Sylvia
    http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

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