“I was stunned – but thankful.” That’s how Carolyn Starks describes her reaction to losing her job. It sums up how a lot of people feel after being laid off if they are honest with themselves. Underneath the shock and alongside the fear, there is a part of you that knows it is time for something different. What can get in the way of initiating a change on your own is attachment to what we refer to in Now What?® as the “package”. As Carolyn puts it, “… I had been toying with the idea of leaving for two years, but kept thinking: you just don’t leave the Chicago Tribune.” It was once she embraced what was happening and asked “What now?” that a creative idea for a business dawned on her.
Today’s Quote: Live the life you have imagined
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Henry David
What You Can Do With Your Brain and Enthusiasm
The birth of a second child. The hospitalization of an elderly parent. Being offered a severance package. Unfulfilling work and a pervasive feeling of boredom. What led up to the decision points for these women varies yet each of them ultimately chose life changing new jobs. In three cases, glimmers of their interests were present in childhood and in the other instance the inspiration came from noticing what she liked to watch on TV.
Read on to learn more about how the job changes these women chose impacted their lives. Patricia Kline, who went from marketing executive to baker, sums it up this way: “… you discover that your identity isn’t made up of material things — it’s about what you can do with your brain and enthusiasm”.
Today’s Quote: Reach High & Dream Deep
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” Pamela Vaull Starr
Signs, Seeds, & Rewards
Here Debra Kavalos-Delaney, the owner of MemorableEntertaining.com, reflects on her journey from a 32-year corporate career to starting a business. Debra acknowledges that it took her a long time to “listen” to the signs pointing toward a major career change but that eventually she had a “greater fear of the consequences” of not following her dream. Now looking back at her childhood, Debra can see the seeds that produced her passion for entertaining. Regarding the challenges of being a business owner, Debra counts the process of learning as one of the biggest rewards in itself.
Today’s Quote: Courage
” It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E.E. Cummings