529364_541630679190392_1335100986_nWell, which is more important to you…?

A client asked me this question the other day.  He had been struggling in a job he loathed but was reluctant to give it up to follow his dream.  The conversation reminded me how I had recently been waiting to be served in my local bank and noticed the bad mood of the teller.  Looking to be in his mid ‘50s, but possibly years younger, he was grumpy with everyone he came in contact with.

Behind the grumpiness, I detected a well of deep sadness and wondered if maybe he had a sick dependent at home – a wife, mother, child – who was preoccupying his thoughts and making him appear bad-tempered.

But then I noticed his hands, broad and robust like a labourer’s, his fingers like sausages.  It was difficult to watch these lumps of meat hold a fine pen and try to flick through documents and money notes.  He looked quite smartly dressed but the collar and tie seemed to be strangling him and I felt he would be happier in an old sweatshirt and jeans.

Rarely am I so aware of someone looking so wrong in a job.  This man, I would say, could be an artisan by nature – a sculptor or builder, forced into a daily grind that is wearing him down and making him and everyone around him miserable.  For sure, his soul seemed to have forgotten how to fly.  And for what, I wonder – a regular paycheck, a pension at the end, job security?  At what price?

Unreal expectations

Most people believe that money equals success.  Many children are still expected to follow in their parent’s footsteps, or upsize from them, or go into some ‘safe’ profession.  Or are taught that work – by its definition – is to be endured, not enjoyed.  Spouses are too often expected to stick at a job they loathe, simply to keep their partner or children in a lifestyle they have become accustomed to.

My mother tried to steer me in that safe direction too, many years ago when I left school; “…a nice job in insurance with a good salary and a pension at the end”, she said.  Sadly – though through no fault of her own and due to her being brought up lacking all but the basics in war-time England – she simply did not get my creative spirit, need for self-expression and desire for independence.   Like most parents, she was concerned for my physical welfare, but also in fear of a future lacking in whatever was her idea of security.  My heart was sinking fast…

Luckily for me, I got straight into advertising, then interior design which led me into the mind/body/spirit world of feng shui, then personal development and then coaching.  Happily, none of these professions have ever felt like ‘work’, simply working at what I love and do best.  It has not been all rosy though; as with most people there have been times I have had to do jobs that I have not liked, hated even. But I have made sure they have been temporary, simply fulfilling a specific economic need for a short time.

Vocation or paycheck?

So, the question comes back to time or money – which is more important?  If you take a long-term job just for money, it can be difficult to go back to what it once was that defined your core being and made your heart sing.  If you are going to take a job for the money, make sure you have a get-out date in mind – and the sooner the better.

There is an endless supply of money in the world, but only a limited amount of time for each of us.  If you are not enthusiastic about doing something, it is not for you. So, for the sake of your soul and your sanity, find a way to choose again.  Whereas you can sometimes make more money, it is impossible to make more time; when it is gone, it is gone.

Listen to your soul – your intuition speaks to you through your body.  Pay attention if you are always tired, depressed, hungry, smoking, drinking, using drugs, in pain, oversleeping, endlessly shopping, watching TV, etc.  There are many other factors that create these diversions too, of course, but they can be indicators that you need to look at your choice of work.  And interestingly, when we are doing what we love or – at least – like, we somehow find ourselves being provided for.

The energy of what we put out is what we get back, and money is just another form of energy. Listen to what your heart is whispering and make the very most of your time available here on earth.

If you are ready to choose again and follow your dream, I am here to help you. Contact me for a Free Exploratory Session.  I look forward to hearing from you!

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quotePS: Is there anything more important than time?  What do you think?  Please leave your comments below – I’d love to know your views on this…

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