Setting my own pace in life
Updated: Aug 1, 2019
The word ‘CAREER’ brings to mind competition, financial pressures, striving for excellence and the list grows depending on one’s priority. Sometimes the negatives outweighs the positives in one’s path.
There are times when we lose our focus or perspective and continue on that career path for all the wrong reasons.
Change is difficult and uncomfortable as it opens up our sense of fear, shakes the ground we stand on and questions our beliefs. The more we resist it, the deeper our inner conflict grows and less confident we become of our decision making.
Early March of this year I found myself questioning my work life. Like clockwork I would be up and ready for work. My routine was work and home and if I had something planned to do on my days off, it would be a drag and without joy.
I was beginning to lose that spark in my teaching and the joy of showing up at every class. The energy I was bringing into each class was mixed and at the end would leave me exhausted and emotionless.
I had to look beneath the surface of my teaching career, to find out what was pulling me down, but to do this I had to ask myself the right questions. I turned to a book that I had ordered sometime back called ‘Wabi Sabi’. An insightful book on being perfectly imperfect in our lives. I used what was relevant to my situation and written it down in a way that would make it easy to understand.
AWARENESS/PAUSE
What is good in my career right now?
What stage am I in at this moment?
PERSPECTIVE/TUNNING IN
How much am I trying to control the direction of my career path?
What might happen if I let go a little?
SIMPLIFYING/LETTIN GO
How can I simplify my work life?
Am I overworked and if so how do I surrender some of it?
Financial Burden or Stability?
ACCEPTANCE/BEING OPEN
What have I learned from my teaching?
What difference would it make if I relaxed my work load?
Being open to possibilities.
The answers did not come easily and I struggled with my inner battle of conflict and acceptance. However, when the answers did come, I sat with them until it felt completely right. If there was any slight hesitation, I would re-start the process again. This took about a week for me.
Reducing my work load was my answer and once I did that… my initial feeling was regret and disappointment, but happy to say that this feeling did not last for long!
Through this process I am learning to set my own pace in life. To question or move depending on the flow of life.
"The imperfect path your heart guides you along is the perfect path for you"
Beth Kempton
