Marja ZapusekIn this day and age there are many people that are doing everything they are supposed to, not asking any questions and leading a life as if on autopilot. Although that might work very well for some, there are those of us that do not find that satisfying and when hearing the whispers of our passion we follow the wake-up call.If we find ourselves in a work situation or an environment where our fullest potential cannot really blossom or shine, where there is no room for us to be able to express our unique talents and abilities and be ourselves, that in turn leaves us feeling like we are somehow less, drained of our energy and depressed. And when we start realizing we are just a shadow of who we once were and all the joy is drained out of our life, that might be an obvious sign that something has to change.Speaking from personal experience, this was also my story. I had always wanted to be a lawyer, but the reality of the job versus what I imagined while studying, turned out to be two very different things. When I finished college and qualified as a lawyer, I worked in a corporate environment. I had always been a utopian idealist and wanted to work with underprivileged people - especially women and children - to give them a voice. The reality was that no one in the system really cared about justice, they just wanted to get things done quick and everything was about time and money - it was like a cold shower.I then moved on to working in my mother’s auditing company. It was the next best choice and a sensible thing to do. My education gave me a suitable background to work in the corporate world and I was successful but still there was no joy in my work and all of that left me waking up unhappy and depleted. Like many people I knew I had to get out.Reality for me as a single mom meant that leaving a well-paid job wasn’t immediately possible, so I started slowly, doing more of what I loved outside of work hours until it felt do-able to start up my own business.There are so many people in a similar situation but it’s not always easy to get out if it’s not practical financially. If you are at that delicate point in your life and find yourself questioning whether it’s the right time to leave your full-time job in pursuit of your dreams, here are some quick tips for getting more clarity and ease on what to do next.

First things first - Getting clear

Getting clear on what you really would like to have and achieve in your life is one of the most important aspects of having a life that works for you.In order to achieve that, asking a variety of different questions can be of great assistance, such as:Is the situation you are in right now really going to provide that for you? Will it bring you closer to what you would like or take you further away from it?

BE YOU

Work out who you are being right now. If you’re not happy at work you may have taken on the values of your parents, or your peers or someone else who influences your life.Who does this belong to? Whose life am I living? Who am I doing this for? Me, or am I pleasing someone else?Finding out who you would be if you were truly being you, and what choices you would be making based on that. Would you be making the same choices you are making right now, or would they be different?

ASKING QUESTIONS

Asking different questions that you would not usually think of asking. When I say asking questions, I do not mean making conclusions with a question mark attached. The true purpose of a question should be opening the door to more information that will give you more clarity on what you asking about and getting you out of the box of limited thinking, so you can see different possibilities that were not there before, which will lead you and enable you to make different choices, that can change the situation you are in.Here are some examples:

• What will the choice to leave create? How will that feel for me? If I leave this situation, what will my life be like? Will I feel regret or relief?
• Then ask: What will my life be like if I stay?
• AND it also might be wise to add this question to the mix: What will my life be like if I stay AND change something or choose something totally different that I have never chosen before, that might result in changing this situation?
• And see which one of those has the lightest sense to it (or 'feels' the lightest). Don’t try and force answers one way or another, just gently pay attention to what comes up in your thoughts, not just immediately - but also in the days after asking those questions.

Follow the joy

We can be good at a number of things, but if we don’t enjoy doing them, it will probably not be generating lots of money for us. On the other hand, something we think is just a hobby and we really enjoy doing can easily become a great source of revenue, a high paying career or a thriving business.What brings you joy? What makes you happy and excited? What are you enthusiastic about? What gets your creative juices flowing and gives you more energy?And what if you following that whisper and choosing something totally different is the first step in creating a life you love and enjoy?

About the Author: