Invest in Yourself

Whether you are one of the recent downsized employees who have lost a job due to this ongoing recession or if you are someone who is experiencing some level of frustration in their current job and is considering a career transition, the time is now to begin investing in yourself and your future. 

After spending a month or so feeling sorry for myself after the company that I once worked for radically restructured the organization, costing several middle managers their jobs including my own, I soon realized that the new home and new car that I had recently purchased were simply not going to pay for themselves and if I wanted to get out of that mess, it would take a lot of faith and a new direction.

Although I needed some time to regroup, I eventually was blessed to accept three different employment opportunities, although not all at the same time. The first two were in education and the other was in retail. However, it was during my experience in education that something clicked, and I became inspired to go back to school and obtain my doctorate to prepare for my next career as a college professor. 

For me, the timing and the situation presented itself and I took advantage of the opportunity. For you, it may not be a doctorate, but it can be something that can alter the rest of your life. All that you have to do now is determine what is it that brings you enough joy and fulfillment that you can use to make a difference, make an impact, and not only change your life, but possibly even impact someone else’s in the process.

Consider your current situation. If you are currently unemployed, then you probably have a little time on your hands. Take advantage of this time, and use it wisely to invest in yourself. Invest in the possibility that you have a purpose, you have a destiny and perhaps at this moment you have been given an opportunity to rediscover what makes you tick and what is it that would bring satisfaction back to your life. Don’t look at unemployment as the worst thing that could happen, consider it an opportunity to redirect your life towards the career that you always wanted by providing you with the time to prepare for it. 

When we invest in ourselves we can invest in the possibility of a lifetime career, one that you can’t be downsized from, one that you won’t hate going to, and one that reflects your authentic self, one that represents who you could be in a new business venture. Perhaps starting a new business is worth considering.  Now I realize that starting a new business may not be for everyone, but whatever the future holds for you, take advantage of this time to discover it.
 

Trust me when I say, I realize that not knowing where your next paycheck will come from is scary, I’ve been there and done that. But with faith and a new perspective it can make all the difference in the rest of your life.

We All Can’t Be Oprah, But We Can Transition into a Life Changing Career



Oprah Winfrey

No, we all can’t be Oprah, we all can’t start our "OWN" cable network, or be honored at Kennedy Center, or even run a successful billion dollar conglomerate. But what we can do is honor our purpose, and honor the meaning in which we have been graced to serve on this earth, which is exactly what Oprah is doing. She is successfully carrying out her purpose. 

For a moment, don’t consider your job, but consider what would fulfill you. Consider what would add meaning not only to your life, but what could possibly alter someone else’s life down to the core of their being. What is it that you can do to demonstrate your gifts, talents, and the grace that you have been blessed with and share that with someone who could permanently have the rest of their life changed by your act of kindness? 

When we awaken to the reality that life could be so much more fulfilling through careers which focus on providing services to others, uplifting others and truly impacting someone else’s life, we will discover a new meaning to what the words a "fulfilling career" truly mean.  It’s a sense of freedom, and a new form of gratification that workaholics desire to experience. 

Until we can transition into the Oprah that we want to become or at least seek a new career which reflects our purpose, there is one suggestion that I would like you to keep in mind. When given the opportunity to share your talents and gifts in a service oriented position where you could make a difference in someone’s life and you can be completely fulfilled, would you accept the position even if you had to keep your old job to make ends meet? My suggestion would be you should strongly consider it.

Although managing your time may be challenging initially, when you consider volunteering or working a few extra hours at a position that would pay you little monetarily; please keep in mind, that the fulfillment of your spirit is priceless. Someone once told me long ago; when you do what you love, consider doing it for free. If you keep that mindset, then the riches will follow.

We are embarking on a new year; consider it a new beginning, a new chapter that is unfolding. A new opportunity to envision yourself as a guest host on one of the new shows featured on the OWN network. If given the chance to transition to a new career as one of Oprah’s new guest host in a service oriented career, what would you do? How would you lift someone to the next level? No, we all can’t be Oprah, but yes you can be the person who broke free from the mundane, recognized their purpose, and honored yourself in the process.