In April I applied to a self-employment program offered by the government and administered by regional business centers. It has pretty strict restrictions about qualifications and disqualifications, and to get in one of the main things is not having done anything in the way of starting a business yet. So after I applied, I stopped listing new items in my etsy shop, put my blog posts on hold, and stopped giving updates on my facebook fanpage. I was thisclose to getting into the program, but in the end the presence of an etsy shop with sales disqualified me. :(
During the time that I was going through all of this, I was also reviewing just what it is that I'm trying to do with February Jones, got a part-time job, starting taking my step-daughter to her first season of house league soccer games and practices, began planning my life over the next few months because my fiancee will begin collecting employment insurance and using the next year to plan out his dreams and fins something that he loves to do... So as it turns out, I really needed that time-out to prepare for more changes that are on their way in my life.
Some people are completely paralyzed by the prospect of living a life with less security- no drug or dental plans, no mainstream career path, no regular 9-5 job, and a fluctuating income. But I think that sometimes people put too much emphasis on working away their hours and days just so that they can have a safety net for the future. What about today? What's the point in ensuring that your future is taken care of if you don't ever get the opportunity to enjoy the present moment in which you find yourself? There's nothing wrong with eschewing an all-work-and-no-play career path in favor of working at your local coffee shop, or in my case local lighting fixture store. It means that I have a low pressure flexible job that provides me with the mental serenity to continue exploring my interests and developing those passions which make me truly come alive. And that's what life is about... Living.
"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today."
-The Buddha
Invest in your todays so that you have something worthwhile to bring into your tomorrows.
I live each day with heart and enthusiasm and my hours are filled with laughter, love, smiles, and passion. When I go to bed exhausted it is because I have worked hard day following a dream that makes me feel fulfilled, or because I have been busy all day making sure that my family has what it needs to be a happy one (whether that entails slicing up a massive watermelon, scrubbing the kitchen floors, hanging the laundry out to dry, or planning out our expenses so that we can afford a day trip to take 11-year-old Abigail somewhere she's never been before).
A happy life requires more than just money and 2 weeks of vacation to recharge. I encourage you to find more ways to ensure your enjoyment of life in the the present, and I hope you'll stop by the blog every now and then to peek in on my adventures. What do you do to make sure that you enjoy and invest in your todays? I'd love to hear about it in the comments :)
*Maria
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