13 July 2009

Crossroads.



It is strange to know that you can leave your daily routine at any time you wish, and the only thing keeping you there is money or fear or comfort in the known. ~ PastaQueen.com

So clearly last night I was having a pity party about myself. I am probably not as bad as I think that I am (body image issues and all that jazz). But the reality of the below post is that it reflects my state of mind.


I am in a state of confusion about my life. It is said that life is the journey between where you were and where you were meant to be. But that offers me no solace at all when I think of my life well wasted and my future uncertain. It doesn't solve my anxieties that I have right now at this crossroads in my career/life.


I was following up on my newfound Edmonton Captials obsession appreciation and came across a blog by one of the players, Chan Ehrnsberger. If you click on the link, it will take you to this one post he did that caught my eye and completely fascinated me. I felt in some weird way like I found a person who is on a parrallel path with me.


Here is a professional baseball player who is at that same point in life. 31 years old, unattached, struggling with doing something he completely loves. But the love comes with the sacrifice of pay, uncertainty and the sacrifice of spending no time with his friends and family. But baseball is his passion.


Then there is me. 31 years, unattached, struggling with doing something I completely despise. But I get guaranteed pay, a fluctuating certainty, and very little personal sacrifice (unless you count my soul, but that's another story). And I would love to pursue my passion, but fear roots me to the reailty.


Two completely different strangers, yet one common crossroad. As was illustrated in the two examples, there are pros and there are cons to living a passionate life vs of average. I wish there was an easy answer. Do you pursue your passion at the cost of the known or do you stay in the known at the cost of your passion? Which has a greater reward?


2 comments:

Joanna said...

Really cool post, Dan! It’s interesting to see that athletes such as Chad Ehrnsberger have many of the same insecurities as us common folk. And although it’s never easy to make dramatic changes, I’m all for you pursuing your passion.

The way I see it, you’re miserable at your current job, and it’s affecting all facets of your life: your weight, eating habits, personal relationships, sleep patterns, mental / emotional well-being, etc. But is it really worth it for a mere job and an atmosphere you despise? It’s like they’re killing you slowly with each day you continue to work with them.

I know that no workplace is perfect and that there are office politics everywhere -- which is where that old saying comes in: Sometimes the Devil you know is better than the Devil you don’t know. But still. If you stay with your current employer, nothing is going to change except maybe for the worse. But if you take that leap and pursue something you truly love… well, I’m not going to lie…. It’s going to suck at first and be really scary jumping into the unknown, and you may have to live on nothing but cereal and Melba toast for a while… but if you’re passionate about it, then doors will start to open for you.

(Refer back to my May 31st post about starting over and living a life you’re proud of…..)

And as Confucius says, “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

Good luck!

Dani said...

I would love to have a job like Confucious...just sit and think and come up with witty sayings? Sweet. LOL.

Very good response Jo. Gave me lot's to think about & ponder.

It's scary to think what doing what I love will possibly mean for me.