Work Your Talent. Share Your Gift.

Every day of the week, I commute one hour to work each way. As I pass people, I see many of them with expressionless faces. I often wonder what is running through their heads. Are they performing work they don't love because they need to get by? Did they just have a bad morning? Obviously, with that much time in the car I have a lot of time to think.

I don't want to be the person who works the 8-5 Monday-Friday gig for the rest of my life. I believe a lot of people who I see on my drive may feel the same but probably feel stuck. There are a lot of things that can contribute to being stuck in a career not meant for you: a sense of security, a paycheck, consistency. I often think many of us have the 8-5 jobs because it is expected of us.

Many people have a talent or a gift that they were meant to share with the world and should make a living doing so. Instead, we often stuff these dreams inside because the thought of being an artist, writer, or musician while supporting a family seems childish and absurd. Instead, we commit to the schedule that we believe is safe while pushing our dreams to the side.

I believe that people work to keep up with a certain lifestyle. It's scary to think about your resources being cut off and not getting that bi-weekly check. It's hard to plan for the future when you barely have time to sleep. I personally think it is scarier to wake up one day at 80 years old and realize that you spent your life doing something you never loved, that your dreams are forgotten, and that you worked so much you had little time with your family.

Right now, just like many others, I am doing what I need to do for my family. That doesn't mean that a stong dream, a good plan, attainable goals, and financial sense won't lead to a successful career in doing what I love. It's never, ever too late.

As a writer and someone who loves to motivate and speak about many areas that affect us as women and mothers, I am on that journey right now. I hope you can follow along and share in this adventure with me. Who knows, maybe some of you will decide to do the same!