Do What You Love

For my second post for You.Propelled I decided to write on how important it is do what you love. Propel’s mission is to enhance your life, give you the ability to move through obstacles and live a more streamlined, energetic life. Life is just way too short to be miserable at your job because, hey, you spend the majority of your day working so if you are absolutely hating it, you hate most days. Not a great mentality to have. Most of you probably know my background. Since I was very, very young I always knew I was destined to be a writer. Words, to me, are air and I love the beauty of the written word and the curl of pages as you flip through your favorite book over and over again. I studied English Literature and creative writing in college, lived in France to study nonfiction and then shipped off to culinary school to learn everything about the art of cooking so I could be a better food writer. All of these stepping stones have led me to where I am now and I just love it.

However, it wasn’t always that way. As many of you know, right after I graduated culinary school I took a job baking bread. The job market was awful, my loan payments were trickling in and since I would be working nights, I thought I could get a ton of writing done during the day. Of course that didn’t happen. Does anything ever happen as we plan it? I was miserable working from 4am to lunch every single day. I’d keep up the positive image and smile but at night I would cry myself to sleep and most nights, not sleep at all. I was being underpaid, overworked and felt just plain old going to bed at seven o’clock every evening. In short, I was a miserable person.

On the day my little brother passed away I had been up since 3 am. I was awake for 50 hours with no sleep and the one thought that kept rushing into my mind, pushing its way through all my grief was that “I just can’t do this…I just can’t…I can’t” On the day of the funeral, I called and quit. I really didn’t give too much explanation; it was just something I had to do. You know when you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach that you have to do something and there’s no other way? That was this. I couldn’t live my life being miserable at work and I knew what I had to do.

Since that day in April, I’ve thrown myself into my writing like never before. On the day that I quit, I made the pact to myself that I WAS going to make it as a writer. It’s hard, but people do do it. I got some great advice from my college mentor and set to work. Do I have it all together? No. Am I poor? In America’s viewpoint, most likely. I have bills and loan payments and life to deal with just like everyone else. But you know what? I love it. I love every second of it. For the first time in a very, very long time I feel like I’m actually living. I’ve had moments that take my breath away and then at the end of the day I get down on my knees and thank God for giving me strength to follow my heart. Truthfully, I’d rather not be able to shop at Whole Foods all the time or buy those new shoes than suffer through a job a hated just to make more money. In a culture driven on monetary worth, you will stand out a little bit by taking big risks. I can promise you that it’s worth it.

I get emails from you all all the time asking me how I do it. My best advice? You’ve gotta really want it bad. Since that day I literally laid in the dirt and mourned my brother, making the decision that from here on out, I wouldn’t just survive, I would LIVE, I’ve been blessed in a million ways. Honestly, you will face rejection. As a writer, I face it all the time. However, you can’t let one person’s opinion stop you from living your dream. Get out there and make your dream come true. Start figuring out the roadmap to your highest goal and then get behind the wheel and drive. It might not happen tomorrow or the next day but if you want it bad enough, it will happen. And it all starts with a choice.

This post is sponsored by Propel® for the You.Propelled Program

Tagged as: You.Propelled