Where it all began …

I know I promised to share with you details about my 2014 plan; but before I do that, I thought it would be prudent to tell you about my book and give you the background on how it came to be. That way when I dive into the details about my plan, you will have some frame of reference.

Photo courtesy of Istockphoto.com/donskarpo

Photo courtesy of Istockphoto.com/donskarpo

My writing creativity flows out of me in rhyme. I don’t know why that is, but rhyming comes easily to me as does the cadence and flow of each rhyming verse. This unique skill is obviously conducive to children’s books and though I have written one that I adore, I choose to move forward with the another book I have created. There are several reasons behind this:

  1. The topic of this book is something I am very passionate about.
  2. It is a topic that I can easily relate to and speak to. So, from a promotional perspective, it gives me a way to build my platform.
  3. The words for this book flowed out of me so effortlessly. I really believe it’s a message that needs to be passed on; a seed that needs to be planted.

How this book came to be

In March 2013, I was really sick with a viral infection followed by a bacterial infection. I was literally in bed for 6 straight weeks. It was during this time, when I was sick as a dog with nothing to do that I created Journey to Jobville. The rhyming verses poured out of me in random order and I scribbled them all in a notebook I kept in bed with me. When I was finally well enough to sit up in bed, I put the verses on index cards and rearranged them like you would a puzzle. The end result was this book.

Journey to Jobville is an inspirational gift book about marrying your career with your passions. (Does that story sound familiar?!) It is written as a rhyming parable and will be in picture book format. The book plants a seed in the mind of the reader. That seed is to listen to the voice in your heart and use it as a compass along with those skills you are good at when pursuing a career.

What I hope my book will do

When I was growing up and even when I entered college, not a single person said to me “pursue a career that you really, truly like.” It’s such a simple concept and yet, I pursued a career that I was good at but not one I truly enjoyed. I was more focused on whether my major in college would get me a good job rather than a good job that I enjoyed.

As an inspirational gift book for graduates, my hope is that my book will encourage kids in school to pursue their passion. It’s an excellent catalyst for parents to start a conversation with their kids about what they want to do with their life.

Likewise, I believe my book will encourage people who chose the wrong career path to put aside their fears and go after something that is more aligned with their passion.

No regrets

Writing this book is what finally motivated me to pursue what makes me happy. Life is too short to spend so much time doing something you really don’t enjoy. And I for one do not want to be in my 80s looking back with any regrets. So I continue on this journey taking baby steps each day in pursuit of that career that merges skills and passion.

Question: If you could do it all over again, would you choose a different career?

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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11 thoughts on “Where it all began …

  1. I wouldn’t change anything. I gave up a job at UPS that, in ’84 would have paid me close to 6 figures, vacation, retirement, etc. to pursue my desire to work in video. I’ve had a remarkable career, one filled with so many points in time that I found I had to pinch myself to confirm that it wasn’t all a dream. Sure making a lot more money would make this slow slide into old age and ultimately retirement more graceful and certainly more comfortable but I’ve been asked many times what I’m going to do in retirement and I always responded “Hopefully what I’m doing now”…so no regrets. I went with my desire and it somehow worked out. JP

    • Good for you walking away from a high paying job to pursue your dreams. Money can be so alluring. I’ve spent years rationalizing staying in high tech. It’s not always easy to walk away from the money and I wholeheartedly acknowledge that I wouldn’t be able to pursue this dream 100% of the time if it weren’t for the support of a loving husband!

      It’s so wonderful to hear stories about other people who have taken a leap of faith, pursued what they love and are now doing something that doesn’t even feel like work! That’s what I’m working towards! Thanks for sharing!

  2. I am just hoping that this will be published in time for me to give copies to my boys and their friends when they graduate next year.

  3. I wish I knew what I really wanted to do. I tried it once with TrixieBakes and I have no regrets about following my passion for chocolate at the time. Turns out I didn’t have the stomach for the financial risk involved so I went back to a “safe” job. Kudos to you for following your dream.

    • I wholeheartedly believe you will find your passion/dream. Don’t give up on it. Keep searching … when you least expect it a light bulb will go on and suddenly you’ll be on the same journey I’m on.