Does your career allow you to think about or plan the future with imagination and wisdom? When was the last time you enjoyed your career? What do you want in your career development?
Think about those questions, lean into them. Creating your dream career is about understanding yourself so you can get what you want. Your career is long, and not just from 18-65 years old. It’s the sum of your life activities through your living and breathing moments. Sometimes you don’t even get paid for part of your career (*whispers,* it’s called volunteer work).
My name is Laurette Lee, from Phoenix Career Development, and I have been an employment specialist for eight years. The absence of goals and dreams in my life after becoming an employment specialist was one of the attributes that caused me to experience a serious heart condition – cardiomyopathy. We need meaning in life; we need a vision. Life is a gift, and you can find success in your pain. My vision is: a journey of epic proportions. I want my life to be mind-blowing, slay dragons, go on lots of adventures and live every day with extreme blessing, hope, gratitude and grace.
Life is a journey in which you are becoming better or bitter. I reside to have a life that is a healing journey. To be my own best friend and choose to create the phoenix moments in my life. Why the phoenix? Because we die. We have these moments of deconstruction in our lives. What do we do when we cannot get out of the muck and mire of our lives? The simple answer is we decide to go on an adventure and claim our vision in life. Choose your adventure, create a career you love deeply in your physical, spiritual and mental being. I believe in synergy, and life is not meant to rock a solo journey.
It’s been four years since the hospital beeps almost went silent on my life. The doctor gave me three options: die, stay the same or get better. Nowhere in the wisdom of the doctor was a miracle. I wanted to do the impossible and heal completely from a serious heart condition. I sat in the hospital bed and thought, what vision am I going to create for my life?
“Let’s go on a journey of epic proportions,” I thought. “It’s time to enjoy life at this moment. Your core being is very quiet. You do not share your vulnerability with everyone. Your weakness is where your strength dwells. We must be weak so that we can connect with our authenticity. The dream career is enjoying a life you created; you set the rules and you live your top four values aggressively to choose happiness in your life.”
With the ever-changing economy a new model of career development must be introduced based on multiple streams of income and streams of personal growth. The seven streams of income model I use is about diversifying your income. Don’t just have one source of income; have many different ways to generate revenue. But connecting to potential business opportunities starts with understanding yourself and what you want in life – your personal vision, mission, purpose and values. Life is meant to have choices and be lived with zest for your vision.
As Walt Whitman said, “Happiness, not in another place, but this place … not for another hour, but for this hour.” Stop scratching, twisting, numbing and self-sabotaging. Start creating a career that has your vision in life. Your dream career is possible.
