Necessity, The Mother of Your Dream Job
posted October 29, 2009 - 11:04am
It’s been said that, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Well, it could also be the mother your dream job.
Out of necessity, the caveman invented the first wheel. Out of necessity, you will invent your
own dream job. Necessity is the mother of all invention. Photo from www.istockphoto.com/jgroup.
In my introduction to this column I mentioned that the Chinese character for crisis was an amalgamation of opportunity, and danger. I talked about how this personal, and public economic crisis of massive layoffs could drive you into an exciting new career if you can only keep your mind open. That is if you will only look at this unwanted situation as a learning adventure, and a time for personal, and spiritual growth, and not just as a personal crisis, great opportunities may come your way.1
Well, the crisis caused by your own personal recent lay off could be the impetus of you following your dream. And this statement is not just my own personal opinion anymore either. Even the experts agree.
Think about it. It’s only common sense. If you are earning good money, in what you and everyone around you consider a stable career, societal, and family pressures dictate that you keep it. You wouldn’t just quit your job to follow your dream, would you?
In the October 21, 2009 Arizona Republic article, “Necessity: The Mother of Reinvention” author Rick Hampson reports that when Carline Blake, a recruiter for an IT consulting firm quit her job to follow her dream job of operating her own dog walking business, her friends chided her with “Your leaving a good-paying job to walk dogs?”2
But if you were laid off, no one would blink twice if you announced, “I’m not looking for a new job. I’m going to work for myself. I’m opening up a new business.”
Po Branson in the 2002 New York Bestseller, What Should I Do With My Life? A True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question chronicles the journey of many who changed their careers.
Po Branson noted that in hard times people changed the course of their lives, in good times they only talked about changing their lives.
People that had suffered layoffs he reports were more likely to stumble into a better life than they were by careful planning, perhaps a temporary job taken purely for economic reasons forces people to open up to a whole unknown wonderful world. They discover gifts they never knew they had.
Some of the people interviewed for his career planning book What Should I Do With My Life? found that they had been living their dream job in the wrong locale – and they changed countries. Taking a job doing what they loved to do before only in a foreign country, and loving the sense of adventure of living in a foreign country brought them.
One twin learned that he could be unique, with his own career path separate from his twin. Some interviewees discovered that they were performing jobs that their family expected, but had no clue what they wanted to do for themselves. Some interviewees discerned that they were working in their dream job, but they were in the wrong industry. Others discovered that they had the wrong job all along but in the right industry. Without being laid off none would have had the courage to embark on this journey of self-discovery. For some the resolution of What Shall I Do With My Life? came in a sudden burst, an epiphany of understanding after a long spiritual retreat. Others experienced a long arduous journey of self-discover full of trials, and errors with self realization occurring gradually in a deep quiet manner. But all would have remained stuck, and unsatisfied in their current job, if not for some crisis that propelled them forward.3
In What Color Is Your Parachute the author of the best selling career planning book of all time, Richard Bolles, describes how he came to the writing world rather late in life after being fired from the priesthood. An Episcopal priest, Richard N. Bolles, had his parish yanked out from underneath him by the Bishop of his diocese. He was forced by economic realities to find a new career, a new calling, a new dream job. He found his higher “calling” through his personal crisis not as a clergyman, but has a writer. The process he went through and the journey he travelled helped him to help you find your dream job, your new calling. By a twist of fate this situation led him to his new career – Author of 8 million career planning books sold.4
Another expert, David Kyvig, a Northern Illinois University historian in The Arizona Republic article stated, “When things are going well, we tend to stay with what’s working. When they don’t we explore something new.”
Most of us don’t have the courage of Caroline Blake who quit on her own to pursue her dream. She said, “I still make a fine living. I enjoy my new job. Smartest thing I’ve ever done (to change careers). Every day a different dog.”2
The gaping hole in time and income left after a layoff has to be filled. If you are one of the fortunate ones your void will be filled by a process of self-discovery. You will discover your very own dream job!
Have courage. Live your own journey! Discover your dream job!
Endnotes:
1. L Wagen, A Wagon-Load of Free Job Hunting, and Career Advice, www.xomba.com, http://www.xomba.com/wagon_load_free_job_hunting_and_career_advice
2. Rick Hanpson, Necessity: The Mother of Reinvention, CareerBuilder, The Arizona Republic, October 21, 2008, CL1.
3. Po Bronson, What Should I Do With My Life? – The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question, Random House, New York, New York, © 2002, Revised Edition © 2003, pp.401.
4. Richard N. Bolles, What Color Is Your Parachute?, Ten Speed Press, PO Box 7123, Berkeley, California 94797, © 2005 edition, pp. 400.
For order information on the above books, and newspaper subscriptions click on the titles above or visit L Wagen's Bookstore.
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Comments
You scare me!
I entered this competition too and I see some serious competition with your entry :)
Well done! Well researched!
I would like to wish you luck, but I want to win, too. Oh, such a quandary! Well, good luck anyway – may we both be winners!
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nice article
i'm sure this will help to inspire people who are going through a rough patch to make the most of their situation. I definitely agree that sometimes bad things can be a blessing in disguise.
I remember reading this old story about a feudal society where a man wins a pedigree horse and thinks he is really lucky, then his son falls of the horse and is crippled and he thinks that getting the horse must have been a very unlucky thing, but then all the able young men are sent off to war and all of them die, but the man's son is left behind and survives, so it was lucky after all. I think there are even more twists in the full story, but the moral is that you never know how things are going to turn out.
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the job market
My company recently advertised for an entry-level warehouse worker. I received over 400 resumes to sort through. Many were degreed people that were over qualified. It makes me feel thankful that I have a job.
Great article!
Career Advice.
Good job and a timely article. I think that the spirit of reinvention should become part of our collective mentality as a nation. If we don't adapt and change we are doomed to economic failure. Thanks again.
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Thanks for Backing Me Up
Thanks for backing me up wdzz! It's good to know others fell on hard times and with a little faith, hope, and effort things worked out for the best! Thanks for sharing wdzz!
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It's a Hit! Inspiring!
Great article and full of hope for those in tough times. Brought to my mind certain times in my life that were very hard and made me search....the search was hard....but end results were good.
Thank you!
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