What is it about change? What about change-in all it’s uncertainty-forces certain people to just completely shut down? Is it Fear? As I have come to understand in my lifetime, fear is the root of all unhappiness and unhappiness stems from one’s inability to change. In knowing this, I have always made a conscious effort to welcome change into my life. A creator of personal prints and someone who’s small obsession with an abundance of quotes glimmers quite obvious; one of my all time favorite quotes has always been that on Darwinism:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It’s the one that’s the most adaptable to change.”
Truer words were never spoken. While I’ve dabbled in my own guilty moments of peaceful contention, I’ve never lost the ambition to seek new paths. An explorer at heart, I’ll seek my kicks in every corner. While I may find myself often limited by particular life-choices, this doesn’t mean that I have to sacrifice who I am as a person, my happiness and my curiosity.
Last night, I came across a quote on a friend’s Facebook that took me by surprise. Perhaps it was that I had never heard this quote, (which is indeed surprising as I creep thousands of quotes per week). . . or maybe it was the fact that it completely encompassed my life in that exact moment.
I sat both confused and inspired on my couch alone. Was this what I was afraid of? Was I afraid? Was I myself, resisting change?
While a constant argument in my home tends to circle around any substance of modification, my husband often states his inability or desire for any type of drastic change. He’s content. I often find myself frustrated and bewildered at such a person. Am I content? Sure, for a hot minute while I’m sipping tea and watching Netflix in my Northface pants. I can be down right humble at times . . . but I’ll always be self-seeking, ever changing. I strive for personal growth. . . the adrenaline in not knowing. Yet here I am afraid of some of Life’s “What Ifs”.
- When I started this blog, I was afraid. Afraid of publishing content, afraid of my layout, afraid of being boring, afraid I would look like I had NO idea what I was doing. Well guess what? I still don’t. Oh and guess again, that’s Ok.
- My Etsy Shop? I’m afraid it won’t become what I want it to be. I want busy, I want traffic, I want a full time commitment. While I can’t predict the future, I can do my part in making sure I’m on the right track to success. It’s something I enjoy and it brings happiness to people all around me.
- Crafting? #SeriousAmateurRightHere but hey, I’m totally addicted. While I’m often afraid of attempting a difficult project, I’m always finding way to expand my creativity and take it to the next level-One step at a time.
So now what? Time for CHANGE. I want to stop fearing the “what if’s” and become the “what’s up”! I want independence, self reliability, individual worth. I need that, for me. I need to take my passion for the creative and put it to work. I want my passion to become a career and this career to be my passion. So I ask you: what’s the next step? I love this quote for the very reason that I’m NOT a professional, yet I have no idea how to take a step back from the professional (corporate) world and just BE. Be an amateur. Be willing to accept that things wont be perfect, wont be pretty; however, I just may succeed.
Have any of you turned your passion into a career? Did your career become your passion? What’s the secret to loving what you do and doing what you love??
♥ Cheers!
twinewithatwist.com 
when i was in school, i thought for sure i’d be in finance/business. i was on that path and quickly found out that i am not made to crunch numbers all the live long day. i wanted to drop out but i couldn’t because my parents would legit kick my ass! my hobby has always been computers/technology/anything geeky and the school had just launched a pilot program that was comp sci with a twist: less theory and more hands-on. the classes were taught by professionals who worked at places like IBM, oracle, Microsoft etc and this was in response to the dot com boom (i totally just showed my age here). the industry needed people to be able to hit the ground running with technology, networks, computers and the exponential growth of the industry was calling for thousands of spots to be filled with people they didn’t have.
so i enrolled. my parents had high hopes for me to be some fancy business/accounting/finance person but i had to listen to my heart and go with what i loved. which actually served me well because after examining the direction of technology/industry and where things were moving, i’m glad i did – technology will ONLY grow and accelerate and i’ve loved doing what i’ve been doing since i got recruited out of school.
the key is to just take the plunge; listen to your heart. if you fail, you fail but all that means is that you just have to try again. my first few jobs in the IT industry were unsuccessful as i stumbled to find the role that i loved and when i did, BEST FEELING ever. i wouldn’t change a thing.
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Kathy,
Thank you! I need to hear this. I graduated with that fancy business degree and have held 3 positions with my degree since graduation. The first two were an absolute flop. I just couldn’t stand my direction. I finally landed myself in the golf industry and control all our social media and PR. I really enjoy the work, the location/flexibility, my co-family (as I call them) and the “start-up” culture. It’s an exciting company, lots of growth – I just sometimes feel like my personal growth or responsibility if you will isn’t growing quite as fast. I WANT to always be learning more, to be that person that’s indispensable.
I just have always had this deep down passion to do something on my own. I love the creativity I get to capture with my Etsy shop and can’t help but feel like I’m meant for something more personal. I want to control my career in every aspect. I just don’t know how exactly I can do that with a mortgage, car payment, daycare, bills and well-you get the point. It’s been a wild year and I’m learning a lot both in and outside of work and my own life. . . I just sometimes feel like taking this plunge would be an absolute waste of my degree. *You clearly get my point on that one. Hell, I’m still paying the student loans on that useless piece of paper!
Thanks so much for your insight, I truly appreciate it! Xo
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I’m one of those people who HATE change. It gives me TERRIBLE anxiety… I’ve actually thrown up on MYSELF out of nowhere just THINKING about upcoming changes, in the past. It’s dumb, because some changes have been changes for the better. I’m just a creature of habit… always have been and always will be. I’m a homebody. I don’t LIKE to branch out very often. It limits me, I’m sure of that.
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Amanda- That’s My PJ! He’s quite the homebody himself and as you know, is quite content with the same friends since grade school, same Area Code his entire life and most-if not all-discussions of anything out of the ordinary are squashed immediately. I drive myself crazy sick when there isn’t change! LoL polar opposites but somehow it works. . . I NEED change or I’m instantly bored. Xo!
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