Beyond the Comfort Zone

Push past the place where you are right now. Taking action and taking chances will be the only way that you can ever take charge of your future. Then there is the cautious side of me that says “take the steady job and regular paycheck even it is not all that you desire.”

How many times do we sit at these cross roads and take the easy path? Sometimes the path that we choose may not be all that much easier, but at least it is familiar. The unknown can be the scariest part of stepping out.

Making the Right Choice

1. Weight the differences. Taking the job may get you a paycheck, but will it derail you from spending time writing the things that you have a passion to write? Be honest. If I am not going to spend those hours on my own writing then I might as well get paid.

2. Review the complete possibility. Maybe the things you will write for pay will also be content that you can twist and reuse for your own benefits. That way you get paid to write but you also create your own material. Can you make it work?

3. Think about others. Taking this job for filler may mean taking a job from someone who needs (and wants) it more. You might consider talking to the employer and see if there might be someone else that is better suited for the job. Are you stealing a blessing that belongs to another? Just because I can do something does not mean that I should do it.

4. Consider your enthusiasm. A job that pays may not be the same as one that drives passion. We all need to make a living, but doing something just for the money will steal your joy and suck the energy out of everything around you. Can you keep up an enthusiasm for the writing?

I sit at these crossroads right now, and the truth for me this time comes in the form of support. The income that this job opportunity will provide will cover all the expenses I incur with my writing AND will give me new funding to expand.

The answers that I had to these four questions helped me to find my way to the right path this time. The answer to my writing dilemmas will change as I push forward, grow in my opportunities and abilities, and change direction. Coming back to these simple questions will help me to stay on track.