Finding the Sweet Spot

In life, there is a constant struggle to love what you are doing.   We do this by trying to find things we like about work, things we love about school, and things that we enjoy while at home.  Each stage in life has  perks that we can benefit from.  Perhaps the biggest struggle out of all the things we do is finding enjoyment in work, careers and jobs.

     I've been thinking about this a lot lately since I'm an undecided major in school.  I know what I love: English, Journalism, Literature, and History.   I know what I'm good at: Music and writing.  So the "sweet spot" for career choices would be at the intersection of what I'm good at and what I love.  While it sounds simple, believe me, it's not.  On American Idol, you see many people come up and say that they love singing.  But when they open their mouth to sing, it is anything but lovely.  Even though they love it, they haven't found their sweet spot since what they love isn't crossing anywhere with what they are good at.  Or you will look at people making six-figures at a job that they hate.  While they are rich and famous, they dread their work because what they are good at hasn't crossed with what they love.  

    Then, it's looking down the road and seeing what you can use in whatever situation you are in.  For instance,  I feel God is calling me to the vocation of marriage and motherhood.  I know that if I'm called to this vocation, then I'd like what I learn in college to be applicable.  Yet you don't come out of college with just a degree.  You come out with experience in networking, discipline, budgeting, decision making and situational awareness.  These are things that you can apply to any situation.

    Last night, my sister brought up the point that she thought paying thousands of dollars for a degree in say, History education, would be worthless since I could get married, stay home, and not have a job in the education world.  Yet if I educated my children at home, I would be using the education side of the degree, and could emphasize knowledge in the historical side of subjects.  Also, the discipline of saying no to other financial wants in order to say yes to college payments would be beneficial in being able to learn how to balance a budget - a skill that I can use for the rest of my life.  

     There are so many ways to use a degree besides the "normal" ways.  If one got a degree in marital counseling, you could go the obvious route and begin counseling couples in a business setting.  Or you could become a married person yourself, and use the knowledge that you have gained to benefit your own marriage.  Another option would be to build a family, and be able to offer your knowledge to your Church family and friends, with your knowledge of the situation and handling of it being a benefit to others in your life.  

     There is a way to find the sweet spot in your life in whatever stage you are in.  This can be seen in the dedicated college student, the single person in a career path, the mother at home, the father providing for his family, or the older person going back into the workforce after his or her vocation of raising children has finished.  The key to finding the sweet spot though is listening to where God wants you to be now - and rejoicing always in the knowledge that you are doing His will. 

God bless,

Chloe M.