Dream World

I have a dream.

Have you ever had a dream? Do you currently have a dream? Have long have you been "dreaming the dream"? Does your dream seem to be taking a bit too long to happen? Are you finding the gap between that dream and your day job to be widening by the minute?

Some days I am resentful of my day job. I resent the things I'm being asked to do. I resent the people I work with. I resent a lot of the undeserved privileges and blessings this job offers me. I'd rather be "livin' the dream". 

Dear God and colleagues, forgive me. Dear reader, if you are in the same position I hope you can learn from my mistakes.

I read another chapter of Quitter today. This book is a gem. Today, Jon (the author), helped me think through some of the issues I sometimes face at work. I just mentioned that I sometimes resent my job. Truth is, there is nothing wrong with the job itself. I even wrote last year about how amazing I thought it was. But the reason I believe I have resented it lately is because of the (wrong) way I have looked at it. While I wait for my dream to happen, while it's "incubating", and in order to stop making myself feel miserable about it, I need a change in perspective.

Three things Jon suggests: 

I need a 'purpose filter' - this purpose filter will help me start using my dream to improve my day job. Not just the other way around. My current job is as important as my dream. Indeed, without the security of my day job there would be no room for dreaming. Simple as that. So my job has a purpose, but it's not just a means to an end. If both are as important they must be complementary. My dream is about loving, caring for and serving people, and to some extent so is my job (I work as prayer and community facilitator for an international Christian charity). Jon reckons that every job gives you the opportunity to learn in that area, and reckon chances are that your dream, whatever it is, involves people too, unless your workplace or life is filled with robots and you are the only human around. Look at the parallels. And use them.

Do not 'steal' from work - this one came a bit as a surprise to me. Nobody likes to think of themselves as a thief. But if I look at my job description again and start measuring the amount of time I spend doing things that I am not actually being paid to do, the maths is pretty shocking. I am ashamed at how selfish I can be with other people's time. Way to stay focussed.

My day job is my advocate, not my adversary - I need to stop thinking that it's "me and my dream" against the rest of the world. My job is serving my dream. If I didn't have a day job, there would be no freedom to dream never mind explore or act on that dream. There would be no missioney/visioney trip to Japan this summer. My day job, however dull or boring or monotonous it can sometimes feel, is my ally and I need to remind myself of that every morning. After all, (to paraphrase Jon again), it's not fair to demand that my job meets the demands of my dream, cos that's not what my job is there for.

And you know the funniest part? It's that I'd be the first one to say all those things to a friend, things like "Wherever you are now is preparing you for what's next." then I'd encourage them to persevere and make the most of  the opportunity. But I sometimes find it difficult to believe it for myself.

So that's it! That's what I learned today. I am thankful for good advice and shall ponder these things throughout the week. Thoughts welcome.

-sando