Your Mission, Should You choose to Accept It

During a long drive to an event, a colleague confessed to me that although he'd been working with our group for a number of years, he still didn't feel as though he belonged. All the members were friendly but there seemed to be an impenetrable bond between the founding members that made it hard for newcomers to feel wholly included. His words struck a chord with me; I had been with the group for nearly a decade and still had similar frustrations.

As we discussed possible reasons for this and what we could do about it, I remembered something I had read during the past week. I'd picked up an interesting book from a library shelving cart - Pronoia is the Antidote to Paranoia: How the Universe is Conspiring to Shower You With Blessings by Rob Breszny. The title grabbed me so I took it home.

The book contains thousands of ideas for making mundane life more magical, ranging from the practical to the wild. The activity that intrigued me most was called the Secret Job Title. In this exercise Breszny invites readers to counteract OTJ boredom by choosing a special contribution to make or role to play at work. Our official job titles - Receptionist, Repair Technician, Sales Associate - are cconferred upon us by our employers. Secret job titles, however - Peacemaker, Healer, Comic Relief Expert - are up to us.

Thinking about this, in one of those rare synchronistic moments it all came together for me. In the aforementioned group, in a committee I was chairing and at my son's school, I was noticing how cliquish behavior keeps members of a group from contributing their best work and drives new members away. My own secret job title popped out at me, gift-wrapped, tied with a bow and ready to go: Inclusion Specialist.

Over the course of a year I developed this idea: I wrote a job description, planned specific actions I could take in the various groups to which I belonged, and noted the results. I tried to help new members feel welcome by showing them the ropes and soliciting their input. At times I either attempted to pry open an inner circle or created an alternative circle that outsiders could join.

Having a secret job or mission has not solved all the interpersonal problems I've encountered when working with groups or miraculously zapped boredom completely. However, it has given me a sense of purpose that I can take with me into any activity.

I challenge my readers to choose a secret job for themselves. By doing so, you'll change not only yourself but also your world.

Links to Cool Sites

The website & blog Notes on Passion provides inspiration for those of us who are working on dreams even as we're working at the job:

notesonpassion.com

After reading the initial entries, I've been motivated to make my own changes. Check it out!

Choosing a Compatible Day Job

Your day job can help make or break your after-hours vocation; therefore, choosing which field to enter is important. Here are some factors to consider:

• What are your family obligations? You can care for children and other dependents while working in any job but some work environments make it harder than others.
• Is your vocation sedentary or active? If you're a writer, working a physically demanding job is more manageable than if you're a dancer or soccer player.
• Are there certain hours or days when you'll want to be free to practice your vocation? If you're a jazz musician who plays in clubs, Saturday night is a bad time to have to show up for work. If a crazy work schedule is getting in the way of your dream, can you take a few classes at a community college in order to transition into a more compatible field?
  
• What are you good at? Even if you're looking for entry-level work, you still have a number of occupations from which to choose. Retail, office and labor occupations all demand different skills. If you're just starting to work on a dream, carefully consider how you want to earn the money to pay for it. For example, an MFA in Creative Writing probably won't immediately lead to full-time freelancing; taking office technology classes while still in school would be a practical day job move, plus the computer skills will come in handy as you pursue your writing.
  

In her book The Renaissance Soul, Margaret Lobenstine details a number of requirements for a good day job. Ideally your job should fulfill at least one of them. Possibilities include:

• A good income that will not only pay your living expenses but also help support your vocation.
• A generous amount of free time and/or a flexible schedule.
• The opportunity to learn skills that will help you pursue your dream.
• The opportunity to make connections with people who could help you.
• Resources you can take advantage of on the job.

Since finding a job that fulfills all of these could be difficult, know which benefits are most important to you.

I highly recommend Lobenstine's book as a resource for the successful double life - visit http://www.togetunstuck.com/index.htm for more information.