I have a job I do not like
It bores my soul to tears,
But I’ve been hired to ride a bike
So let’s all let out some cheers!
--------------------------------
Today marks my fourth to last day at my first post-graduation job. Upon graduating last December, I had just spent months as a Recreation Therapy Intern at an acute psychiatric hospital. It had been an amazing experience, full of an interesting array of highs and lows. The patients there are incredible individuals, who were mostly an absolute joy to know. There were some openings for full-time positions that would have allowed me to go right into the field that I had spent four years studying, which was perfect timing. You really can't ask for a better deal when graduating. But as I considered applying, I balked. I just didn't feel like it was what I wanted to do.
So what did I want to do?
Jackson and I had been married for less than two weeks, so I wanted to be able to provide for us.
I wanted to feel safe and secure in the workplace (something that wasn't always guaranteed at my internship).
We also wanted a set schedule that would allow us to see each other in the evenings when Jackson was out of class.
Most of all, I wanted job security, even if I wasn't passionate about the position.
That is why I have been so grateful that I landed the job that according to my poem, "I do not like". It's at a company that creates educational computer software for children. I sit at a desk with multiple computer monitors for eight hours a day, creating quotes, contracts, and reports. It is a bludgeonly (not a real word, but "bludgeon" was the only accurate description) boring, even to the point of literal tears (as Jackson can attest to). However, when the dull monotony would begin to sink into my bones I would remind myself, "look at your list of requirements for a job! This is what you wanted! Be grateful!"
Again. My heart is full of gratitude that I was able to get a job that provided us with our specific needs at that time. I think I needed to box myself in a cage to truly understand what I wanted to do with my life. A couple of months ago, after an especially long and unfulfilling day, I ran across this quote by T.D. Jakes, "if you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose."
And right now, my passion has everything to do with bikes.
Identifying one of my most joyous passions allowed me to envision the possibility of letting that become my purpose. This led me to start thinking about the possibility of somehow working in the biking industry. Jackson and I actually fasted and prayed that I would be given a chance to chase this somewhat ambiguous dream.
Fast forward about TWO DAYS later and an opportunity to be Program Director for a youth mountain bike camp seemed to plop right into my lap, straight from the Bike Gods themselves. So yes! I am quitting my unbearably tedious desk job to force kids to bike in the blazing hot Utah sun! It may be a pay cut, but it is the biggest HAPPINESS RAISE I have ever received, a currency that seems to be the first to go in life decisions. As this position is a temporary one, I will have even more opportunities to explore who and what I want to be when I "grow up" once the summer ends. So all in all, very exciting and unknown things are ahead of us!
The program is a new one, so if you have kids in the Provo area who want to participate then let me know! It is through the Provo Bicycle Collective, a non-profit organization that wants everybody and their Great Uncle Norris to bike, especially those who might otherwise not have those kinds of opportunities (low socioeconomic status, children, etc.).
How wonderful it is to be able to do and be different things in this life. I wouldn't take back my experience of working at a boring desk job, because now I know I can do it if I need to. Feeling trapped inside a deathtrap every day made me more proactive in finding out how I could connect my passions with a career, as well as finding joy in the little things. (I'm looking at you, plants and daily running breaks during lunch). Wow. Life lessons learned. I am so wise, I am open for free career consultations.
Everybody chant with me! BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKEEEESSSSSSSS
--------------------------------
Today marks my fourth to last day at my first post-graduation job. Upon graduating last December, I had just spent months as a Recreation Therapy Intern at an acute psychiatric hospital. It had been an amazing experience, full of an interesting array of highs and lows. The patients there are incredible individuals, who were mostly an absolute joy to know. There were some openings for full-time positions that would have allowed me to go right into the field that I had spent four years studying, which was perfect timing. You really can't ask for a better deal when graduating. But as I considered applying, I balked. I just didn't feel like it was what I wanted to do.
So what did I want to do?
Jackson and I had been married for less than two weeks, so I wanted to be able to provide for us.
I wanted to feel safe and secure in the workplace (something that wasn't always guaranteed at my internship).
We also wanted a set schedule that would allow us to see each other in the evenings when Jackson was out of class.
Most of all, I wanted job security, even if I wasn't passionate about the position.
That is why I have been so grateful that I landed the job that according to my poem, "I do not like". It's at a company that creates educational computer software for children. I sit at a desk with multiple computer monitors for eight hours a day, creating quotes, contracts, and reports. It is a bludgeonly (not a real word, but "bludgeon" was the only accurate description) boring, even to the point of literal tears (as Jackson can attest to). However, when the dull monotony would begin to sink into my bones I would remind myself, "look at your list of requirements for a job! This is what you wanted! Be grateful!"
Again. My heart is full of gratitude that I was able to get a job that provided us with our specific needs at that time. I think I needed to box myself in a cage to truly understand what I wanted to do with my life. A couple of months ago, after an especially long and unfulfilling day, I ran across this quote by T.D. Jakes, "if you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose."
And right now, my passion has everything to do with bikes.
 |
| Photos from me and Jackson's "mock bridals", taken by DIOSELYN CRUZ!!!!! |
Fast forward about TWO DAYS later and an opportunity to be Program Director for a youth mountain bike camp seemed to plop right into my lap, straight from the Bike Gods themselves. So yes! I am quitting my unbearably tedious desk job to force kids to bike in the blazing hot Utah sun! It may be a pay cut, but it is the biggest HAPPINESS RAISE I have ever received, a currency that seems to be the first to go in life decisions. As this position is a temporary one, I will have even more opportunities to explore who and what I want to be when I "grow up" once the summer ends. So all in all, very exciting and unknown things are ahead of us!
The program is a new one, so if you have kids in the Provo area who want to participate then let me know! It is through the Provo Bicycle Collective, a non-profit organization that wants everybody and their Great Uncle Norris to bike, especially those who might otherwise not have those kinds of opportunities (low socioeconomic status, children, etc.).
How wonderful it is to be able to do and be different things in this life. I wouldn't take back my experience of working at a boring desk job, because now I know I can do it if I need to. Feeling trapped inside a deathtrap every day made me more proactive in finding out how I could connect my passions with a career, as well as finding joy in the little things. (I'm looking at you, plants and daily running breaks during lunch). Wow. Life lessons learned. I am so wise, I am open for free career consultations.
Everybody chant with me! BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKES BIKEEEESSSSSSSS
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