Mar. 28, 2016 "Follow your dream, pursue your passion": I cut out this article by Jessica Leeder in the Globe and Mail on Jan. 5, 2013. In the Globe and Mail website, it went by this title "Why you should ditch the long hours and learn to dance." This article is happy and inspirational:
Barely a week into 2013, a key line item may be worth adding to your list of New Year’s resolutions, however dog-eared. Dig it out, find a pen, and jot this down: Follow my passion.
It may feel hokey and farfetched, especially if your passions consist of things such as learning to flamenco dance, being paid to travel the world, writing a book or opening a cupcake shop. No matter. Pursuing them could be the best strategy for success in 2013, said Susan Biali, a Vancouver physician turned professional dancer, speaker and writer.
She is part of the growing swath of people in Canada who are finding happiness and renewed professional success by reordering their priorities – and coaching others to do the same.
“It does not mean that you stop going to work,” Dr. Biali said. “It’s about making sure that our focus on work and finances doesn’t crowd out the things that give life its deepest richness. Make sure this is the year that you sign up for that watercolour course or take your family to Thailand – and work isn’t going to stop you.”
More than 80 per cent of Canadian respondents to a recent survey commissioned by American Express said they plan to learn new things this year. And about 90 per cent said following their passions should take priority over all other commitments. For Dr. Biali, those numbers signify a crucial shift in the minds of a burned-out population.
“We’ve all been living out the wrong formula for success, linking it too closely with over-ambition and long working hours,” she said.
Dr. Biali followed her dream of becoming a professional dancer after falling into a deep depression as an emergency room resident. She now juggles a multifaceted career as an entertainer, motivational speaker, author and “very” part-time family physician. She said she is happier and more successful than she ever imagined.
“You want to be happy at work because it represents such a gigantic part of your life,” said Gretchen Rubin, the New York-based lawyer-turned-author of The Happiness Project.
The book charted her year-long effort to test-drive studies and theories about how to improve happiness. “Admiration and approval of the people around us is very sweet, but it is not enough to be the foundation of a happy life,” Ms. Rubin said, adding: “You really have to have a very clear vision of what is for you.”
For Jean Blacklock, that vision first came when she was a girl. The Saskatchewn native loved to bake and cook and dreamed of having her own food business. “Everyone said, ‘You can do that later. You can bake and cook as part of your hobbies, but it’s a tough, tough field, and you should get a real job,’” recalled Ms. Blacklock, who went on to become an estate planning lawyer in Calgary and then took an executive role with Bank of Montreal.
In 2009, she married another bank executive and left the company. To determine her next professional step, Ms. Blacklock looked back on her early passions and eventually launched Prairie Girl Bakery, a high-end cupcake business in Toronto’s financial district. Come April, she will open her third location, in the city’s tony Yorkville district.
Still, she said there have been unexpected hurdles. “If it’s a huge success, it’s going to be a ton of work,” she cautioned would-be entrepreneurs. “There’s a lot of times when it might look really fun from the outside, but it’s hard work. This is what I didn’t think about.”
For Deb Corbeil and Dave Bouskill, married travel bloggers who left jobs in Vancouver’s film industry to roam the globe full-time in 2007, loving their job makes hard work and stress easier to face. “I’m never thinking ‘Oh gosh, I can’t wait until I’m 65 to retire.’ I think it’s because we finally found what we wanted,” Ms. Corbeil said.
The couple planned carefully to get there. It took seven years to engineer their complete exit from the film world. Then they alternately worked to save money and travelled, test-driving ideas that would allow them to make a good income doing what they loved.
Now they travel – staying with relatives in Woodstock, Ont., when in Canada – write about their adventures on their website, The PlanetD.com, and speak at conferences. The first step to being able to do more of what you love to do, Mr. Bouskill advised, is to think small. “Too many people think: ‘I have to quit everything and start new.’ That’s the worst thing you can do.
“You need to think about it, find what you want to do, make a plan. The life change isn’t going to happen overnight.”
Ms. Blacklock’s advice for the professionally disgruntled is equally practical. “It doesn’t have to be 2013 that you actually quit your job,” she said. “There’s a lot we can do mentally to move our hopes and dreams along without actually handing in our resignation letter.”
Dr. Biali recommends starting with a “bucket list” of goals and interests. “Then pick something on that list you can start doing in some way right now.
“If you at least have some area of your life where you’re pursuing what you’re passionate about, it’s a light that lights up the other corners of your life.”
Here are the comments:
KeepThemHonest 1177 days ago
I would recommend lessons in ballroom dancing as part of leadership training. For most leaders this is an easy way to get them outside their comfort zone and be in a student mode (i.e.inexperienced).
Basser 1178 days ago
Great advice for the wealthy among us. Unforunately most of us would have to settle for a little less dream
David Gibson 1178 days ago
If I read another lemming using the term "bucket list" again, I shall go into a spasm of projectile vomiting.
JohnS1 1178 days ago
Imagine a man doing this ? He would quickly become divorced.
Funny how feminists don't see this.
Of course, they helped create the world we find ourselves in, then cut and run when they realize it is not working for THEM.
The most important thing in life is RELATIONSHIPS not things, stuff, or places or organizations.
Women have been sold the pap that they dont need relationships for decades, finally they are realizing it is not true.
Funny how feminists don't see this.
Of course, they helped create the world we find ourselves in, then cut and run when they realize it is not working for THEM.
The most important thing in life is RELATIONSHIPS not things, stuff, or places or organizations.
Women have been sold the pap that they dont need relationships for decades, finally they are realizing it is not true.
NormRuttan 1178 days ago
Very good advice for professionals, with money in the bank. They can apply this, as they don't need to worry about the next meal, the next month's rent, etc.
Very bad advice for the majority of Canadians, especially younger Canadians, who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
We need to re-engineer our society to provide for these mostly younger people, who are struggling like the baby boomers never had to struggle.
1 reply
Very bad advice for the majority of Canadians, especially younger Canadians, who are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.
We need to re-engineer our society to provide for these mostly younger people, who are struggling like the baby boomers never had to struggle.
KeepThemHonest 1177 days ago
I learned ballroom dancing as a member of a university club--very affordable.
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Why you should ditch long hours and learn to dance
Finding career success may involve reordering your priorities and quitting your day job
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"Advice on how to score your dream job": I cut out this article in the Metro on May 4, 2015:
The weeks before a student’s college graduation can be equal parts exciting and terrifying — as college seniors eagerly prepare themselves for life in the real world and their first jobs.
“What you study is not necessarily where you’ll end up in life,” notes Malena Higuera, the senior vice president of marketing for L’Oreal Paris. Higuera was one of the guests at a recent panel entitled “How to Get Your Dream Job — The New Success Secrets for 2015” hosted by Glamour magazine.
Other guests on the all-star panel included “Transparent” star Gaby Hoffmann, First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray and the best-selling novelist Jennifer Weiner.
We’ve rounded up some of their best advice for new grads:
How to choose the right career path: “My only ambition was to be happy, and to do so, I knew that I had to act,” says Hoffmann. “I needed to know myself and figure out what I really wanted. I didn’t do anything for a while and then started taking every single job. This is when I realized that acting was what made me happy and where I wanted to be in life.”
Look to learn on the job: “I started at a crappy newspaper where I would cover every single thing for two and a half years before I decided to leave,” recalls Weiner. “This experience was the best I could have ever had because it gave me the foundation of my actual job. My advice is to start small so you won’t get disappointed later on.”
Embrace the teachable moments: It’s especially important, says McCray, to “push past your comfort zone and get out there. Make mistakes. You’ll learn from them.” Weiner echoes the sentiment. “You are going to learn from bad experiences so don’t be scared to take risks,” she says.
Special honors: Glamour magazine also honored NYU junior Mansi Prakash, who was declared the grand prize winner of the magazine’s Top 10 College Women 2015 contest. Prakash’s nonprofit “Brighter Today” is working to bring electricity to every home in India by sending environmentally friendly lightbulbs to small villages.
Oct. 12, 2016 "Gen y student guide for navigating career questions": Today I found this article by Lauren Friese (Talent Egg) in the Globe and Mail:
If you are a college or university student, and particularly one enrolled in a program with a degree title that doesn’t match a job title in today’s workplace, you’ve likely been asked, “What are you going to do with a degree in X?”
It can be stressful to communicate your plans if you don’t know or aren’t sure what your next steps will be. Here’s a handy guide:
You don’t know, and that’s okay: Many people wrongfully equate your choice of degree subject matter with your ambition and career focus. However, in an environment of constant change, it’s nearly impossible to predict what hard skills and job training will be in demand by the time you graduate.
Your undergraduate education is preparing you for an adult life of consistent, constant learning, whether it’s through employer-sponsored professional development, bootcamps, online courses or other outside education.
Your undergraduate education is preparing you for an adult life of consistent, constant learning, whether it’s through employer-sponsored professional development, bootcamps, online courses or other outside education.
Ask me again in two to five years: We were the first generation to grow up being told to “follow your passion” – creating an increased gap between what we expect from the workplace and what’s actually on offer. For those of you in the arts and humanities, it will be tougher to get that first job while you wait for employers to complete the shift from saying they value soft skills to actually implementing strategies that lead to real change.
But the good news is that while it may be harder at the beginning, the available data shows that you’ll be just fine five years after graduation, and your university or college education will make you better off than if you had entered the labour market directly out of high school.
But the good news is that while it may be harder at the beginning, the available data shows that you’ll be just fine five years after graduation, and your university or college education will make you better off than if you had entered the labour market directly out of high school.
There’s more to postsecondary education than just education: Make sure to point out the activities you are involved in, the connections you are making and the experience you are building.
Each experience you take part in on campus is providing you with the opportunity to learn about yourself and the environment you will thrive in during your career.
Each experience you take part in on campus is providing you with the opportunity to learn about yourself and the environment you will thrive in during your career.
Turn the tables – you might be surprised A short while ago, I met a recent graduate who told me that her aunt once asked her what she planned to do with her science-based undergraduate degree.
The grad didn’t know, so she asked her aunt if she had any feedback or ideas that might help her choose a path. The aunt suggested she leverage her passion for writing and proven ability to learn to a career in communications, a path in which she is now flourishing.
The grad didn’t know, so she asked her aunt if she had any feedback or ideas that might help her choose a path. The aunt suggested she leverage her passion for writing and proven ability to learn to a career in communications, a path in which she is now flourishing.
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My week:
Aug. 15, 2017 Office job interview: I did this interview a few weeks ago.
Pros:
1. It was in downtown.
2. It was good pay and benefits.
3. I can do the job.
4. Good hours.
Cons:
1. It may be too stressful.
My opinion: I told them I was interested in the job. I would work there if I got hired.
Juice place job interview: I did the interview today.
Pros:
1. The pay was min. wage, but there are tips.
2. I get a free original drink when working. 50% off the other special drinks and food.
3. The hours are fine. I would have to work 1 evening a week.
4. I can do the job.
5. It is a 1hr bus ride and that's like my 1st restaurant job.
Cons:
1. It may be too busy. I can work.
My opinion: I would work there if I got hired.
The boss who interviewed me asked questions like why I didn't apply to places closer to where I live.
Tracy: I did. I applied to all over downtown and I couldn't get a job. So that's why I had to apply further out.
She even asked about why I don't have a professional writing career.
Tracy: I tried to get my TV script produced and pitched to TV production companies for 5 yrs. I have 2 blogs.
Boss: Maybe write a book.
Tracy: I don't know exactly what to write about.
Aug. 17, 2017 2nd restaurant job: I worked there for a week last month. Here are some things that went on:
1. Na got fired. She called in sick 3 times in 5 weeks.
2. This guy got heart surgery and went back to China.
3. The 2nd restaurant closed down after 3 yrs. The 1st restaurant closed down last yr (had been open for 13 yrs).
4. G quit. I'm Facebook friends with her and she got a retail job.
Food trucks: My boss M told me about these.
Business license for a food truck: $75.
Business license for a Restaurant: $200.
Food truck: They don't pay utilities.
Restaurant: They pay utilities.
Food truck: They can open whenever and wherever they want.
Restaurant: They open even when it's quiet.
M complained that it's too hard to compete against food trucks. She doesn't mind competing with other restaurants because they pay the same business license and things she does.
Aug. 21, 2017: Last week I manifested 6 job interviews. One of them was at a hair salon where I had applied many times, but never got an interview until now.
3 of them were for admin jobs (like hair salon receptionist) and 3 of them were at restaurants.
The highlight of last week was that I watched 2 episodes of 21 Thunder.
Aug. 22, 2017 Receptionist job interview: I did one last week. I arrived 15 min. early and dressed professionally.
Pros:
Juice place job interview: I did the interview today.
Pros:
1. The pay was min. wage, but there are tips.
2. I get a free original drink when working. 50% off the other special drinks and food.
3. The hours are fine. I would have to work 1 evening a week.
4. I can do the job.
5. It is a 1hr bus ride and that's like my 1st restaurant job.
Cons:
1. It may be too busy. I can work.
My opinion: I would work there if I got hired.
The boss who interviewed me asked questions like why I didn't apply to places closer to where I live.
Tracy: I did. I applied to all over downtown and I couldn't get a job. So that's why I had to apply further out.
She even asked about why I don't have a professional writing career.
Tracy: I tried to get my TV script produced and pitched to TV production companies for 5 yrs. I have 2 blogs.
Boss: Maybe write a book.
Tracy: I don't know exactly what to write about.
Aug. 17, 2017 2nd restaurant job: I worked there for a week last month. Here are some things that went on:
1. Na got fired. She called in sick 3 times in 5 weeks.
2. This guy got heart surgery and went back to China.
3. The 2nd restaurant closed down after 3 yrs. The 1st restaurant closed down last yr (had been open for 13 yrs).
4. G quit. I'm Facebook friends with her and she got a retail job.
Food trucks: My boss M told me about these.
Business license for a food truck: $75.
Business license for a Restaurant: $200.
Food truck: They don't pay utilities.
Restaurant: They pay utilities.
Food truck: They can open whenever and wherever they want.
Restaurant: They open even when it's quiet.
M complained that it's too hard to compete against food trucks. She doesn't mind competing with other restaurants because they pay the same business license and things she does.
Aug. 21, 2017: Last week I manifested 6 job interviews. One of them was at a hair salon where I had applied many times, but never got an interview until now.
3 of them were for admin jobs (like hair salon receptionist) and 3 of them were at restaurants.
The highlight of last week was that I watched 2 episodes of 21 Thunder.
Aug. 22, 2017 Receptionist job interview: I did one last week. I arrived 15 min. early and dressed professionally.
Pros:
1. It was downtown.
2. Good pay.
3. I can do the job.
Cons: None.
My opinion: I would work there. However, during the interview I know it wasn't going well. The boss said to me that: "I don't feel a connection."
I tried to save it by saying: "I'm tense and nervous."
I didn't get hired, but I have to deal with it by writing about it.
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