My sinuses willing, I plan on spending some quality time tomorrow scouring online ads. While I would settle for almost any job at the moment, I would really like a job that likes me back. That is, I would really like to find a job this time that doesn't suck the very life out of me. My last job did that. Like I have said before on this blog, I had a migraine almost every day for over four years when I was working as a law clerk. I don't know if the constant pain speaks more to the people I had to work with or to the job itself. I do know, however, that I don't ever want to be in that situation ever again.Maybe before I start combing the pages of Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com, I need to take a long look at myself and figure out how I can avoid ending up in another soul-sucking job. Do I go with what I enjoy--art, writing, or even animals--or what I have been trained to do--law? Is there some way to do both? Or do I just need to throw in the towel, go back to school, and train for a whole new career path?
Jagad Guru Chris Butler, author of Science of Identity, says that in order to be happy, we need to stop thinking of ourselves in terms of bodily labels and start concentrating on our inner growth. By bodily labels, he doesn't just mean the way we describe our physical body, like fat or ugly; he also means things like race, gender, age, religion, and occupation. His suggestion makes sense. We can be more than what others say we are, but what if you've been told that you were something so long, like a "loser" or "just a law clerk," that internally you start to believe it? How do you move on or improve from that?
For matters concerning ideas for self improvement, Science of Identity can help you understand your purpose and appreciate life even more. Check out the other Jagad Guru profile here for more helpful information. I have, and while it didn't give me a definitive answer to my questions, it did convince me of one thing. While I'm browsing the online classifieds tomorrow, I need to keep my mind open as to what I can and cannot do. I'm more than just a former law clerk, more than just some law school graduate who couldn't get a job during her summer breaks, more than just a faceless attorney lost in a sea of more qualified candidates. I'm me, and sooner or later somebody, whether in the legal profession or not, is going to recognize that hiring me isn't so bad.
God, that sounded sappy, but I just spent the last two hours watching Extreme Home Makeover while Gavin DeGraw"s "I Don't Want to Be" played on a continuous loop in my head. Cut me some slack. I'll back to my normal, sarcastic self in the morning.
