When it comes to jobs, I have always followed my heart. When a workplace becomes too toxic, too stressful or too frustrating, I have taken it as a sign that it is time for me to leave; time to move on. Several times in my life, I have left a job before finding a new one. This is not a strategy I would recommend. It can be stressful and terrifying but at certain moments in my life, it has felt necessary to do. I have often felt, perhaps naively, that the Universe/God would guide me to the next job/project as long as I was clear about the essence of what I wanted to do for a living.
Magnolia Bud KP
Since I was very young, it has always been clear to me that I wanted to do work that would serve the collective. When I was younger, that meant “fighting for justice for workers”. As I grew older, it meant “working for environmental policies that move us towards sustainability”. At this stage in my life, it is more open ended. I am clearer about wanting to use my experience and natural gifts to serve the collective but I am less clear about where I might apply them. So I have cast my line out in many directions; applying for jobs that would use my policy skills and/or my communications skills to promote mental health, cancer prevention, environmental sustainability or healthy communities.
I have been waiting for guidance from the Universe; trying not to freak out when the obvious employers have not responded to my applications. I have been trying to see these “rejections” as a “sign” that a change in the course of my career is needed. Then this week, I got a sign that reaffirmed that belief. For the first time in 9 months, after applying for 16 jobs, I was granted two interviews. Both interviews were with organizations outside the sector I have worked with for the last 20 years. In both cases, I was unsure about the jobs going into the interview. In both cases, I came out of the interview feeling that I could see the potential in the job; how I might use my experience and skills; how I might serve the collective.
Both days I came home feeling excited; feeling that my faith in the Universe had been restored; feeling that I could see a pattern in the course of my life. Each day I came home feeling that I may have found the “new dream” for the next phase of my life. And for the first time in a long time, I found myself looking forward to my future.
afternoonstorm 
Sometimes I think the Universe throws us out of our comfort zones.. I too was stuck thinking I only had the skills I had taken 30 yrs to acquire in the field of the textile industry… After being made redundant 3 times in 5 yrs from the waning textile industry which by the year 2000, had mostely gone overseas.. I took the plunge to move career paths.. I never looked back.. and applied my team building, communication skills, and training skills in a different area, that of support work for those with learning difficulties as you know..
Your intuitive feelings were also buzzing on a high when you came back from those interviews, for your energy was finding its alignment… Go with the flow of your feelings Kim.. I am sure it was A Sign…
Love and Blessings and wishing you lots of LUCK in finding what your heart leads you too.. xxx
Hugs Sue xxxx <3
Thank you so much Sue for the affirmation, support and blessings. It felt like alignment. One job in particular feels like it IS mine!! If I don’t get either one of them, at least I know what direction to aim for. I will let you know how it turns out. Hugs back to you!!
Please do Kim.. and sending Lots of positive vibes your way.. xxx
Good for you Kim; it sounds as though you have much to be encouraged about, which, after all, was always the case given your skills, experience and expertise. It is odd, is it not, that we almost always find ourselves in the future doing something other than that which we had envisaged for ourselves in the past? H <3
Thanks Hariod…yes, there is often a pattern to our lives that we can only see in retrospect….and sometimes that path can lead us somewhere we had never anticipated. Kim
That is awesome, Kim. I hope both of them yield offers and you get to choose the best one. ;-) I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Thanks Eliza…I will be sure to let you know. Kim
oh, this is so beautiful. I was so hoping as I read, that you had begun to feel supported in your current state :)
Thanks Kimberly….the rise and fall of the human spirit! LOL Kim