My parents and other conventional thinkers would probably say or think something like this:

Why do you want to quit your job? You have everything going well, a secure stable job at the State Health Department with good health insurance and benefits. Why would you be so foolish? In this economic time when so many people don’t have a job?

Me:

Because I have this sense of urgency. I feel like I really HAVE to go after my dreams and MAKE them come true THIS year! This cannot happen if I stay in my current job. I did my time there and got vested. That’s enough. Now, I need freedom and time to create and travel and do the things I wanna do. There are things on my bucket list I want to check off, sooner rather than later!

My perspective on this is that I’m still young, single, and with no kids but 2 kitties (although practically the same thing to me). This is the time to do it. I can take a risk because I’ve got just me, my kitties, and I. I’ve got nothing to lose but…what? a job? health insurance? a mortgage? Well, that’s not what life and happiness is all about, not to me at least. So, I’ll be joining quite a few others then. I’m not alone. I’ll make it work. I’ll survive just fine.

You know what it is that makes me want to do what I want to do so badly? I figured out over the last 3 years that I had so much potential and talents in areas I had no idea. I started learning and dabbling in all kinds of creative arts and crafts to explore my new found interests and skills: knitting, painting, drawing, sewing, cooking, piano, guitar, modeling, dancing, photography, videography, blogging…

I love them all! So, tell me now why I should choose to waste anymore of my precious time sitting in a cubicle? That would be a waste of my skills and talents, no? I figured out that I value myself more than that and know that I could be doing so much more. My whole being, as someone with smarts, skills and talents, can contribute so much more to the world and is meant for something else…something bigger than a cubicle…something more like the world!

I wanna make the world my office!

I guess I figured that out after 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for the last 5 years and 3 months….that’s 14,840 hours of staring at a computer and cooped up in a cubicle. Actually, I made this discovery in less than 2 years or 5,648 hours.

The point is, if you’re in a place where I am or was (I would bet we have all been there at one point or another):

• You don’t know what you want to do.
• You don’t know what you’re good at.
• You don’t know what you’re passionate about.
• You don’t know what makes you happy.
• You don’t know how to make money AND do what you love…you know what I mean?

So, to figure all these things out you have to do lots of thinking and be in tune with yourself.

• Self-reflection
• Learn new things and experiment. Figure out what you like and don’t like and what you’re good at, etc…
• Pay attention to the feedback you get from family, friends, coworkers to answer questions like: What do I do well? What am I good at? What makes me excited?
• Simply ask yourself these questions and write out the answers
• Get inspired and be around inspiring, encouraging, supportive people

These are just some things I’ve done to help me figure out what my dreams are. My stubbornness is really valuable when it comes to this kind of stuff. I believe I can do anything. I don’t listen to anybody who questions me, discourages me, judges me, or is unsupportive of me. And now, I feel like I’m really that much closer to making my dreams come true!

Why not? Life is short. You can’t sit around waiting for things to happen. You have to value yourself. Believe you can do anything! You have to be determined, inspired, and start executing. What are your dreams? Don’t you have things on your bucket list? Are you checking any off right now? Why not?

You have to feel that sense of urgency to make your dreams come true, sooner rather than later. I would bet that you’d thank yourself later for it.

Last night, I couldn’t sleep and woke up early. I guess that’s what freedom feels like. I went to bed way after 2AM and woke up around 6AM but didn’t feel tired. The thought that I could decide to quit my job and just do my own thing any day now is liberating. I still can’t believe I made it 5 years and 3 months and now I’m vested at the State of Texas. I’m high on freedom!

I haven’t quit my job yet though. I still have to work a little while longer. So, technically, I’m not officially free. But, it’s the mental state that matters and knowing now that I’m not stuck. I have a choice. That’s freedom.

But there are still LOTS of things I need to do before I can escape from this conventional American Lifestyle of a cubicle job, mortage, and debt.

Things to do before I can quit my job:

• Rent out my 2 bed/2bath townhome
• Minimize and declutter all my stuff
• Figure out what to do with my cats
• Figure out my finances
• Work on rebuilding my website and future plans

Obviously, there are a lot more details that go into pulling off something like this. You have to have plans. It’s just a matter of whether it all works out as you planned.

We all have dreams and some of us are proactively making them come true. But many of us are still figuring out what our passions are, what we do well, what we want to do, what our purpose in Life is.

HOW to marry all these things AND make a living at the same time is a challenge we all face. Well, obviously not everybody, because there are people out there living their dreams. I’m just not totally there yet. Almost….slowly but surely.

Over the next couple of months, I will be working extra hard on my new projects…..plowing my way through the obstacles to reach my dreams. It’s an exciting and challenging time for me. I hope YOU will enjoy the ride with me and maybe YOU might be INSPIRED to go after your dreams too! Just sayin’!

La Pham Nikita returns, after losing the last year of her blog on her “ex boyfriend’s” server! Scandalous! So this is my website back at square one!

I made it to February 1, 2012, which is when I’m vested at the Texas Department of State Health Services, after doing 5 years and 3 months of cubicle time. This is a big reason to celebrate with a blog post and Miller High Life beer. Fortunately now, I’m up to all kinds of no good wild creative adventures in my spare time. Watch my video blog to find out more and subscribe to receive updates!

Love. Peace and Happy New Year of the Water Dragon!! 2012 is the year where dreams come true!