What do you do for a living?

What is your answer to that question? "What do you do for a living?" What's the first thought that pops into your head? Are you excited to share your profession with others or do you cringe that you even have to mention "work?"
Growing up, I never wanted to find myself as an adult, working a job that I hated. This fear of mine has helped me at times but has hindered me also.  I stressed about college when I was in high school. Where do I want to go to school, I'd ask myself. I need to pick the right school for the right profession that I choose.  Then in college, I declared my major immediately and then changed it more than three times that first year because I was afraid that I was choosing the wrong career path and would end up hating my job just like I had feared my entire adolescence.  I think there should be more counseling about this issue in schools.  Isn't that what a "counselor" is there for?  We need to help our teenagers embrace their passions and not focus on the bottom dollar of a paycheck.  We need to encourage them to push themselves and work hard but to work smart. They need to know that they may not start at the top but may work their way from the bottom but as long as they entered a job because they have a passion in that field then they will enjoy certain aspects of earning their way.
Somewhere along the way, people have stopped dreaming about plans for the future and have solely focused on their paycheck.  Don't tell me that you wake up on a Monday and crave Friday already! Please don't say that you've been at your job for two years and you're currently counting down the rest of your time until retirement!  What's the point if you're going hate what you "do for a living" for the majority of your life?  Where is your happiness, your excitement, your work ethic?  Do you know that the average person works 2,080 hours/year and that is only working 8 hours/day, 5 days/week not including over time, holidays, etc. That sure is a lot of time doing something that doesn't make you happy!
No thank you! If there is anything that I am not about to do, is spend the rest of my life unhappy at my job where I spend most of my time! That case in point, why work a job that you hate and that you spend most of your time there? What if there were options? What if, for a moment, we turned the clocks back and thought about our happiest times? Who were you with? What were you doing? I'm not saying that if you love football, you should try out for the Panthers but what if you looked into teaching children the game or football organizations that sell products or market the games?  What if you found a career that not only made you happy, it gave you more time with your family?  It's like that MM commercial at Christmas when Santa says, "They do exist", talking about the MM characters.  You can find a position that makes you happy and that gives you more time freedom and if you find a career that does both of those, do you know what else you'll have, better health! You won't be so stressed, you won't be so confine as to your schedule and when you can be active and eat proper foods.  What if you got up int he morning, excited to go to your job and share with others what you love and then were able to go home and walk with your kids and talk with them about their day? How much better of a parent are you going to be when you're less stressed, happier and more available?
For me, turning 25 next week, as I look back on this last year and analyze life decisions and life circumstances, I am the happiest that I have ever been, I am healthier than I have ever been and I am excited more now than ever to see where life is going! I have my family, my friends, a fantastic career, a amazing church and relationship with Christ that has grown more than anything else this year. What more could I ask for? Nothing! I'm not kidding, if you asked me today, "how are you doing", I would respond saying, "better than ever" and I would mean every word.  No, life is certainly not perfect and there will always be trials but when you enjoy life and you are happy, you have a healthier mindset to handle those times.  I encourage everyone to take a minute and answer some of the same questions that I asked myself and assess what areas of your life need a little tweaking! Then, go to the Father, ask God to show you how He would like you to handle these issues and trust in Him to show you the way.