Learn how to help people with disabilities
 

Welcome to our Helping People with Disabilities Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #75: What Do You Prize Most in Mid-life?

(Browse for more articles)

 
Craig Nathanson mid-life discover and do what they love.
The big question: What's really Every day in my practice, I see people
important? who are having the same emotional,
professional, financial, and relationship
People who find the magic balance tend to challenges that I went through.
be healthier and more energetic. In It wasn't easy getting here. The first
turn, they find more satisfaction in few years were extremely painful.
other areas of their lives. Financial stress increased, relationships
Too many people go through life without were strained, and emotional stress
having their interests and abilities reached all-time highs. But now, three
aligned. The inevitable result is a years later, I have finally emerged with
feeling of deep ennui as people drag a more congruent and authentic life. I
themselves out of bed every day to endure say with confidence that it has all been
the grind required to support the worth it.
lifestyles of their families. You may do The first step: Know what matters to you
this well, even exceptionally. But the If you want to find your vocational
work itself is rarely what propels passion, it has to begin with a question:
people. Instead, it's a sense of What is most important to you? This may
obligation or a feeling of being trapped. be the most important question you will
But there is another way. You can ever ask yourself. You need to look deep
develop a plan to escape the grind, then inside yourself to turn your vague
find work that means something and build longings into tangible goals, with real
a comfortable lifestyle around it. Too paths toward achieving them.
many people allow their lifestyles (or Once you answer the question and see the
the lifestyles they are conditioned to path that the answers light for you, then
expect) to dictate the kind of work they it's time to summon the courage to make
do. And that is where so many people get the transition.
into trouble, both spiritually and Matt Vande Voorde walked away from an
financially. executive position at a large bank to
I discovered all of this the hard way. follow what he prized most in his life:
Now, my mission is to take what I've magazine publishing. His dream was to
learned and help others as they one day publish a magazine targeted at
transition into their life's vocational helping people with disabilities use the
passion. This requires courage, risk, Internet. Today, Matt is the proud
and a willingness to make significant publisher of Accessible Content Magazine.
personal changes. But with determination Jim Goebelbecker was tired of long hours
and planning, anyone can do it. You will selling products that he didn't care
later ask yourself why you waited so about. He prized his family and
long. nonprofit work. He also took a risk and
Waking up to the rest of your life never looked back. Today, Jim is an
I had a good job, a million-dollar house, executive with a large nonprofit on the
and a great family. I also had east coast. He works just 10 minutes
staggering personal debt from leading a away from his home.
materialistic lifestyle. To top it off, Five steps to discover and follow your
I found no satisfaction in my work. passion
My way out came suddenly. Three years Making this level of change in your life
ago, I had an epiphany as I stood before isn't an overnight process. Once you
my coworkers, giving yet another Power understand that a change is essential to
Point presentation. I suddenly shut making the rest of your life matter, you
down. I realized that I couldn't do it can follow this simple process to move
anymore. your dreams and desires into concrete
I woke up the next morning and felt, more actions.
or less, back to my old self. Perhaps Evaluate what you want. Ask the big
they were right, I thought. Maybe I just questions and answer them honestly. Why
had a touch of the flu. So I drove to lie to yourself?
work. But I never left the parking lot. Envision your future. You need to
I didn't take the final plunge right visualize what you're dreaming about.
away. I felt too tied to the life I was Then, develop a concrete understanding of
living. So I struggled through other what it will take to get there.
jobs over the next few years. But the Tune out negative feedback. Everyone
results and feelings were the same. will try to talk you out of doing this.
Finally, I had enough. This was despite Listen to yourself.
the responsibility of being the sole Assess your risks. Take an inventory of
provider for my wife and three children, your assets, obligations, and health.
having a mortgage, caring for a seriously Then, make the necessary adjustments that
ill child, dealing with growing medical will minimize the impact and risk of
bills, and shouldering $200,000 in credit making a major life change.
card debt. Take small steps. You don't have to quit
In 2002, in the middle of a tough tomorrow. You can start in small ways by
economy, I walked away from a six-figure doing research on your dream vocation,
job as a vice president and managing maybe taking a class. Or you can make
director of a billion-dollar small lifestyle changes to reduce your
multinational firm. This time, there was personal "burn rate."
no turning back. In the end, you must give yourself
I had no intention of walking away from permission to follow your heart. That's
my responsibilities. But I had to find a what I did. So did Matt, Jim, and so
way to earn an income in a more many others. They now jump out of bed
meaningful way. each morning looking forward to a day of
Today, I have a private consulting vocational passion. You can have this
practice, a busy speaking schedule, and a feeling too. First, you must decide
book - all focused on helping others in what's really most important.






1- A- B- C- D- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26- 27- 28- 29- 30- 31- 32- 33- 34- 35- 36- 37- 38- 39- 40- 41- 42- 43- 44- 45- 46- 47- 48- 49- 50- 51- 52- 53-