I Admit It… I Love Working!

My husband has jokingly said (of me) that I “will be the only person in the world to work through her own bereavement leave and work three days past my funeral.”

He’s probably going to be correct, because – and I’ll freely admit this – I love working!

Right now I’m working as a Medical Assistant for a General Surgeon… no names will be given because (1) I don’t want to be asked for any medical advice (as I’m NOT a doctor nor am I an RN/LPN), and because (2) I don’t want any stalkers (joking… ok, maybe only halfway joking).

Let’s be honest, as children, we look forward to the summers where we can be footloose and fancy-free, with no cares in the world and no responsibilities. Then as we get older, we realize that money does not grow on trees and we have to get a job to afford the things we want and/or need — unless you come from a wealthy/rich family and don’t have to work. I’d also like to think that good investments and wise choices can eventually lead to being able to not have to work as we reach our older years.

I’m 40 years old and I’m still trying to make wise choices and investments for my retirement years. For example, my husband decided that he would like to retire to Colorado, so last year we closed on some property a little ways from Colorado Springs. He and I have an understanding, though… we can retire somewhere cold, but we must vacation somewhere warm.

Again, I love working. I love having a job. For 7-1/2 months last year, I was unemployed. I’m not going to lie and say it was terrible, but I began to get into a funk. Of course, the time off gave me the opportunity to work on my blog, watch movies I have been meaning to see for a long time, listen to books I have been meaning to read, and travel with my husband when he traveled for work. But not working made me lazy and unmotivated at times. My dogs loved it because it meant I could lay around all day with them, or I could play outside with them or take them for a walk.

What little I made from unemployment was not enough to cover the bills that my husband’s paycheck didn’t cover. Sacrifices were made, and during those 7-1/2 months, decisions were made – maybe not the wisest decisions – but I finally found a job with a large surgical group – and I love it! And the opportunities and learning experiences that abound in this position will help me in the future as I work towards retirement.

Of course, there are other jobs or careers I would rather have had, but the decisions in my past led me to where I am today. Do I regret some of those career decisions in my past? Sure, what person doesn’t regret a job decision or two from their past. I just wish I had taken advantage of more opportunities.

(And here’s a hint to help you succeed in your job, whether you like it or not: make yourself indispensable!)

Last summer, when I was applying for job after job after job, I even swung for the rafters and applied for a job at Marie Claire magazine. That would have meant moving to New York (which I would have loved), but my husband would have hated it, but he works from home and travels a lot, so I would have done what I could to persuade him to move if I had gotten the job. Unfortunately, I didn’t even get an interview.

Not working also made me acutely aware of how a family can suffer living on or below the poverty level. Life is hard. Working is hard. No one said it would be easy, and if they did, then they were lying.

Here’s some inspirational words of wisdom from the late Steve Jobs, which I found helps me to keep a positive attitude about not only my job, but life in general!

Photo Credit: Pinterest   /   Photo Source: http://howtomakemyblog.com

Are you working your dream job? What job did you apply for and not get that you wish you would have gotten? What jobs did you take that you absolutely hated? As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Have a great day!

**And don’t forget, you can follow me on Instagram @ vannadee37.