Jobs vs. Dreams

It's funny, I told my husband to not wake me up this morning for any reason, even if the apt was on fire, and I woke myself up.  No alarm.  My body is now apparently set to wake up around 7.  :(

It was very hard Monday to wake up so early. :)  I had been sleeping till 9 every day or so.  Getting up before the sun was just about torture lol.  But praise God for daylight savings time this weekend so it won't feel like I am waking up before the sun. :)

I have been pretty lucky to almost never have to wake up that early, well not since high school. :)   In college I always picked later classes.  Most jobs I had after college were retail or after school kids programs so they were later shifts.  One school I worked at I didn't start till 12 which was so nice! :)  I did start at 9 at a preschool but that was just for a short time. 

When I worked on the cruise ship I started at 9 every day.  That was by far my hardest job because it seemed like we were working allllll day.  We had a 9 to 12 shift, then 1 to 4 and then 7 to 10 just about 7 days a week.  I don't think there was one morning where I could sleep in.  At least it didn't feel like there was. :( 

But it was still an awesome experience and I recommend it to anyone young and single to try it at least once.  I worked with the kids on board. :)

At the call center I worked in, my shift was literally 3 to midnight lol or 11 to 7. 

I think that's why people get sick so easily, from having to wake up so early and go out in the freezing cold before the sun has warmed the world up. :(  Very sad. 

I remember I picked up a book when I was working at a Barnes and Noble after college.  It was about writing and how wonderful a career in writing would be.  How you would have no commute and your work clothes would be your pj's. lol  I was thinking, "Yes that's the career for me!"  Who knows maybe someday I will get paid to write, but for now it's just fun. :)

I discovered a second or third calling of mine this week. lol  My first one is to kids, second to writing, and now, contact papering!  :)  I had a lot of fun putting up contact paper in the bathroom of the house where I'm babysitting.  They just moved in a few months ago, and their sons ripped off the pink wall paper in the bathroom. haha.  But they weren't sure what to put in it's place.  So I put up wood designed contact paper and it looks great! 

I texted my husband a picture and he said I would be a great interior decorator!  I think so too!  That would be a dream job for me for sure. :) 

Ever since I was in Junior High actually I have considered being an interior decorator.  But how many people actually use one really?  Don't most people want to make their own decisions and pick out their own things?

Well my mom didn't.  She hired an interior decorator in their last house.  And nothing matched.  I was so disappointed lol.  I was always thinking, "I could have done a much better job picking things out and I would have been free!" lol oh well. :)

But I considered going to Office Depot this week and having business cards made for myself.  "Lisa Bedrick- Interior Decorator....Free Assessment!  $20/hr.  B.A. in English (even though that is irrelevant :)  Great Artist!"

hm....I wonder if that would work.  And then I could put the cards in random bathroom stalls all over Midland, TX!  And people could call me and hire me!  It could work. :) 

My dad had his own gardening business when I was growing up.  One of my uncles has always had his own roofing business.  He even has trucks that say "Davis Roofing."  I always thought that was really cool. :)  Another uncle I have in Hawaii has a tile and marble business.  Their warehouse is pretty amazing and nice, and on the front it has in huge letters "Davis Tile and Marble."  Seeing that I was like, "Yes my name is famous!" lol :)

My grandpa on my mom's side has always had his own handyman business.  He can do just about anything that would need to be done in a house.  I think I would like to follow in his foot steps.

I had a grand idea for my husband and I, that I would love for us to buy ugly houses every two or three years, fix them up so they look amazing! And then sell them for twice the price.  I think we could totally have fun doing that. :)  I love always having something to do and little projects to work on. :)

My dad has also been an electrician for most of my life.  So construction is very much in my family, and in my blood. :) 

I always thought if I was a guy I totally would have gone into construction.  But I don't think female construction workers exist so that is so sad, I could not build houses etc. like I wanted to. 

When I was in college we had a class on Creation and Creativity.  We discussed how God is a creator.  And since we are made in his image, we have a desire to create just like he did!  Not just other little humans lol.  But to create things, objects, to build!  Amen!  I love to create things!

I love making something out of nothing.  I always wished I was a better artist but my drawings and paintings are about at a 3rd grade level. lol

I loved doing paint by numbers though!  I love writing, obviously. 

I made a wood tool box in a Sunday school class once and I loved doing that.  I love artistic things!

I have always dreamed of making pottery for a living too. :)  Ever since I took ceramics in high school I have thought, "How cool would that be!  To get my own pottery wheel on a back patio or something and make bowls and cups etc."  I could create my own dish line and get it sold in Wal-Marts! :)  Maybe one day. :)

I have always been quite the dreamer and had a lot of dreams for my future careers.  I get that from my dad.  He always had a lot of dreams, as ironic as that is since he screwed himself over so many times. :(  Very sad for him. 

I wanted to be a dolphin trainer at one point in Sea World!  Or work for National Geographic and take pictures in Africa of safari animals.  Or take videos of under water sea life. :) 

I considered becoming a botanist and collecting rare plant specimens in South America somewhere.

Whatever it was I knew I wanted to be in nature and working outside. 

Thus why I've worked with kids so much, because it's almost the only job where you can be outside a lot, besides construction, but I'm not a guy. :)

I wanted to work in a zoo, since love animals so much. :)

Not until college did I consider writing or teaching as a career.

After college I considered being a family counselor, or really a child counselor for kids who had gone through an abuse.  I still might do that someday, if they ever make the GRE Not a requirement for grad school. :)  That test is ridiculous.  I was laughing to myself the whole time I tried to take it last cause I was like "wow yeah right." :)

So many dreams, but so little jobs. :(  It is sad and a little depressing.

The economy just isn't what it was in the 90's. 

My teachers had a bright outlook for the future and told us we could do anything, and then I graduated and felt like I could do Nothing, except work at Barnes and Noble. :)

But it is because a huge career didn't work out for me that I decided to start a family, which is probably God's ultimate will for my life, even though I had so many dreams to do big things. 

I never saw having a family as a big thing for some reason. 

My mom used to try to convince me it was great by saying, "You can either be something to everyone or everything to someone."  As in your kids.  I was always like, "Yeah I would rather be something to everyone." Lol :) 

I wanted to change the world!  I wanted to save thousands of kids through teaching or write tons of books someday!

But I have already impacted a lot of kids I think in my various jobs so that is good, and hopefully I can help more.  And hopefully this blog writing is somewhat changing the world.  Who knows. :)

My husband said actual depression comes from shattered dreams and hopelessness.  I don't think I have ever had that kind of depression.  I have always had dreams and plans for my future.  That was one good thing about Disney movies.  They made me "wish upon a star" and chase my dreams as hard as I could. :)

The depression I have had at times was just exhaustion from trying to do too much.  I can't save every body, but I still try to. :)  But I have never been hopeless about the future really. 

I have always known and believed that God would use me in amazing ways. :)

My grandma would always say to me, "You are special, and God created you to do something that no one else can do."  It's kind of an enigmatic phrase if you think about it, and I'm still not sure what that thing is entirely that I am meant to do. lol

Perhaps my writing.  No one has had all the experiences I have had so I write from where I have come from etc and hopefully it helps people. :)

I also think my ministry essentially since I was 14 to kids has helped a lot.  I heard a great quote once, "Your greatest passion comes from your greatest pain."  My greatest pain was that my childhood was essentially ruined, so my greatest passion is to give other kids the best childhood possible. :)  That has kind of been my mission in life.  To help other kids just be able to be kids and have fun. :)  To protect their innocence and joy as much as I can, before the world takes both away. :(

May God help you realize what your calling is.  :)

My high school teacher once gave us a talk encouraging us to find out what our passion was.  "What are you passionate about???"  He asked all of us.  Everything he said was very inspiring.  He was really the only person I have known that got me thinking about that.  He helped me realize I could actually do what I loved in life and make a difference.  He made me realize I am wired to do something totally unique, that I don't have to do just what makes money but what makes me comes alive.

Working with kids has made me come alive, and writing, so those are the two main things that I am passionate about.  :)

What are you passionate about?  What makes you come alive?!  What makes you shine?  :)

May God help you find your purpose for life and your calling. :)  God bless!