Good Afternoon Dawgies!

 

I'm writing today as an introspective letter to myself but wanted to post it here as well. I've recently left a job to pursue my passions because I'm debt-free and now in a position to give it a shot. As you all know, I love to make music and write about it though not much of it is posted here (due to my perfectionism and hesitancy to release it without a copyright on it. I'm working on that psychological aspect of myself. Just know there's more on the way. Many tracks in the final mixing/mastering stage currently). I'm in a strange spot now that I've got complete freedom and it's curious how the pressures of my previous employment traditions are weighing upon my mind. It's as if I feel guilty for not going into work daily or utilizing my time on a externally determined and mechanical basis (although structure is something I see as beneficial to self-employment too). Just to give further context, right after I left my previous position I went to California (LA to be exact) to interview for a teaching role and I'm still awaiting results for that (fingers crossed). Teaching and working with kids is another passion of mine (I coached Gymnastics for about 5 years) and being in LA puts me in the center of a music city (in case you were wondering why the switch from Texas to California). Also, my older sister lives there!

Going on, I returned home this previous Sunday and in performing research and organizing my thoughts as well as analyzing prospective next steps and researching licensing opportunities rather than productive I feel idle, and I partly believe it's due to not being on a paid-per-hour time-clock based schedule. However, there's nothing inherently wrong with what I'm doing currently or taking time off of an employer's clock to pursue alternative perspectives and possibilities, yet my cultural upbringing and "gotta-go-to-work" American-societal ideal is resistant in leaving while fading with pangs of guilt now that I'm confronting employment from an unexpected angle (not going into a job I'm just in to generate income and instead focusing on how to turn my passion into making my living). I'm confident about my next steps and what I'm learning, but becoming comfortable with this in-between/developmental stage is the reason for my writing today. I know I can do it as there are thousands of individuals who employ themselves and generate incomes in a multiplicity of ways. However the adaptation phase I'm currently experiencing is affecting me in a manner I've not experienced before. Please if anyone's experienced similar feelings or encountered this state of emotion at a previous point in your life, let me know through comments or E-mail what helped you through it and kept you focused and confident in your self versus giving in and going back to an employer (I'm not fearful I'll go back to working just for a paycheck but it comes across the mind in this new circumstance!).

Also, please don't think I have something against working for an employer or a company, there are many great opportunities for individuals within small and large organizations. I believe in working for others to acquire skills and grow as an individual; what I don't believe in is giving your time to something you're not excited to bring your best to every day (meaning the work done is for the quality of the job as well as the service and value provided because it comes from the heart, instead of working solely for the compensation just to "get by" or "pay the bills" or because "that's what everybody else does"). Basically, follow your heart is what I say and if someone like me can get out of the debt game and be free, you can too! Remember #NoStandards is living outside of cultural expectations and pressures, it's about pursuing what starts our fires and inspires us to live despite the naysayers and traditionalists. Like DJ Khaled says, "We the Best" and it truly is a team-effort of Dirty Dawgies making this world a better place for every person we come into contact with by living our truth and helping them live their truths too! People helping people, that is humanity my friends and we're all a part of it. So Power to the People!

Again, I wrote this today as an introspective post but I'm an open-individual and my story is yours to share in as well. If you're into the Tarot, I pulled the reversed Tower and it could not be more appropriate. Thanks for reading Dawgies. Stay positive and stay powerful. #NoStandards #PowerToThePeople