Being grateful vs being happy

When you have that thought it can come from two different places. You are either very happy and grateful, or you are a bit deflated and grateful. If you are happy then I suppose you can click out of this post before I finish my sentence. However, if you are like me, then you may relate to what I have to say.

Very recently I found myself thinking this same thought. I was very grateful to be where I was. I was in a position of leadership. I was at a company that valued me and my time. I had free food daily and hardly any commute. So what's the problem? Well, the problem is that I wasn't happy. The paycheck wasn't bringing me happiness and neither was the free food. My happiness was hiding behind my ability to stretch my imagination and creativity. I needed to feel as though I was creating something with my skills and not just filling a role. As any creative will tell you, thriving within a corporate environment is an inner battle that must be balanced.

Every day I walked into the office I would visit my usual websites and Instagram pages for creative inspiration. I have done that at every office I ever worked in. Every time the same thought crossed my mind; why am I not doing what they are doing? Why am I not doing anything creative and inspiring? Of course, I did my best to find the opportunities to be more creative in my daily work, but at the end of the day you can't water a weed hoping for a rose to bloom. I came to the conclusion that I would never find my happiness or reach my potential unless I invested in myself and my abilities as an independent creative. I knew I had to create my own business one day. So I left that plush, easy-going position behind me and ventured off into the wild. I decided that I would rather risk my paycheck and job security than to look back in 10 years and realize how unhappy I was. I have taken all the skills, knowledge, and confidence I gained from my past work and packed it all in my suitcase.

We only have one life to live and I find it more important every day to do something you love. I intend to do just that, whatever it may be. I am on a mission to hone my creativity, to discover my true potential, and to find others just like me. I am here to create and that is exactly what I will do. If I look back in 10 years now, I can say it was the best decision I ever made. That's the end game. That is the advice you hear time and time again from successful people. I decided to stop being a spectator of success and start participating in it. One day I will have climbed high enough to be the one others look to for inspiration. But, it starts today.

If you feel this same way I encourage you to take a sick day, go somewhere alone, and reflect on what you want out of life. Decide how high your potential reaches and what changes you can make today to get there.