A friend sent me a Creativity Jumpstart notebook a while back. I have not used it as much as I should. I get stuck a lot and it is very useful in helping me find something to write. Today’s post is brought to you by life lately and the following tweet she included in the notebook:
I can relate to that tweet completely, but, unfortunately, for a good portion of my achieving things, I didn’t have Netflix to get me through. I survived and even before Netflix TV was a big part of my life.
Mine has been a life of thinking that I would be happier if I could just achieve a certain thing.
Going to college was going to make me happier. I was still an awkward social outcast in college.
Graduating and getting a job was going to make me happier. My first job out of grad school was a contract job with no benefits and a terrible boss.
Getting a real job away from that boss was going to make me happier. I ended up back in jail.
Getting out of jail was going to make me happier It took 19 years, but I got out of jail. I was then in a weird, invisible position where no one respected me and I was still the jail guy.
Getting a transfer or a promotion to get an actual title was going to make me happier. What I got was that a title means nothing and I might be more invisible and less respected than I was when I was the jail guy.
I’ve spent years working toward some mythical place that was going to make me happy. I’m still not happy. I’m not happy because my focus on being happy was too career focused. My career was never going to be the source of my happiness. I’ve been reaching for happiness where happiness was not to be found. I will never move up in my career if I stay who I am and I refuse to be someone else. At least that is what people tell me.
So, if you need me, I will be in front of my TV watching Netflix and dreading leaving the house in the morning.
The World's Common Tater 
I don’t think many people really find happiness in their careers. I found satisfaction with mine when I discovered that I could do it independently, being my own boss (sometimes not a good one), and sometimes firing clients. Not every job lends itself to that (librarian) of course. But I wouldn’t say I ever found happiness in my graphic design and editorial career. I really liked owning my needlework shop after that, but it didn’t necessarily provide happiness. Happiness is an elusive thing. I find it more in little things, and sometimes those little things happen to be on TV.
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I started looking for happiness there as the kids got older and I wasn’t coaching or doing the dance dad thing anymore. It was the wrong place to look.
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