Oh how I long for the days when the toughest decision I had to make was whether to peg my jeans or tuck them into my 2 pair of complimentary color shrug socks. Yes, I’m a child of the ’80s. Those were some of the best days ever. Banana clips looked cool, neon was in, and newsflash teens…we invented OMG. So much has changed since then though. I don’t ever remember having to choose between buying bread OR milk at the store at the end of a pay period. I never had to check the couch cushions for gas money or stay up until all hours of the morning folding laundry until I went blind. I came home to meals already cooked and took for granted all of the hours my Dad spent at General Motors doing a job he hated just so we could live comfortably…for 40 years…and never once do I remember that man complaining.
Now it’s my turn. Life has come full circle and now I am the one making sure the kids come home to meals already cooked. Dang, had I known how hard being an adult would be I would have enjoyed being a kid more. So here’s my question…and I am really interested in your input here…when it comes to huge life decisions is it best to follow your head or to follow your heart?
Case in point: My husband has been given an awesome opportunity to switch jobs and do something he feels he will truly love. He is not so happy where he is now and really wants to do something different where he feels he will be making more of a positive impact on people’s lives. It will force us to move, however. That we can deal with. There are a number of factors that go into us making this decision, the biggest of which, and I really hate to say this but it’s true, is money. Financially we will be taking a huge pay cut…but, we have a few ideas for making up the difference. If he follows his heart it may end up biting us in the butt down the road. It’s going to be difficult and our lives are going to go through some very major changes, but hopefully on the other side of it all he will be happier and more fulfilled with what he gets to get up every morning and go out into this world to contribute. And that is stinkin’ important. I watched my dad go to a job he really didn’t like for 40 years to provide for us, and while my dad was and still is a super happy-hearted guy, he still wasn’t happy at work. Work was work, it wasn’t a career. He never had the opportunity to do something he truly loved because fishing or playing piano really didn’t pay much. He did what he had to do to take care of us. My husband does the same, but unlike my dad, my husband has the opportunity to do something that just may be what he was put her on earth to do.
The flip side of this story is this. If he doesn’t take the job and we stay where we are, that too will bring hardships. The frustration that my husband feels in his job will still be there. He will still be away from us way too much. But we will be financially stable. To me, I can’t watch my husband continue to be miserable. I want him to follow his dreams no matter what the rest of us have to give up to help him make that happen. But I do have to say, in this economy it’s a terribly scary thing to give up a good paying job for what you know will be a lesser paying job not knowing for sure what the outcome will be. Heart versus head…I hate being an adult!
I have been praying about this situation for a good long while now. I ask God to simply lead us down the path He wants us to go down and I will follow…no questions asked…I will make the best of what this family is given. From what I can see He is leading us right down the middle of both paths. Ding Dang that Guy can be super confusing sometimes. So for now I guess we just keep on praying and add in a little clarity and a few miracles to the list of things to pray for.
If any of you would care to share a story where you have been in similar situations and how you managed to make your tough decision, please feel free to leave a comment. I would love a little inspiration.
About the Author
I am a seasoned Army wife and a mother of 7 beautiful children. My hobbies include reading, writing, cooking and spending time with my family. I love learning new things…languages, music, computer applications…whatever it is I am up for the challenge.
I graduated from The University of Toledo with a Bachelors degree in Exercise Science. I work from home as a social media marker and content creation specialist and enjoy the freedom that running my own virtual assisting business allows. I believe in taking each moment of every day to be fully present and aware of the blessings and gifts in my life. Laughter is a necessity not an option!
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The thoughts and opinions posted here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of AAFMAA.
