Back On Track

I have recently been feeling very lost in relation to my job, and future career. I have been working at a local Veterinary Hospital for five years. Although I love animals, I realized that a career with them was highly unlikely. Last year I decided it was time for a change, and enrolled in school. I now work at the clinic part time, while going to school for media.

I was managing school and work very well...then I decided to stir the pot. Why? I don't know! I had a series of bad days at work, and was feeling more than a little sorry for myself. I thought a job change would put me back on track, so I applied for a job at a local pet store. I figured I would get at least get an interview, considering I worked in a pet store for about two years when I was in high school. I also thought I would be able to promote my business, Kindred Hearts, more. 

Sure enough, a week later I got a call from some guy named Jeff. He did a ten minute phone interview with me, then set up an interview with the store manager for the next day. I was honest with both interviewers, and told them that the reason I wanted to work in pet retail was to educate owners on pet care. I emphasized nutrition, and stressed how important education for pet owners was for me. A few days later, I got a call telling me I got the job.

This is where things got complicated. I had made peace with my job at the clinic, but I wasn't sure how beneficial the hours there would be for me in April. As a Christian, and a believer in meditation, I immediately turned to what I knew. After praying and asking myself the same questions, I was coming up empty. I had no answers at all. I turned to my family for advice, but was met with the same answers. So I turned to my cat, who is known to give me stellar advice. She told me to do what I felt was best. The last person I asked was my sister, who told me to take both jobs. It wasn't something I had considered up until that point, so I jumped on it. It was the best of both worlds!

I started my job at the pet store immediately. They needed a lot of hours filled, and I ended up working whenever I was not in school. 

I am a huge believer in natural diets. My Savannah eats a raw diet, and my domestic short hair eats a high end kibble supplemented with a high end canned food. I don't love the kibble/canned combo, but his stomach physically cannot handle the raw. My parrots eat a diet of pellets, with fresh fruits and vegetables supplemented daily. I have been unhappy with their diet, but recently changed it to an organic pellet (see previous blog post).

As I proceeded with on-the-job training, I learned about the kibble that was supplied. Although the brands aren't terrible, the benefits of them are minimal in comparison to raw. Even the other products didn't quite meet up to the standard I hold for my trusted companions. I was spending a lot of time researching various kibble brands. Promoting my business flew out the window when I found out it was against the rules. My assignments began to fall behind, and after two shifts I was more confused than ever.

I prayed and meditated again, with the same results. I asked my family for advice with disastrous results. I turned to one of my Reiki teachers for advice. She went through the pros and cons with me. She helped me realize that I am more susceptible to energy from my Reiki training. I left her house feeling a lot better about my options, and less like I was giving up on something without giving it a chance.

I worked one more shift at the pet store before I quit. I came home from school and realized I had a pile of projects to do with no time to do them. I realized it was far more important to focus on a career instead of part time jobs. Luckily the manager was very understanding and bore no judgement or anger. I felt the weight that had been sitting on my shoulders lift immediately.

Later that night I told my cat that I quit. Her answer astounded me once again.
 "This was something you needed to do in order to be happy. You learned what is important...to move forward in your business. You were lost for so long, you forgot what you wanted. This brought that back into focus, and now you can reach towards your goal. You didn't receive an answer from yourself because there was no right answer.", she said. 

Zeddie couldn't be more right. Self doubt can ruin dreams and goals. I have been lost for so long that I didn't know which way was up. Although working at the pet store was a bust, it reminded me of what I need to do. I am so blessed to have my best friend there to point that out for me.