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By Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D.
"In the factory we make lipstick; in the drugstore we sell
hope." That's what Charles Revson, Revlon's founder,
supposedly said.
Self-help guides work the same way. They promise a new life,
easily and effortlessly, starting tomorrow.
Take Marsha Sinetar's best-seller, Do What You Love -- The
Money Will Follow." Everybody remembers the title, but Ms.
Sinetar's text spells out the reality. Sure, the money will
come -- but not soon and not a lot.
Or consider Martha Beck's inspirational, Finding Your Own
North Star, filled with inspiring stories of successful
career-changers. Each story also includes a line or two
like, "It was hard at first. Money was tight. But now?"
While dreams call for sacrifice, moving to your dream can
also reduce your expenses. Tama Kieves, author of This Time
I Dance, says she bought objects to fill the empty space in
her previous life as a frustrated lawyer. As a fulfilled
writer and artist, she no longer craved shopping sprees at
the mall.
I live in shorts and a tee most of the year and my clothing
budget is close to zero. I suspect there's a dry cleaner
somewhere in Silver City, but I couldn't tell you where.
"Never having to dress up" was always a key part of my own
dream.
Can you pay the price? Only you can decide. Some of my
clients could move from a palace to a hut with no regrets.
Others feel deprived when they have to sell the yacht or
give up one of their two full-time servants.
Your family pays a price, too. Relocation typically
includes family members who move and those who are moved,
such as the "trailing spouse." A career change also
creates a "trailing family."
One of my former colleagues was reluctant to change careers
because, "My partner likes being married to a college
professor." Yet other freedom-seekers hear their families
say, "We'd rather have a happy breadwinner than a rich
one."
The highway to your dreams is guaranteed to include some
bumps and detours along the way. You may welcome the
detours and get a laugh out of the bumps. You may actually
enjoy changing a flat tire now and then.
A few people do move to their dreams in a chauffeured limo
with champagne in the minibar and soft music coming from the
speakers, as they zip along a recently-paved express lane.
If rattling along in a bus signals torture, not adventure,
wait till you can afford the limo. Resentment will cause
your journey to grind to a premature halt.
When you reach your dream destination, you'll probably want
to share your story with others. Hardships? Cost? Who can
remember? Who cares? You'll bury the details in the fine
print and future freedom-seekers will skip to the happy
ending, just like you did.
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Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. is an author, speaker, and career coach
who helps mid-career, midlife professionals make a fast move
to career freedom. Susbscribe to her free monthly Career
Freedom ezine:http://www.movinglady.com/subscribe.html
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