Photo by Kevin Grieve on Unsplash
I had a hard realization recently about the work that I do as a virtual assistant. While I am an independent contractor, I am not my own boss. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks and then bells and whistles rang loudly. Running the day-to-day operations does not make me anything other than an employee despite the requested tasks that I complete. What the heck am I doing with my life? With my gift? With my talent?
As much as I enjoy helping this person build their company, I am constantly reminded that it is not mine. There are certain things that I want to do or not do but it is not my decision to make. I have to release the idea of doing things my way so that I can survive this leg of my journey until God releases me to my next assignment.
In the moment, I was super angry. Angry that things didn’t go the way that I expected after putting in all the work to make things happen. Then I was angry at myself because I was angry about something beyond my control. I followed that moment with more anger because I couldn’t quite put my finger on what really had me so upset. Then it hit me. This feels like my dream but it’s not mine. I am building someone else’s dream and I resented it.
I resented the fact that reality shattered what felt like my picture-perfect situation. This is not my dream and I am not actively pursuing mine. Ouch! When did this happen and how did I get here?
Accepting the realization of my role has been very humbling yet empowering. It has reignited a fire in me that I thought had gone out and for that, I am grateful.
What about you? What dream have you been hiding from while helping others achieve their dream? Have you been pushing others to go further and harder in areas where you have forgotten that you once wanted to go? Did you forget that you had a dream that you wanted to build that looks similar to the one that does not belong to you?
Now I am not saying to quit helping other people to build their dreams because there is a place for that along the journey. However, I am challenging you to not get so lost in someone else’s journey to their dreams that you forget your own. Learn all that you can while actively pursuing your dream. Set yourself up for success while serving others. Be gracious AND intentional on your journey. Most importantly remember the difference between theirs and yours.
Have you been helping someone else build their dream and left yours behind? Let’s chat.
Just Another Day's Journey 