Hello, (2nd) Dream Job

I did it! After thirty years, three libraries, and an unfathomable number of reference questions answered by yours truly, I quit my day job and took a leap to pursue the second job of my dreams. Yes, you heard that right, The Posh Librarian, is now without her library.

It is hard to leave a job, no matter who you are and not matter what the dream job is, especially when the job you currently have is also a dream job. But hear me out…thirty years is a long time to do anything, No matter how much you enjoy doing it, sometimes you just need to shake it up. And, boy! Did I shake it up good. I am starting to consider this part of my life as the second act. I am soon to embark on my second major career path and a second marriage (read about it next month), only this time I am not starting from scratch, I am starting from experience.

While there is not any one specific circumstance or individual to attribute this shake up in my attitude, I mean, hey, maybe it’s one of those mid-life things, I can affirm that Cathy Heller probably does deserve some of the credit. Among so many other things, she is the author and podcaster of Don’t Keep Your Day Job, an anthem, of sorts, for anyone who feels that on some deeper level that they are not living out their life purpose. It turns out that I was harboring a hidden self, but unlike Clark Kent’s phone booth transformation into becoming Superman, this change in me didn’t happen in the blink of an eye, but it did need to happen.

I have been acting out the dual identity for years. Mild-mannered librarian by day, and fashion entrepreneur by night. I would put in a full day of work between the stacks of books and come home and put in a full evening sourcing, photographing, and uploading clothes to my online Poshmark store, living out my dreams of living the fashion life that began at the age of eight when I cut and pasted outfits from the Sears catalog onto vision boards. This double life was working great for me, until Ms. Heller’s word began to permeate my inner core and awaken the beast within.

In her matter-of-fact and completely heartfelt way, Cathy Heller holds the mirror to truth that we need to see-that we owe it to ourselves to be what we were made to be, and the only thing that is stopping us is our ability to believe that it can be so. I think in my heart, my life has always belonged to the fashion world. And Ms. Heller was opening my eyes to the truth that for years I was letting fear, lack of confidence, and worrying about what others think lead my life instead of me.

Don’t get me wrong, I really loved my library job, it was my first dream job, and I could have likely stayed there for eternity. But, I would have missed out on the second calling that lived inside of my heart. I believe that everything that we do and go through prepares us for our next level and when the time is right, an opportunity will present itself. That is exactly how I came to own my own consignment store in what felt like the blink of an eye. When the opportunity presented itself, I seized it, before any fear, self-doubt, or negative talk could deter me.

There are people less qualified than you, doing the things you want to do, simply because they decided to believe in themselves.

Cathy Heller

When you make the decision to believe in yourself and your dreams, that’s when the magic happens. Do I have all the answers? No. Is it scary? A little. But I am taking many lessons with me that I learned along the way, bringing some of my favorite styles and designers into my new shop, and of course, stocking my built-in shelves with some great reads to help me feel at home. Being my own boss and making my own choices is something that I did not always desire, but became a selling point to me as my life moved forward.

So here I am. Living my second dream, in a quaint, cozy, historic building, listening to my records, setting up a shop full of my dreams, and giving my customers a full serving of second-hand love. There’s nothing better than this.

Are you looking for the courage to follow you dreams? Check out my PRINTABLES section for a list of books like Don’t Keep Your Day Job that will help you speak your dreams into reality.