It’s time for another chapter in gratitude, which for this Grateful Heart Monday, I wanted to officially express my thankfulness for the ongoing reminders I continue to get from time to time from Source to keep doing what I’m doing in life for work.
I often find myself getting caught up in my head wondering if I’m even doing what I’m meant to be doing in life, mostly because it’s quite far from what I once went to college for and presently it’s only volunteer based. Having gone to a major university to earn a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and working 10 years in that field, then engaging myself in the bed and breakfast/inn-keeping industry for 7 years beyond that, never truly enjoying either other than the money both brought in, I’ve thankfully chosen to spend the last decade of my life doing something far different.
Over the last ten years, I’ve immersed myself in what I believe to be a third career iteration, one that’s primarily in the addiction recovery realm with me simply donating my time and energy just to help others via my speaking and writing. Doing this specific work has been both exceptionally fulfilling yet totally frustrating at times, only in that I frequently find myself wondering if it’s even making a difference. It’s easy to think that way when I see so many relapses and deaths from addiction with such regularity and when so many of my speaking presentations and articles I write receive little to no feedback. Thus, I’m extremely grateful when I get those occasional reminders from others telling me how much what I do has helped them.
One came recently from a fraternity brother who heard my alcohol and drug story at the chapter house years ago who just never let me know until recently how much it had impacted their life back then. Another came recently as well from a reader of my blog who told me how much my words continue to make an impact upon their life due to my openness and transparency with what I’ve been through. Other reminders have come at times via the addiction centers I volunteer at where me simply telling my story of addiction to recovery has planted seeds I never even knew sprouted until I randomly ran into them long down their road of recovery.
I have really seen the truth that one never really knows the depth of the seeds they plant from their acts of freely giving of themselves in life. Even though my current work path isn’t one that’s income bearing, I continue to remain grateful, especially on this Grateful Heart Monday, to God for the ongoing reminders I receive that the work I’m dong now is important and is what I’m meant to be doing in life presently, as it’s not only clearly helping others, it’s also providing me far more fulfillment, something I can most assuredly say never did happen in either of my prior careers…
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
