For the first time in my life, I have a career plan. It's rough in the early stages, but I have a career counselor helping me make the transition from what I am doing now to what I want to do.

The simple possibility of loving what I do for forty waking hours per week has risen my spirits significantly. It makes me realize that it is silly to spend one's life doing something that one doesn't enjoy. I don't necessarily hate the career I'm in currently; I just don't think it's a good fit for me. The gratitude I've had about the good life I've earned has kept me trapped in a sense of complacency.

While riding someone will sometimes ask me, "How was work today?" or "How's your job going?" It started to bother me that I was answering, "Okay" or "The usual". I mean, why does life have to be like that? I've always said that I take my job off, like a shirt, before I go home from work every day. I don't think about work while I'm not at work. But I want that shirt to fit me so I don't feel compelled to take it off, so that I want to come up with new ideas in the shower or solve problems while doing laundry.

So, having a new career plan is like going from being trapped in a room with no windows or doors to walking down a tunnel with a bright light coming from the opening. I'm happily anticipating change.

The career change is one component of an overall "Megabeth says NO" campaign. It's a major change in my modus operandus. I've said no a thousand times in the last week. I'm emulating Bartleby the Scrivner: I prefer not to. Because I prefer not to be stuck in the muck that was previously bringing me down. Because I prefer not to continue living my life with my needs placed secondary to anyone else's. My word of the month for September, November, December, and every month following is No. And in saying no, I will say yes to the things that I really want for myself.

(If you were wondering why I left out October, it's because the word of the month is "Trickortreat". Gotta love H'ween.)