OT: Are you doing what your really want to do?

The past few years I've been getting the blah's over not being successful in a career.  I go in spurts with it and at a time I was almost registered back in school.  I even tried online, but it failed, ,think it was just a bad school.  Anyway, my husband just finished school and taking his certs now, he will have an IT degree in no time.  I went to school to be an accountant, two classes before graduating I quit.  Long story short, I had too..bad marraige and afraid for my life and my kids lives so I had to leave.  I've since learned I hate accounting, so I've had no desire to go back to finish.

With my husband finishing and finding out how much money we owe in loans this past six months I've pretty much given up on the dream of what if's.  His loans will be the amount of a small house.  We now kick ourself in the butt for going to a specialized private school.  Now that it's getting closer to him having his degree, my sister in law is getting her doctorate in science this year, just everyone seems to be doing what they have long desired to do.  It's sort of getting me down in a way.  Sure I've been busy raising four kids, and I've had jobs, and one that I fell in love with.  But I've never got my degree, or never did what I REALLY had my heart set upon.

Now with his loans coming in pretty soon, and my past loans I keep wondering if I should just forget it once and for all.  I mean, I'm almost forty years old!  That is another thing that keeps ringing in my ears whenever I think about the possibility.  What do you all think.  Where do you draw the line and say...my life is happy with what I got now, or I'm getting too old for that, or we just can't afford it.  I'm having a hard time acknowledging the fact that the chances of me going back to school are getting pretty slim.  

What's your thoughts on this. 

 

 

Holly, what I got out of this is that you've had only one job that you loved.  I would say to find out how you could make a good living doing this job.  If it requires a degree, then go for that specifically.  If not, find out what it takes for you to make money in that kind of job. Mary

Dreams are forever, Holly... there is no expiration date.  I'm 45 and I still dream.. dream about finishing school.. I dream about traveling...  I dream about having a life outside of this cage.  I don't think we should be so concerned about  that cut-off date on our dreams, I think when we stop dreaming, we stop living. It sounds to me like you're already doing one of the most challenging jobs there is... raising 4 children.  I'm not saying that this is all there is... but it is certainly an accomplishment for which you can be proud.  :)

But are they really dreams? They don't have to be. To me that's like saying I'll be fat forever, losing weight is just something I want really bad..hence a dream. Just like I was in a bad marriage and got out of it. It seemed like a dream at the time, but not when I got determined and got out of it.

Maybe I'm thinking too much into it today. When I wrote it I was more or less generalizing for a forty year old to go back to school, is it really worth it, is it worth the extra burden, should we be happy with what we got or keep going for the sky, when should it stop? I don't like "dreams", lol I like reality. I think everyone should live their dreams, or try too. Think I've wasted a lot of years, and it's sneaking up on me. I'm alright with the life I have, but I hate not knowing what could have been.

Dont you?

That to me is like giving up on myself, which not going back makes me feel like I am. Just trying to justify not having the money or getting older to make it all better. Makes me think how many of us have lived our lives to the max of what we can and want out of life. Just like losing weight, I personally wonder why I've waited this long before doing something about it.....just an example.

Lol, sorry so deep...must be "in the mood" today. :) Lol, maybe I'm going thru midlife crisis!haha

Forgive my insensitive and ignorant response...  truly, I only meant that we should never stop aspiring.

Bah, your answer was fine.  I was just trying to make a point, not walk on what you said.  Sorry if I sounded like that.  Guess I'm thinking a lil too much into it today.  I've been looking at schools and stuff all day long, getting a needing, yet regretting feeling come over me.  lol make sense?

Doesn't it just irk you sometimes if you regret to do something you should have done long ago?  The older I get the more I'm finding this out about me.  Guess it's telling me I need to start living now instead of the past! 

You make perfect sense.  Sounds exciting and scary all at the same time!

It's never too late to achieve your dreams. My mom was a nurse (LPN).  At 45 years of age she went back to school to become an RN. That was her dream job.  She worked her job as an LPN during the day and went to school at night. She was a single mom and I was less than 10 years old.  I cannot even remember what she did with me while she was in school. I never remember being home alone?? I do remember her studying almost every night. I would help her. She would teach me the medical terms and gave me the text books to read to her.  These were some of my fondest memories of her. My mother died at 49 years of age.  She was 6 weeks from graduating at the top of her class.  It was inevitable that she would finally be an RN. Years of taking care of us kids had stalled that dream but she never lost it. She achieved it. A few months after she passed the school asked me to attend the graduation ceremony and accept her diploma. I was 22 when I decided it was time to achieve my dream career. I'm lucky because I haven't had anything but myself to slow me down. 6 years later I can honestly say I love my job, I'm PROUD of myself, and have not regretted the choice to pursue my career in IT. I still have other dreams. I dream of owning land, having a big ole garden, horses, and all that country boy farmer stuff.  I'm working towards it and I know I'll get it eventually.  Every time I start getting discouraged I think back to what my mother accomplished in her short time here on the earth. She is my encouragement, my inspiration. Go and rope in your dreams!  Your hard work will not only pay off for you but it will also pay off for your kids and others who look up to you.

thanks for making me cry my eyes out at 6:00 a.m., Kriz...omg, what a beautiful post in honor of your mom. ((((kriz)))))))  you are such a fine young man; i bet your mom might ditch heaven just to hug you one more time.

Your welcome!!!  (((((((((neecee)))))))))  Tears always clear the sinuses up well!  You know, it's been so long since I've seen my mom I'm not even sure how I'd react or what I'd even say to her.  I see kids nowadays that are so completely disrespectful to their parents. I just want to jerk them up and beat the everliving **** out of the self-centered little *******s.  Losing my parents, a brother, grandparents and several other family members at a young age has really taught me a lot. I just wish I could convey that knowledge to kids but I know they just won't understand. It's kinda something you can't grasp until it happens to you.  Kinda like dying from obesity or having a heart attack is unreal to many. Same goes with losing loved ones. Life is short, there's all sorts of things that can kill us. We can't afford to waste time.  God if only I could take my own advice!