On this Thanksgiving, I have a lot to be thankful for. While helping clients find gratitude in their own lives, I was filled with so much gratitude for what I do for a living. When I was a full-time CPA, I could never really say that I loved the work. I helped old white guys save and make more money. As a therapist, I listen to their kids talk about Daddy being emotionally unavailable. It’s been a big sigh of relief to be doing something I love and feeling like I am useful to the world. I still help some old guys manage their money part-time, but only the ones I like. I can now choose who I work with. It’s sometimes good to listen to your own advice. Mine was often “just because you are good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it”. I am also quite gifted at stirring the pot, but I don’t have to make it a habit.
I have the privilege of talking to people who are at crossroads in their lives. I get to sit in the mess with them while they work it out, and that is where I am most helpful. It is also where people are most interesting, at their most vulnerable states. I get to witness people transform and grow daily, and facilitate the process. When I completed my undergrad a million years ago, I never thought I would actually be working in mental health, but here I am, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Life has a funny way of leading you exactly where you are meant to be, you just have to take the steps.
**I wrote these thoughts while cuddling with my convalescing cat and this banger:
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