Who said just because you don't have a job you can't enjoy your life? Why is this thought put in our heads that our life doesn't actually begin until we start our careers? Yes, it'd be ideal to have a career and know what my tomorrow's will look like, but I don't necessarily think that a job defines who I am.
So, I say this: Just because you don't have a job right now, doesn't mean that you're not a nobody or that your life isn't significant, yet (and whoever made you feel like this is a liar). You're actually becoming the better you, if you take the time to think about it, that's a pretty sweet deal. Having all this time to myself has actually helped me in discovering the things that make me happy. I was on the phone with my grandpa tonight and he was telling me that I am a girl of many talents (this conversation was entirely in Spanish, something I couldn't accomplish a year and a half ago). Papa Chepe (that's what I call my grandpa) was explaining to me that I will continue to "roll out" new details about myself, exploring more of what I can do. I thought, "Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about. This is basically sums up what I've been feeling about this past year of joblessness." Could this man be more wonderful?
That isn't to say I don't have my moments of unhappiness. There are times I will feel like a failure when I receive the emails or phone calls from a job I applied for, with hopes of being hired, that I am not what they are looking for in a candidate. It can be draining, infuriating, and disappointing (trust me, you are not alone in this). I know these feelings all too well. Committing time to job hunting is essential to finding a job, yes, but I don't think I have to job hunt eight hours a day (job hunting will feel like a job in itself after a while, though – you just won't get paid for it). I now commit to two to three hours of job hunting, three days a week, max now. There are other hours in the days, other days in the week, to do things that are good for you.
Example: I may not always go out taking photos (or "capturing moments" as so many of my friends put it), but I spend more time taking photos of what awakens the artistic-moment-sharing self in me. I'm not rushed. I haven't read a countless list of books, but I read what pleases me, what feeds my hunger for character discovery. I have watched more films, jotted or sketched out ideas. I have spent more time getting to know what I like than I have in the fourteen years of schooling. School has contributed a bit to my likes and dislikes, but with all this time, without any worry of deadlines or what classes to schedule next semester, I realized there are so many things I love that I can't even put it into words. I feel the joy.
Now, I am about to go into detail of what has helped me realize why I deserve to be happy (the keyword being: deserve). The most important joy I've felt this past year is my relationship with God. I spent my senior year of college away from God on purpose. I was driven to finish my last year with good grades and 100% commitment to school. I accomplished my academic goals, but I was never fully satisfied. That is because my soul knew that I needed more than just these earthly things to define who I am. I needed God. I spent so much time praying, talking, apologizing, crying to God. I got to know who He is again and I have spent this time strengthening my bond to Him. I have felt that by spending this year with not only with discovering myself, but with God, I feel more fulfilled. My journey isn't over yet, though, I continue to grow and learn.
I am bettering myself, day-by-day, because I know God doesn't want me to walk into a job as the broken person I once was. He has been preparing me, healing me, bringing to light what He wishes for me to do. I have faith in this. That's what this year of self-discovery as a post-grad has granted me. Time. Taking time for myself, finding out what I love, learning to be happy and not miserable all the time just because I haven't found that job for me yet. Spending time with people I love, people who matter and love me back as I love them. It is important for your soul to take part in what makes you happy (at least what I believe to be important). And I strongly feel that God doesn't want His children, His works of art He created (think about it, we are His works of art), to feel like they are nothing; we deserve complete joy because He made us His beautiful masterpieces. Just remember that those moments of crumminess, they won't last forever (something I continue to tell myself every day), it's all about the joy. Even if your belief in God is different than mine, you can't deny that doing what makes you laugh isn't one of the best feelings in the world (unless working makes you happy, in which case, this is totally irrelevant to you).
To make a long story short: TREAT YOURSELF TO HAPPINESS!
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