Kim Goodfellow is our #BeBoldGirl today, sharing how she boldly made a career change. She talks about how God led her to do more than she imagined. Welcome, Kim!
I managed to shut the door to my office before I started crying, but only barely.
Shame filled me. “Why am I so upset about my job? I used to love it!” I thought to myself. I analyzed my emotions, trying to find the source of my discontentment. I was almost 50 years old, and had already put in 10 years at this company. Now was not the time to question!
“My bosses love me. I make a difference here. I am able to successfully navigate personnel issues, doing investigations and suggest fair solutions to employee problems. That is my job as an HR Manager.”
But why was I so unhappy?
I heard a faint whisper in my mind. “Because this is not what you were created to do.”
I began an argument with that voice. That argument lasted for weeks.
“Trust”, he said.
“I can’t leave my job! My family relies on the income. It’s a very good job! People will think I’m crazy or that I’m going through some mid-life crisis!”
“Trust me.”
Tweet This“Move to Nashville.” A couple of years later it was “take this new job” as another opportunity presented itself. A year later I was laid off. I doubted whether I heard the instructions clearly. Why was I fired? Why did He direct me to take a job that I would lose just one year later?
I prayed, “I need another job to help with finances.”
The voice surprised me when He said “Don’t look for another job. Instead, write a book about what I tell you.”
Wait a minute! I am not a writer! I can’t do this!
“Trust me. Have courage. I am with you.” The voice continued to reassure me. Something felt right about His instructions, but the idea of not finding another job? That was crazy. And I didn’t have the foggiest notion on how to write a book!
“Trust me. Follow Me into this unknown world. Be adventurous. Be bold!”
He sent me a notification about a class on how to write a book. “Was this You?” I whispered.
“YES!! Take the class!” With trepidation, I signed up for the class, wondering what I’d gotten myself into.
Three months later, I pushed back from my computer. My book was finished! I was astounded that I did it. I was now an author. I shrugged my shoulders; thinking that the assignment was over and that I could now find another job.
“Here’s another book for you to write. And another. And another. And another.”
One year after the first instruction to write a book, I sat down at my desk, amazed at the odd direction my life took.
“One year ago, I didn’t even consider that I was an author. Now I’ve written five books. How did that happen? Why did I not know that this was what I was supposed to do? God, why didn’t you lead me here before now?”
“Because you had to experience my divine discontentment. You had to figure out that I put more treasure in you that you have covered up with years of meeting others’ expectations. I never created you to mold yourself into what other people wanted you to be. I created you to be YOU. You just had to become so unhappy with the persona that you built that you were willing to dig and find the real you – the gifts and abilities I gave you.”
“Thank you God, for giving me your divine discontentment. Thank you that you gave me courage and boldness. Thank you for my real life.” Tears fell again from my eyes, but I did not have to shut my office door this time. I am proud of these tears. I am proud of me.
Kim Goodfellow
My journey is an unconventional one. I started out in nursing school, but quickly moved into business. I ended up as an HR Manager for a multi-million dollar company, but soon realized that wasn’t what I wanted to do when I grew up. However, I did learn to lead; to create action steps based on business principles; and how to take the big picture and break it down into specific steps and goals to achieve it. Because of the lessons I learned, I knew that my purpose involved helping others create exponential growth in their own lives. You can find me at Kim Goodfellow Books, and on Facebook.
[widget id=”text-14″ title=”0″]
Inspiring! Thank you for sharing Kim. Recently I also had another few moments of discontent that have been how the Lord is confirming a move to a new chapter in my life.
Divine discontentment, what a phrase. I think a lot of us have that without realizing it. Wonderful post. I never gave up my writing, rejection slips and otherwise. My blog has begun to restore my soul. May we all become what He wants us to be.