The February Joy Dare has been posted and for today, it was again looking for gifts on the hours – or half-hours as it were.  I was looking for gifts at 11:30, 2:30 and 6:30.

To be honest, as much as I enjoy celebrating the hours, it seemed that there would be little to look for during the work week.  11:30?  Working at my desk.  Thank you for the new computer and double monitors.  2:30?  Working at my desk.  Staring at the computer monitors.  Looking out my nice window view of downtown.  6:30?  In my zippy little Honda Civic driving home after dark.

They are all wonderful things and worthy of my gratitude to God.  Absolutely worthy.  But I couldn’t quite feel the passion I needed to write them up and share them.

Shows how little I know!  In fact, I found very nice gifts at each marker.  They were small, but still nice gifts to be enjoyed and appreciated.

11:30 am – The dark, heavy gray clouds cleared up to bright sun and white fluffy clouds.  I guess I’m going for a walk during lunch after all!

I just finished reviewed a big stack of amended tax returns that were prepared by an outside vendor.  Each time a tax audit is done that changes federal income, I have to amend all the state returns to pay in their portion of the changed income (all the state tax returns start with federal income).  This was the last batch for this audit cycle – now 2004 to 2006 is done, done, done.

2:30 pm – I took a brief break and read some articles that were in LinkedIn.  I found this quote that I really liked.  I will write more about the topic at some point, but I have to mull it over for a while.  The article was called, “The Top 4 Reasons Why Most Career Dreams Fail” by Kathy Caprino:

A job and a calling are very different.  They require different things of us.  Many people think their career dream is to have a “calling” and they yearn for that.  What they don’t know is that a calling is a vision so compelling that you can’t stop yourself from wrapping your entire identity around it (even if you don’t want to),  even to the detriment of your bank account, your relationships and your health.

People romanticize about a calling, just as they idealize “love.” A calling is not something that you choose – it chooses you. And when it does, it exacts a large price.

Neither a job or a calling are better than the other; they’re just different. There are costs and benefits to both. But you can’t fabricate a calling out of thin air, so longing for one is a fruitless endeavor.

The key to creating a fulfilling career is to find the right path for you that makes you feel passionate, powerful and purposeful, and motivates you to be all you can be. Stop wishing for what others have, and start creating the best version of you — your authentic self.

6:30 pm – I was on the phone with my mother as I drove home from work.  For Christmas, I’d given her the book by Andy Andrews called “The Traveler’s Gift“.  I’d not read it myself, but my sister had and thought our mother would like it as a gift.  She has and I’m thankful to my sister for speaking up to give it to her.

The great thing about leaving early for work today was seeing the sunrise across the street and all the shades of color.

There’s a new post over at A Daily Life about the No Comfort Zone Challenge to stretch and grow you.

Joy Dare gifts on the hours job vs. calling Joy Dare postaday