Remarkablogger, American Idol and Me

Remarkablogger, American gtzenbild and Me Remarkablogger, American Idol and Me I read this post from Michael Martine (aka Remarkablogger) while half-watching American Idol.Yeah, yeah I know Idol is cheesy. There are better things to do with my time. I know. But I watch it anyway, so shoot me. Ive watched it for 4 years actually and Im to the point where I can tell who is going to do well without even trying. Its leid about talent or singing ability. Its about who has the clearest idea of who they are musically. It may sound odd, but authenticity is key to success, even on a reality TV show that so many people see as fake.Selling Vacuum CleanersWhich is what Michael wrote about in his post. He used to be a vacuum cleaner salesman and he hated it. Read his whole post to find out why (its a great read) but the bottom-line was that he knew he was in the wrong job. He didnt hate the vacuums he was selling he just hated door-to-door sales because it wasnt authentically who he was. He cal ls how he felt living a lie.I know what he means. For a long time I stayed in a job that actually made me unhappy because it paid well. I was an HR exec and had risen up through the ranks to serve on the executive leadership team. I was never entirely happy in HR but I always thought that the next promotion would be the one that changed how I felt about my job. It never did because it just wasnt right for me. There were too many things about HR that required me to mute parts of my personality or do things I didnt enjoy doing.Starting my own business meant taking a big pay cut, not to mention a big risk, but I couldnt be happier that I did it. Because I enjoy my work now that I am no longer living a lie.But What About the Recession?Perhaps it seems nuts to think about finding work that makes you happy at a time when so many people are just desperate to find (or hang on to) any job. But I dont think it is. I think that times like these are exactly the times that give us an opportunity to reevaluate, because they show how tenuous everything is anyway. If youre staying in a job just because it pays well, now you realize that its not secure anyway. It could be gone tomorrow and then what?If youre in a job that doesnt reflect who you are and what you really love to do, start making plans to leave it. Decide what you do love and use your spare time to work towards that. Just because you cant afford to walk out and then start a search doesnt mean you cant start a search anyway.And if youre currently looking for a job, make happiness a part of the equation. Even if you have to take an emergency job to pay some bills, dont let that dissuade you from the long-term goal of finding work you love.Its not just a good idea because you will feel better. Its a good idea because you will be far more successful doing something that is authentically you than struggling along in a field that you dont find personally rewarding.Oh and as for American Idol this guy will do well. And this one. You can take that to the bank