Answering the hard questions

The other day, I wrote about asking the hard questions and today I am going to answer them.

The point of this exercise was to figure out why I am burned out at work, something that happens every few months and to refocus and re-motivate myself possibly in a new direction!!!!

Why do I work ?

• The main reason I work is to stay in France. I have a titre de séjour commerçant ( a residancy card with a business reason). If for some reason my business was to close or I decided not to work, I would have to change my residency card to something else. Just changing from a student residancy card to a business residancy card was just hard enough!
• I have to work in order to stay here and help my family stay here. We recently got some good news about Yilmaz's paperwork, which I will share with you shortly. This good news will allow me to apply for French nationality, as soon as his official paperwork goes through, don't worry I will still be American as well.
• Sometimes I feel like I work in order to have something to do during the day. I like to overbook myself with work. This may be because I feel like I am accomplishing something and using the degree that I got in school. I mean my parents, my husband and I paid a lot of money! 

What do I hope to gain personally, professionally and spiritually ?

• Personnally - a sense that I giving back to the community where I live or a sense that I helping others improve or be productive in their lives. Gain a sense of accomplishment and be happy in the work that I am doing and to not feel like a failure or a quitter, sometimes I have really bad un-motivated days. For example, I have a phone meeting later on today and I have a sense that it is not going to go well. But who cares, I have some great ideas below that I can work on.

• Spiritually/religiously - a sense of worth or a sense that my work is benefiting me and my religon - a job where I am learning about my religion and am receiving spiritual rewards. Sometimes I feel like I am wasting my time, I could be doing something more productive and beneficial.

• Professionally - meet the right contacts that will allow me to help others or be pushed in the right direction.  Meet people who are in similar situations with me and share ideas or eventually work together.

What are my dreams and how will I make them happen ?

• Recently, I almost had the opportunity to teach English once a week in a private school near my house, but the position was filled up quicker than expected. Also, I have been approached by quite a  number of people about teaching English. So it got me thinking that maybe I would offer children and adult English lessons in my house or a private school.
• Another dream is to shift the style of my agency and work for singers in the Islamic music world. Or organize concerts and Islamic events. Or even retreats for women and children in my community. - I used to be involved in this kind of stuff when I was younger and I really enjoyed it.

What are ressources do I have ? 

• I know a lot of people in my area and in the surrounding Paris area. So the answer is simple I need to contact them. 
• I shouldn't be afraid to ask questions or help.

So there you have my answers. If you asked yourself the hard questions, too, don't hesitate to respond with your answers below.