“Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do.”

My father always said this to my siblings and I when we were growing up. Granted, he meant prioritizing our chores so that we could watch television. However, this piece of advice is more than applicable in the real world, and its relevance to and in my life only really occurred to me days ago.

Denzel Washington. J.K. Rowling. What do they have in common – besides the fact that they are household names and have had immense impact and success in their respective fields? They worked jobs that had nothing to do with acting or with writing and somehow ended up exactly where God intended – where their purpose was.

I’ve been putting so much pressure on myself these past few months to leave my retail job because I am a writer and writers don’t fold jeans or work overnight shifts – they write. Yet, in the last couple days, that same pressure has lessened because of my father’s words. Beyond chores, those words carry a greater meaning than they did when I was 13 and just trying to watch Chris Brown’s performance at the BET Awards even though my room was a mess.

I have since been able to relax because the relevance of the quote resonated with me and I was reminded that we all have to start somewhere. Denzel didn’t just wake up and become an actor. He worked jobs that had nothing to do with acting and yet, was led to his purpose anyhow. If you’re thinking like I was – that working at a coffee shop, or at your school library, or anywhere that is not directly connected to the dreams and desires, are a waste of time – here is a perspective shift:

A job, like life, is what you make it. If you’re working as an assistant, sales associate, barista until you can be a teacher, entrepreneur, musician or whatever it is you are aspiring to be, then remain focused and don’t let it define or reduce you. Stock associate is my job title, but it isn’t who I am and it, in no way, defines me. It is a stop on the journey that happens to be my life and it is an experience that, inevitably, has taught me things and helped me to support my family. 

A few words of advice to conclude: I read this in a book years ago and am disclosing to you that these are not my words, but begin with the end in mine. Whatever your job, wherever you are situated now, never lose sight of where you’d like to be – of what the goal is. There is a blessing in endurance – in working hard to pursue your dream until your dream can work for you. Remember why you started and you can never lose sight of where you are going.

Trust the process, your purpose, and the plan that God has for you.