So. Way back in the winter I let it slip that I might soon have some job news to report.

Well, the report was long in coming, but here it is at last. I'm mentioning it because it's relevant to a few work-related discussions we've had here of late. And also because I consider so many of you friends and want to share my good news!

For the last month, I've been working as a staff writer for Precision Nutrition. (http://www.precisionnutrition.com) It is an excellent job. Well-paid. Reasonable work demands. Super nice people. Benefits. One month of holidays a year. Work from home, with all the flexibility that implies.

Now, if you had asked me five years ago—or even two years ago—whether I ever saw myself working for a fitness company, I would have guffawed in your face. I was the most unfit person I knew! Meanwhile, I was trying, and failing, to make ends meet, trying to eke out time for my creative work between juggling motherhood and multiple poorly-paid jobettes. It wasn't fun. And when my dear hubby retired, money became a genuine issue. We hold a big mortgage. It is our only debt, but debt it is. And it has to be paid!

So what happened?

Well, I got fed up with my poor state of health, and signed on as a client with this company. It seemed expensive, but (much as we do when we finally decide to rejuvenate our wardrobes) I decided I was worth it—and went ahead.

I was serious about the program, put effort into it, and had a lot of success. That made me feel really good and much more optimistic about life in general. The program basically got me through a tough year with the death of a parent and many other challenges. I was so glad to have done it.

So later, when they asked me to volunteer a bit of my time to write a few things for them, I did so with pleasure.

And later still, along came this paid opportunity. I applied, got the job, and voilå–here I am. I'm now using my skills as a writer to teach people how to lead healthier, more balanced lives, something I care as passionately about as I care about literature.

I still have to juggle my creative work with paid work, but that would be a problem regardless, and as time goes on and I get more used to the workplace rhythms, I am sure I'll figure out a balance. And in the meantime, I get to contribute to our family's financial stability in a way I haven't been able to do for a long time. That makes me feel very good indeed.

So...where am I going with all of this?

I guess, mainly— following your passions and volunteering can be a great path to finding meaningful and financially rewarding work. The two do not have to be opposed.

I think our own Angie and Greg provide another wonderful example of this at work.

I do think it can take time for a person to build the skills to make this possible; you often need to lay years of groundwork, as Angie and Greg certainly did and as I did, too.

But for those like Kari and Rae who are looking into different kinds of work, I would say, take your passions as a kind of map. They may not lead you down the route you'd first expect, and the route you end up travelling may be a bit circuitous. But in the end, if you trust them, they'll get you where you want to go.

By the way, I'm even more grateful for YLF now that I have this job. Almost every day we have a short video conference just to check in with one another. So obviously, working in my PJs would NOT be ideal! I am so glad to have built at least a passable MOTG work-at-home wardrobe of items that are quite casual and very comfortable but still perfectly work appropriate. I can only imagine what my struggles with this would have been a year ago; it would really have added to my initial stress about the transition.

Special note to Patty, if you are reading: even though I was still working from home, I had lots of tummy butterflies at first. It was tough to give up my own use of my time. And I'm still finding a balance and have had to cut back on YLF time except on weekends. But it is worth it in the long run.

Bonus teaser of my Picture challenge outfit!