when anywhere is better

Astrid is 23 and has enrolled to become an architect after biting the bullet and resigning her day job. It will mean several years of hardship, but she knew that she could not stay one more day at that awful job.

"I stopped thinking of myself as a job survivor," says Astrid, "and started thinking of myself as a valued human being who deserved better than what I had."

Once she starting to believe in herself, she knew what her life direction was and what she needed to do in order to get there.

"Sometimes, it's a life crisis that forces us to look at new directions and believe that anywhere is better than where we are now," says Astrid, "but mostly it's just boredom and frustration with what we're doing."

"Often a new home, a new man, a new job, another baby, higher education or self-employment can give us a new direction," explains Astrid, "but mostly it's an attitude change that gives us the direction we really need."

Astrid understands that women stuck in dead end jobs, bored out of their brains being housewives or fed up tramping the streets looking for a job always start off thinking that anywhere is definitely going to be better than where they are now.

But where is anywhere?

"Anywhere is where you're not right now," says Astrid, "and getting there involves not doing what you're doing right now."

"The first step to a new direction and a new life," says Astrid, "is to stop what you're doing now and start doing something else."

"For someone stuck in a dead end job that means quitting - are you prepared to do that? For a bored housewife that means getting a job or separating - are you prepared to do that? For someone who can't find a job that means stopping looking for one - are you prepared to do that?"

"If you're not prepared to do that," explains Astrid, "then you're not serious about anywhere being better than where you are now. It is only when you stop doing what you say you hate, and get away from being where you are now, that you start doing something else in a different place."

"In other words, to give the universe a chance to work miracles for you, you must be prepared to take that first step."

"Yes, of course, it is very risky to quit a job or to stop looking for a job when you need money to support yourself," says Astrid, "but it is only when you put yourself in a void that something else can turn up to fill it."

"There's no guarantee that anywhere is going to be better than where you are now, but if it's what you want," says Astrid, "then just do it and you will certainly end up somewhere else!"

Astrid believes that once given that advice, most people then change their mind about anywhere being better than where they are now. And that’s her purpose.

"I've shocked lots of people into facing their boredom," laughs Astrid, "and when I've accomplished that, they're then forced into planning exactly where they want to go and how to get there."

"Often," says Astrid, "just flowing with the present situation -- perfectly aware of what you are doing -- works magic. Some things really do fall into place at the right time when your attitude changes."

"This is all most people really need to do. That’s how I did it. I just woke up one day and knew I had to bite the bullet and quit that job. And that's exactly what I did."

"I knew instinctively what I should be doing with my life -- I'd known ever since I was 13 and designed alterations for my parents' home -- but I just drifted into a dead end job rather than following my vocation."

"At 13 I had astounded everyone with a talent for design and structure," explains Astrid, "but I guess I just didn't believe in myself enough to aim to be an architect."

"I suppose I needed a few years in a dead end job to give me the kick in the butt I needed!"

In resigning her job Astrid had finally started to design her life.