self-delusion?

My friend, Jon, and I are working to develop our personal mission statements using a book as our guide. The book at one point warns against people pursuing a career path that is only a shadow of what their real dreams are. For example, there are people who dream of writing for a living who settle for teaching English or working as a copywriter or something else like that. She says that we cannot live this life that's parallel to our dreams. We must go directly toward our dreams!

I wonder how that applies to my position in life. I'm a living but a shadow of my potentially fuller existence? Sometimes we ask God for a sign. "Please, God. Show me what I gotta do!" I've found that sometimes he sends that sign and we COMPLETELY miss it. I'm sure I've missed these things before.

So many times I've asked God for direction about my career and it's felt like I've been talking to my ceiling. But when I reflect on things that people have said to me over the years I start to wonder if I have missed something.

I've been told numerous times that I would be a good teacher (even though I resisted the thought of the public education system). I've been told I would be a good pastor (or perhaps a spiritual mentor of sorts). And I've been told that I write well (I suppose you can be the judge of that here). Maybe those were all signs that I drove past on my way to trying to figure out the way.