Life no longer handed to you on a silver platter??

I finally realized my life is no longer handed to me on a silver platter and I really do have to work for what I want. (gasp!) I came to this realization as my career life is in a state of chaos and I can't just go "this is what I want" and get it. Not that I could pick and chose like that before, but things always seemed to fall in place. I was graduating college and before I even did I had a job lined up at MassMutual and started 1 week after graduation. When I wanted a job change within the company, I got it. Didn't really like it but was given an out at Bay Path as I was finishing my master's at the time. Didn't go so well there with my new boss as I looked for change and she wanted stale, status quo. I left on not so great terms - dare I say I was Fired - but I took some time off.

It was then things started to unravel. I was diagnosed with ADD (what I thought was a death sentence because my type A personality was unraveling too) but the job hunt wasn't so easy. Ok, maybe looking for jobs via a laptop by the pool and constantly relaxing beach side wasn't the best but I had a killer tan and it was nice to relax for a change. Plus when my mom was injured and had to be home, I was there for her. I did land a job in the school department in Nov. 2004 which wasn't too challenging work wise for me but I did it and it gave me some great connections. Today, almost 3 years later I am still there trying to figure out what I am doing with my life. That said, it isn't they way it used to be anymore for job hunting. I have applied and interviewed for a few which I was a "shoe-in" for but I didn't get any of them. Kind of heart wrenching to know it isn't as easy as it used to be. Makes me wonder...did I lose my charm? What changed? How come when I was young and impressionable I could get what I wanted, now not so much?

Not that I am not adverse to working hard, I don't believe you should just be handed a job but have you seen a change in your life lately? It is nice for someone to say "here you go" but there is something more rewarding about working hard for it. However, when you want a change... why can't it just pop up when you want it to???