Living life without regrets is not an easy thing to do. You
can beat the “what if”s to death, and tick off your “coulda, shoulda, woulda”s
but in the present you have only what you have. It is easier to fall into this
behavior when you find yourself dissatisfied with your current situation. I
find it is similarly good to reflect on bad times in the midst of celebrating victories.
The places you have been make you who you are today; for better or for worse.
Professional Opportunities:
In late 2010 I was living in Chicago, in a shitty
relationship and looking into returning to the Pacific NW. I interviewed for
and was offered a position on the spot that would provide me the chance to move
back to my “homeland.” After much weighing of pros and cons I decided to stay
in Chicago. Shortly following my decision I received a huge bonus and a
sizeable raise. Timing is so important; I cannot emphasize this point enough.
As I lived my life in the Midwest I continued to experience
unrest. I started applying and working to find my way back to Portland. I found
many interesting opportunities and was offered one at a large company. A huge
company is not a type of place I had ever worked, but I was convinced the
change of pace would be valuable experience. I have found that it was somewhat
valuable…It taught me more lessons about what things to avoid and the types of
people that I do not work well with than about anything accounting or business
related.
After 8 or so months in the position I felt wholly restless.
I was not learning at a pace that satisfies my need for knowledge, this all in
conjunction with being told that my job was being shipped to a shared service
center…AKA OUTSOURCED! Excellent; already dissatisfied with my situation, the
atmosphere changes completely.
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| Ahhh, Rhodesian.... |
I dabbled in applications, resume updates, and cover letter
composition. My saving grace came in the form of recruiters. I had 3 highly
motivated, well trained, and generally amazing people working on my behalf. It
is their job to provide their clients with qualified, motivated, well prepared
candidates; that’s how these joints make their ca$h. Being a valuable candidate
is the best weapon. (I’d like to think I would be something sharp…or a
Rhodesian fighting stick…perhaps…)
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| Best. Recruiters. Ever. |
In the end…that’s today…I got a job offer and I get to move
on from my current situation. The curious part is the new job is on the same
property as the position I turned down in late 2010. Coincidences are amazing. I
could have taken the position in 2010, but missed out on so many other things.
That one decision could have changed so many things about my current daily life;
now I see, professionally, I will end up right where I believe I should be
without disturbing what comprises the other parts of my life. If you spend
every day dreading work, wishing you were anywhere else, you need to make a
change.
Personal Relationships
Looking back at the people I considered to be my best
friends over the years and comparing them to those I spend the most time with
currently, very few of the original remain. That is what happens when you grow
up and figure things out for yourself. Although you still have things in common
with those people, we develop into more dynamic characters and require variety.
Transitioning from college life to “the rest” of your life, the
varying speeds at which people change is amazing. Some of my best friends got
married right after school, some are in long term committed relationships
spanning 6-7 years, others have had kids, and many are still in transition. We
are all familiar with the, “you’ve changed bro” mentality. Of course these
people changed. They don’t live in dorms and shitty apartments anymore; they
have jobs, and wives, children and pets to take care of. That is their life,
the path they chose, it is, most importantly, what makes them happy.
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| 5 Years. Reuniting. |
There will always be chances to reunite and relive the glory
days. Everyone loves to reminisce.
Romantic relationships…if I had made different choices in my
last year of college I might be married and surrounded by a gaggle ‘o’kids. If
I had made different choices and never moved to Chicago I have no idea where I
would be…If I had stayed longer in Chicago…Who knows?
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| Table for One |
I had been in relationships almost non-stop from the time I
was 16 until 25… Currently this area of my life has undoubtedly fallen by the
wayside. I have amazing friends and family, tons of activities and work…I dated
a few people; these experiences pretty much confirmed the idea that I will
spend the rest of my life being the “cool, single aunt,” because if what I
experienced is an accurate representation of what the male population has to
offer as mates, I’d rather be a spinster.
As far as personally-relatable opportunities I did not take
advantage of (pun intended) I’m not sure how many exist. (Probably zero.) I
have moved beyond the idea of fantastic fairytale love; it is out there, but it
is not everlasting. I’ve felt it fade, I’ve seen the aftermath, its like a
crash diet. Very few people are exposed to positive and realistic examples of
true companionship; television, movies, divorced parents, excessive
promiscuity…The images and ideas we are presented with concerning this area of
our life are fucked. Maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to find a person to
share a tax return with, but not if it means unwillingly sacrificing parts of
myself.
Funtivities
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| Racing My Bike |
Pretty much anything you wouldn’t put on your resume goes in
this area. Beyond work, family and friends these are the activities which make
you a well rounded and interesting individual. Like finding out that scrawny
guy from your work is a mixed martial artist and competes in cage fights.
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| Concerts |
There is no reason to miss out on everything you want to do.
The personal relationships you participate in should positively contribute to
this area of your life. Do not think
work is a good reason to miss out on valuable non-work related, non-revenue
generating activities. I’ve recently discovered the idea of the “Triple Bottom
Line.” This idea takes into account more than money. (People, Profit, Planet)
If more humans included it in their decision making process, our quality of
life would be astronomically better.
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| Racing Boats |
Having money is not the same as having happiness. I just
accepted a job that came with a title downgrade and a pay cut; does it seem
like I give a fuck? Hell NO! This opportunity is going to afford me time to do
other things, work in a relaxed environment, and achieve goals beyond the
cubicle walls. It is important at the end of each day for me to look back and
know that I did not waste any time. Each thing I do should generate some sort
of revenue, whether it have ca$h or intrinsic value. Commit to your life beyond
ca$h.
One package Smart Bacon or an equivalent amount of some smoky protein
