This drawing has been hanging in my cubicle since I quit my first real job almost 9 years ago. Many of you will remember that I was in the midst of a personal crisis and quitting that job, while a very uncomfortable proposition, was a necessity. As much as I wanted to stay in my comfort zone, I knew that I had to go. It was the most painful transition of my life.
But as it turned out, quitting that job turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I could never have imagined at the time how well things would turn out for me in terms of my career and my personal life.
I found myself gazing at this drawing this morning and I realized that while I have been staring at it for 9 years, I have stopped seeing it. It is time to move forward, stop looking back and hanging on with desperation to something that is no longer an option. It's uncomfortable and scary, but as in the past, a necessity.
I can't watch tv or listen the news anymore. It's depressing. We're on the verge of some sort of financial crisis that is going to throw the country into a recession, a depression or my taxes and my children's taxes are going to skyrocket for the next 40 years, I'll never be able to sell my house, if Obama becomes president, life as I know it is over, if John McCain becomes president, life as I know it is over too. Gees, I can't take anymore.
So, I'm going John Stossell on you.
A woman called into the radio station I was listening to the other day to tell the following story. I won't do it justice I'm sure, but I'll give you the gist.
Her baby girl was diagnosed with 100% hearing loss in both ears at just a day or two old. They did not know why as there had been no history of this in their family. So they spent months putting the poor baby through all sorts of test, mri's etc.... to no avail. They said she would never hear. The insurance company would not pay for the hearing aids which are apparently very expensive, so in order for the family to qualify for Medicaid, the mother had to quit her job. They got the hearing aids and then the baby got an ear infection and couldn't wear them for a while.
One day she (the baby) was sitting on the floor in the kitchen playing, the father dropped a pot and the baby started crying. Of course they thought she must have felt the vibration or something, but they started testing in other ways and for some totally unexplained reason they found the little girl had regained full hearing in one ear. Perfect hearing.
I listened to this story and blubbered like the girl I am. I was so touched. Folks, I bet if you try, you can find someone in your circle who can tell you a touching and inspiring story like this. And I bet if you try, you can find another person after that. Why aren't these the things were talking about? I'm going to try and find as many of these kinds of stories and post them here. I don't know about you, but these are the things I need to be dwelling on, not the financial crisis we are facing that I have no control over or all of the other negative things that are being reported on the news every minute of every day.
When the mother had finished her story, the DJ played a song just for her. A song that I have always loved, from the movie, "The Prince of Thieves" which makes me tear up every time. Take a listen.
This drawing has been hanging in my cubicle since I quit my first real job almost 9 years ago. Many of you will remember that I was in the midst of a personal crisis and quitting that job, while a very uncomfortable proposition, was a necessity. As much as I wanted to stay in my comfort zone, I knew that I had to go. It was the most painful transition of my life.