Have you been afforded a great chance to do some good after thinking this very moment would never happen? Why are you looking for a new opportunity? Your now could be in fact right now.
Let me explain with a vague summary of the last 7-8 years of my career.
Life hands us interesting issues. Like having a desire to accomplish a certain milestone in your career only to be held back by a boss or supervisor.
Then you finally say maybe its not for me, only to finally get the position. But now you don’t want it because you have been waiting too long. End summary.
Understand that nothing is by accident. If your time is now regardless of circumstance, embrace it because this may be it. You may not get another chance to be that manager or work with the group of people you are currently working with.
This kind of ties into the whole “be careful what you wish for” saying because a wish or a prayer may just get answered. When you desire to accomplish a feat you have to question your own motives and narrate the internal dialogue you have with yourself (if that makes sense).
It’s not enough to say you want it and go after it. But stop and consider: Why do I want this in the first place? This is a question I asked myself after finally being promoted.
What I discovered was partially scary. I learned that 7-8 years ago my motive was to seek power, demonstrate that I was superior to all of my so-called friends, show that I was just as intelligent as my co-workers who were promoted before me, drive a sports car (350-Z baby), and make a titanic boat load of cold cash (no I owe you’s, no delayed payment, COD brotha, give me my cash on delivery).
I digress.
The point I’m trying to make is that my reasoning was no where near positive. Now after some digging I did discover that one more reason was to remove myself from the way I grew up. I was a poor kid, living in the projects but STILLL….
My motives were not pure or positive so of course once I finally got the job I wanted out. I am no longer that person from years ago. What I have discovered is that promotion has a ton of responsibilities and sometimes this means caring for actual people.
Sometimes someone else’s life lies directly in your hands because you can shape a piece of their future. That’s scary in itself but true.
Your now is not only yours but your now can be someone else’s later. Do not run away from the opportunity you have been given. You received it to have an impact that only YOU can make because of the nonsense it took for you to get the position.