There's Always Another Option

If you put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.

Have you ever noticed when you have been searching for an answer to a problem, the answer is always right there staring you in the face, saying "What took you so long to find me?"  Of course you have, it's the same with most people, please let me give an example of what I mean.

For example, take Ray.  15 years ago when I met him, he was very content in his job and he was moving up in his company.  Then a few years ago, a few things changed. His old boss whom he respected retired, and a new one entered the picture who didn't share the same ideals or values, and then seemingly overnight the work was no longer challenging nor exciting and it became a chore for him to come to work every day.  Ray told me that the environment had become very negative and people were leaving all over the place. Little things were happening at the office that seemed to indicate to him that it was time to move on, but Ray chose to ignore them, thinking that after so long in the same place, it would be very hard to go and that he would never find another job because of his age.  The interesting thing was, he was offered jobs by other companies, but he turned them down thinking he could never do anything else other than what he had been doing for so long.

He was trapped by his assumptions, and his ego was bruised by his loss of control. He felt out of options.

Then one day, an acquaintance started a business very similar to the one Ray had been working in and offered him a job. Ray told me that without thinking, he took it right there on the spot. He says it just felt right, and he says that today he has never been happier.  He is doing three times the amount of work that he did in the former company, but Ray is completely engaged now because he feels like he has a purpose.

It was as if he suddenly developed an ability to hear the soundless suggestions that his destiny was whispering to him.  He said as soon as he was offered the job, it was as if a heavy weight had suddenly been lifted off his shoulders and that a new light had been turned on, giving him the ability to finally see what had been standing there right in front of him all along. His feelings of being trapped had kept him blinded to his potential. If he hadn't finally listened to and interpreted the silent whispers that were shouting at him, he would still be going to work each and every day at a place that he loathed, thinking that that was all there was for him.  He now realized that he had options.

In practically every case of mistaken direction in life you'll find that it's our feelings that betray us, it's our feelings that hold us back from growth and success and it's our feelings that create the comfort zone in which we chose to live.

When Ray was telling me this yesterday, it brought the faces of many people I know to mind who also feel they are stuck in a job they hate, working with people who don't share their same values and that they have no other choice than to suffer it out until they retire.  They feel like they have no other choice.

But is that really the case?

There is always another option.

It may not be exactly what you had imagined, but there are options.

And the choice isn't to always leave either.  It could be to find a way to communicate more effectively with the team, it could be to find a way to enjoy the work more or it could mean seeking a transfer to another department.  The thing to remember is that while the choice is yours, sometimes your feelings will lie to you, so you'd better get all the facts and options before you jump into choosing anything severe.

As soon as Ray's desire to be happy was more powerful than the feeling of being trapped, the language of his destiny became clear and he instantly became more confident in himself and his abilities... and so can you.

Most people don't even try to make the change because they feel that they have to know everything that will happen before they make the move. You can't wait until you know exactly what it will be like if you choose, sometimes you have to step out in faith believing that you are doing the right thing.

You can't always be right: Success is a poor teacher.

Could it be that you have untapped potential just waiting for something to change in your life so it can become realized?  Do you have a new song - a better song just waiting to be played?  Do you really want to wait for a crisis before you are forced to make a change?

If you have doubts and an undefined destiny, I encourage you to take some time, find a quiet place where you can be alone to think, and describe on paper the kind of person you choose to be and the kind of life you choose to live.  Create your own options! Write it like anything is possible, because it is!  When you have a clear vision and clear intentions, then your brain can go to work to make the picture that you have imagined a reality.

Then, all you have to do is act as if what you imagined has already happened, and you will soon see the fruit of your imaginations suddenly showing up.

Make this your best week ever!

Paul