Life Lessons When Your Career Goes Astray
We live in a neighborhood with lots of dogs.
We also have a dog that we adopted from a shelter as a puppy which we refer to as the "Mayor of Warner Ranch".... Shenanigans (Nani for short). On his twice daily walks we have gotten to know most everyone and their dogs.
Harley's Saga
As with most sub divisions with a lot of dog families... someone get's loose from time to time... and those patrolling the neighborhood corral the lost dog and they are quickly reunited with their owner. Everyone is grateful for helpful...thoughtful neighbors.
So when a loose dog was running around last Sunday...everyone tried to catch him...which was a struggle given he was not wearing a collar. It was about 105F (40C) at the height of the afternoon and as he continued to elude capture... everyone started to put out bowls of water in their driveways to at least keep him hydrated.
My family tried a few times to put him on a leash and it wasn't until we came back from dinner that night and found him in the street in front of our house that the dog agreed to be caught.
Once safely in our backyard...we realized he was very friendly. We posted on our neighborhood Facebook page... surely his owner would be coming to collect him soon!
After a couple of hours had gone by...and with no collar or tags...my family took him to a nearby emergency vet to see if he was chipped. No luck. This was going to be harder than we thought!
Life Lessons
It's been a week of lots of life lessons. All the shelters are over flowing so no one was able to take him. All the neighbors have been "cheering us on" but no one offered to foster him. We posted all over the lost pet websites as well as signs all over the neighborhood.. coffee shops... grocery stores...no owner to be found...he was dumped.
Life Lesson #1: Be prepared to accept the responsibilities of your choices. For the few times we did help with a loose dog the owner was always close behind. When you intervene to help another living being you accept the responsibility that comes with it whether you thought it all through or not.
Life Lesson #2: You gotta invest and put in the work We have taken it really slow with him since we don't know his background. At every turn he has demonstrated how happy... friendly and easy going he is. We feel he is a good dog in all the ways you would want... he is just going to take some work... some training... and some "fixing" if you know what I mean. His biggest challenge is he keeps "marking his territory" all over our house.
I have to also admit... we have really struggled with the idea that his owners just set him loose in our neighborhood. While it seems cruel... the story in my head is that the owners loved him enough to give him a chance that someone would take him in when they could no longer care for him. The shelters are SO full that it appears to be a crisis that I had NO idea existed living in my "bubble".
Life Lesson #3: Be curious not judgmental. Everyone is going through a struggle that no one else knows about. In this case... whoever owned him made a difficult choice and it's not the dog's fault he had no where to go. We show him love and respect and he is showing us the same in return.
Ties to Our Career Journey
As I reflected on all the events of the week... there are a lot of similarities between our career journey and "Harley's Saga"
Sometimes it doesn't work out where we are due to no fault of our own
Don't be afraid to accept help from those who approach you and want you to land safely
Advertise and capitalize on your strengths. Being authentic... adaptable and non-confrontational makes you more appealing to future employers
We all have flaws and if you find the right spot... others will work with you and appreciate you for all your strengths rather than your weaknesses
It can be a stressful time for everyone as you look to find your new gig. Put in the work... follow the lead of others helping you and you will eventually land in the right place
Don't be afraid to BE the person that leans in to help someone else. Sure it is an investment in time and energy yet it can be incredibly rewarding. To help someone when the chips are down is everything we would hope someone would do for us when we need it most too!
In Closing...
It turns out one of our neighbors had a "dog sized hole in their heart" and Harley has a new loving home. We are working through the transition and doing everything we can to make sure it all works out for the long run.
Final Life Lesson: YOU belong somewhere... it just takes time. As one door closes another one opens. Things don't always work out where you are or for as long as you think it will. Being adaptable... flexible... and putting your faith in yourself and others... YOU will find a place where you belong!
Leadership questions of the week for YOU:
Have YOU ever found a stray and had the responsibility of fostering for a while? If so what life lessons did YOU learn about yourself or others?
What was YOUR favorite life lesson above? What would you add or change?
What do YOU think of the ties to our career journey? Any you would add or change?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
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