What if I told you - whatever decision you make, if you include THIS one key element - you will succeed? I'll share what that is...
Several years ago, I reached out to a dear friend and mentor in a state of panic.
I was offered an incredible job at a tech company with tons of potential financial upside and growth opportunity, but I was currently working for an organization where I had fought my way through the ranks to a senior level position and was earning a substantial income.
I asked him if I should take the job.
His response:
"What do you think you should do? What does your gut say?"
"I don't know." I responded. " I don't trust my gut."
"What if I told you that either way, whatever decision you make from the heart, you will experience SUCCESS. Does that make a difference?"
I paused for a moment, confused. "I'm not tracking here."
"Christine," he laughed. "You just have to think about what you WANT to do. Not what you need to do."
I started resisting immediately.
"I'm a single mom and financial head of household! I've got a mortgage to pay and legal bills from my separation contributing to sleepless nights and ceaseless anxiety. I'm doing this all on my own. I need to make the right decision."
"There is no right decision." he counseled. "You make a decision with your heart. You choose what compels you at this time in your life, without expectations of outcomes. If the rewards that are important to you were equal from both opportunities, which would you choose?"
"The new opportunity." I responded.
"Why?"
"Because it's an exciting new space and there's so much I can learn, and I love the idea of getting involved in this new technology. I WANT to learn. But what if this new company doesn't survive?"
"What if your current company goes out of business?" he countered. "Do you have any control over what happens to either organization?"
"No," I replied. "But what if it doesn't work out for me at this new job, and I lose everything?"
"Christine," he said softly and reassuringly put his hand on mine. "Nothing in life is a guarantee. When you choose to live from your heart, you will always find a way to get to where you want to go and where you want to be, in spite of the challenges. I've watched you make most of your decisions with your head these last few years. Let your heart have a turn."
I remember sitting in the dark at 3am on the floor of my living room the morning after that meeting, eyes closed, and taking in the home that I had fought to keep for my children, who were sleeping soundly in their rooms. I thought of the next business trip scheduled for that week and realized that I was no longer inspired by the work that I was doing. I reluctantly acknowledged that my current income could go away tomorrow if my company was purchased or I was laid off.
I thought about losing almost everything I had earned or owned just a few short years earlier when I was pulled into draining legal battles to protect my assets as part of a very vicious break-up. Experiencing an attack on my financial safety and peace of mind was traumatic, and I was scared of any potential for loss again.
But my mentor was right.
The choice to move forward would make me happy. And I needed to TRUST myself regardless of the outcome. Succeed or fail - it was something that I truly wanted to do. And this time, I would let my HEART make the decision.
My friend, when it comes to deciding on the next job opportunity or even launching that new business, it's wise to be logical. Do your homework, assess the professional and financial upside and make informed decisions.
But I assure you, if you don't feel your HEART in this decision - the PASSION, DESIRE, HUNGER, and EAGERNESS for this new venture - it will be difficult to overcome the challenges and tap into your zone of genius. And this is where you will surprise yourself with what you can accomplish and achieve in your life.
In my first year with this new company, I kicked ass.
There's an amazing mental and emotional switch that flips when you TRUST yourself.
I define TRUST as:
TO RESOURCEFULLY UNLOCK SELF TRANQUILTY.
The calm and determination that I experienced once I made the decision to move forward with this new job opportunity was almost "ninja-like."
I became laser focused and sourced clarity each day on how to "make it happen." I juggled parenting, demanding work hours, and weekly travel by hiring and enlisting the support of a wonderful caregiver to help me with my children. I learned to become more nimble and efficient with managing tasks, scaled back on unnecessary expenses, and crammed the ongoing study of this new and rapidly evolving tech space into time that was previously wasted on commitments or activities or people that really didn't add value to my life.
I TRUSTED that these actions and these changes would translate into an incredible experience, regardless of the outcome.
And in that first year, I exceeded company expectations and earned a coveted spot in their annual President's Club. I was also significantly rewarded financially when the organization went public only two years after I joined. I gained new and valuable skills that supported my own sales and business development abilities, and I benefited immensely both personally and professionally from this experience in a growth industry that had always fascinated me.
As I finished my second year at this company with an amazing pipeline of business lined up for a fruitful third year, I remembered to squeeze in my annual health exam, which I had canceled several times over a few months due to schedule constraints.
And just when I mistakenly thought that life was following a linear trajectory, the Universe reminded me that it was time for that new lesson on my journey.
The visit seemed routine until I realized that my doctor was spending more time touching my neck than I had remembered from previous exams.
"I've found a lump on your thyroid that concerns me." he shared, and immediately scheduled a scan to determine the nature of the tissue mass.
It was the week before Christmas.
Thyroid cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer that women are diagnosed with. And as a single working mother of two young children, the possibility of battling this disease in my early forties had never entered my scope of reality.
The only thought that raced through my mind on my drive home from his office that day:
"Who will love my babies if I'm not here?"
Although I was passionate about my work, I knew that the intense pace and demanding hours were catching up with me. And that was the part I did not love. I wasn't living the healthiest lifestyle, and my body decided to send me a message.
The night before my ultrasound, I sat alone again on the living room floor in the middle of the night and wept. It's where I meditate, and this spot in my home gives me a place to process. When I finished crying, I closed my eyes and listened quietly to my heart in a state of calm.
I knew it was time to choose again. To make a new career decision.
My HEART was compelling me to do something that truly terrified me.
But I decided to choose my children and my health. And to TRUST.
I did not want to lose any more precious time with them, and this health scare was my sign to recalibrate my life yet again.
My ultrasound results came back negative for cancer on Christmas Eve, but I had already made my decision for the future.
I planned my exit strategy during the next four months and resigned from my position at my company on good terms.
And then I took the entire summer off to be with my children, the first extended amount of time since a short two month maternity leave with my daughter.
Now teenagers, my kids and I still talk about our family movie nights, the weekend getaways, the board games, the lazy neighborhood walks, the daily hugs and laughs that we enjoyed during those precious summer months.
I trusted that I would be working again, and when I was ready, I would continue to follow my heart on my professional journey.
With each new opportunity, I openly communicated my non-negotiables and TRUSTED that the right company or business partner would honor my requests.
I would only consider working from home or commute with flexible hours, travel would encompass 30% or less of my time, and I still command the compensation commensurate with the value that I know I would bring to an organization.
And to this day, my TRUST in myself is still serving me in both my personal and professional life.
Are you struggling to TRUST your heart in making important career choices?
If you include HEART in this process, you have given yourself permission to TRUST in yourself and your ability to make the right decisions for YOU.
On every step of your career path.
And regardless of the outcomes, you will succeed, because this is what gives you the strength, resourcefulness, determination, and clarity to understand who you are, what you love, and where you WANT to be.
And your professional journey, FUELED and INSPIRED by HEART is the difference between your professional journey happening to you or happening FOR you.
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Joy and Luck my beautiful friends. ❤️