Choose to Take the Journey

Well, I’m back from Southeast Asia and I continue to put my life back in order. The transition from New York to California continues to be a difficult one. Car search. Job search. Girlfriend search (without a car). And no real computer. Just this ancient netbook I’m typing on that has “Leonardo waz here, 1480” scratched into the side. I left behind a great life on the East Coast. *sigh*

I’m a bit of a control freak. I always always… always and sometimes like to be in control. And the fact that I have yet to establish myself here in California is making it all the more difficult to really enjoy myself. But I do feel that this, my 5 minutes of darkness, has allowed me to make finer psychological distinctions that will lead to a more brilliant life down the road.

One aspect of my life that has been particularly trying has been finding a suitable job. Of course doing so before moving would have been the wiser thing to do, but as I may have alluded to in recent posts, I had more important matters to attend to. In any case, contacting various recruiters and employers, and then waiting for them to get back to you is the pits! You feel so helpless. You want to contact them again, but you don’t want to appear too eager.

It’s funny. For most goals in life, whether it’s losing 10 pounds or being able to recite Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, you only need to rely on yourself. And the more you want it, the more likely and the quicker you’ll get it. Not so when what you desire is in the hands of somebody else. In fact, it is the exact opposite. The more you want it, and the more your prospective employer can see the drool creeping out the corner of your lips, the more likely you are to be taken advantage of in regards to schedule and pay–that is, if you even get the job.

So there was a job I really wanted of course. After my interview, I sent a follow-up letter and then I let it go. But in order to maintain my sanity, the next couple of days saw me taking a firm hold of everything else within my power. That’s what you should do, I think. Let go of whatever aspect of your life that is beyond your control. Then, do as much as you can within your realm of influence.

No sooner did I let go, than I received a phone call from said employer offering me a position. Then quite suddenly and unexpectedly, my phone rang throughout the day with attractive offers from other employers that I had already given up on. I mean, what gives, right? In a way, a job search is a lot like dating. You put your best foot forward. You prepare yourself for success, whether that’s fine-tuning your résumé or hiding your dirty magazines under your bed (not that I have any). Then, you just let go and take it in stride, whether it’s meant to be… or not to be.