Is it true that people don’t change until they hit rock bottom?
I’ve met some truly incredible people along the way who’ve overcome pretty amazing odds. They’ve defied cancer, overcome the loss of a child, survived a divorce and many more. What awes me is the ability of these people to move on with their lives. Are they better people because of their experience? I don’t know. But I do know that their stories are inspiring.
My biggest fear was always the death of my parents. I couldn’t see life without them in it. In 2010 I lost my father. It was devastating. It still is. But what choice do I have but to continue on and cherish his memory, right?
For the job seekers out there who are still looking for work, what is your biggest fear? Is it not finding a job? Is it losing your home? Divorce? I feel sorry for you all. You are in a sort of purgatory. You spend hours a day toiling away with this wet blanket of fear weighing heavy on your shoulders.
What will you do to face your fear head on?
What if you were to resolve to the fact that you won’t get a job. What would you do to survive? How would you make money to pay your bills? How would thinking in these terms change how you are living your life? Would you be able to move forward?
Is Life About Accumulating Stuff
Thinking in this way would force many other life changes. The sale of a house. The downsizing of the family budget. Is that so bad? Who said that life was about accumulating stuff? What are the things you value most in your life? Relationships. People. Family.
Somewhere along the line, we were poisoned into thinking that life was about the objects that surround us. What if life is about the people who surround us?
When you meet people who have beat an serious illness or life altering challenges, what is it that has made them successful? Was it their ability to accept and move on? Was it their belief in relationships over objects?
My Hope
What I am pushing for with this post is unrealistic, I know. But what I hope and wish for is a society which puts the best interests of people first- not the accumulation of wealth and commodities. How many pairs of shoes do you really need? Do the kids need every new toy that comes to market? Speaking of which, how many hundreds of dollars are you spending on technology upgrades: smart phones, computers, the latest and greatest gadgets? And that improves the quality of your life how, exactly.
Hannah Morgan speaks and writes about job search and career strategies. She founded CareerSherpa.net to educate professionals on how to maneuver through today’s job search process. Hannah was nominated as a LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers and is a regular contributor to US News & World Report. She has been quoted by media outlets, including Forbes, USA Today, Money Magazine, Huffington Post, as well as many other publications. She is also author of The Infographic Resume and co-author of Social Networking for Business Success.
