Hire me!

So, I’m doin my workday routine. I pop open LinkedIn and make sure all 469 of my connections don’t forget about me. I’m congratulating people on their anniversaries and promotions. I’m liking new headshots. Doin that day-to-day-stay-relevant-thang. I’m scrollin… and I come across this quote…

“Change must be actively pursued, not merely tolerated. If you can thrive under conditions of rapid change, you can do anything.” –M. Reeves

POW.

Hit me like a ton of bricks.

And not even for me… but for someone who hates my guts.

And for a friend who is going through some shit right now.

Not to say that I’m not in a transitory place in my life – because I most definitely am. However, most of the change I’m experiencing right now is wildly positive. I’ve moved into a better house, with a new roommate/old friend who I’m excited to reconnect with, I’ve started a new job that I genuinely enjoy, and, obviously, entered into a new romance, as well. All change (albeit rapid) that is very welcome in my life. But I’ve got some friends (and an enemy) that are going through some less-than-welcome transitions.

Here’s what’s so encouraging to me about that quote:

• Hope

“…you can do anything.”

The last time you heard those words were probably from some old lady pinching your cheeks in kindergarten after you told her you wanted to be a firefighter when you grew up. Those words are extremely slippery and intangible once you start to age. “Anything” starts to slowly limit itself based upon your education, your experience, your physical capabilities, your relationship status, etc., etc. Suddenly, “anything,” goes from everything you can think of and have a passion for, to a list of about 8-10 things that you aren’t too geeked about. This quote suggest that if you can THRIVE under conditions of rapid change… you can grab hold of “anything” again.

• Substance

I love this quote because there is a plan of action. It does not ignore the giant in your current view. It acknowledges a struggle—but provides a route of escape. And if you can navigate through it, the world is yours. My friend/enemy are both going through some intense hurricanes right now that have left them both in depressed and sinister states. I often don’t have words of encouragement or substance to offer either of them—which is a tough spot to be in, sometimes. But reading this quote certainly lit a fire under my butt.

• Challenge

“Change must be actively pursued… if you can THRIVE…”

So here we are, standing in the midst of a tumultuous transition. We’ve been offered a glimpse of hope—a light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve even kind of been given a map. But here’s the challenge. You don’t have to just wander your way out of this pit… you must THRIVE. You must be the best fucking tunnel-navigator in the history of undergroundness. There is no time for depression, for lollygagging, for wallowing when you have a challenge like that. Time to get to it.

XO KG