Let’s go back to the title of the blog for a minute. Change is Inevitable, Growth is Optional. I’m wondering if you thought about this and if it makes any sense to you? Before I made the decision to leave, I knew that I could stay where I was and exist. But there was change coming at me in so many different areas. Did I want to just exist? I don’t think so. I decided that this was another point in my life where I would spread my wings…again and grow with the times. I decided to figure some things out about me and find out what made me tick. I could be like so many other people and stay where I had a secure position and brought home a guaranteed pay check. But why was I putting a pay check as my value? I am going to make things happen!
Years ago my father was a jeweler. He worked with very expensive pieces and stones. The times they were a changing. We all told him to bring in less expensive jewelry into the store. He didn’t want to. He was not going to change. I suggested bringing in some new “designers”, after all, the pieces were expensive, less than what he was carrying, but it would still hit the market he was after. There was this brand new designer who only had some small rings with stones that I thought would be great for the female clientele. No, my father decided against the change or the growth. Want to take a guess who that new designer was? David Yurman, who was just starting out. My father’s business didn’t survive because the change came, it was the growth that didn’t.
Ok so back to my journey. Once those words came out of my mouth it was as if time stopped. The reaction I got was NOPE not happening. Hmmm I wasn’t sure if that was an option. “What if we could find something more exciting? or something more demanding”? It wasn’t that at all. It was time and I felt it with every bone in my body. Unless you are experiencing this, you can’t make someone else understand the feeling.
I was asked to think about it over the weekend and really think if it was the direction I wanted to go. I promised I would. I was also asked not to have this conversation with anyone else until he and I spoke on Monday. Which I also promised I wouldn’t.
Unfortunately, my immediate boss and I found ourselves alone at the end of the training session the next day and we started talking and sharing some personal information and I had to tell her. If I didn’t and she heard it on Monday, I felt like I would have been lying to her so I told her. I have to say, she wasn’t very shocked but asked if I would at least consider staying until the end of the year as that would help everyone out. Again, I said I would think about it and we could talk on Monday.
I actually did think about everything over the weekend, even though I had thought it all through before. A promise is a promise. I did come up with the same decision and was ready to tell them both on Monday. But, Monday came and went and on Tuesday, I talked to the big boss and he said he already knew my decision was to leave since I didn’t give him the thumbs up on Monday.
One thing they both asked was to please not say anything until they could figure out how to make it public. There was the field to consider as well as other details. So now, this major decision, that was so difficult to make, and harder to verbalize, would be inside me until the timing was right. And…I had just agreed to stay until the beginning of July, which was about 8 weeks.
One Response
Judy, congratulations on your decision, and on writing this terrific blog! It’s all very well said, and paints a great picture of the journey you are on. I love all the posts, but particularly the one about your Dad’s jewelry business. Such a great reminder/inspiration to not “play it safe.” You are following your heart, and I can’t wait to hear about all of your adventures and successes!
Love,
Kathy Light