By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC
Just last month, someone close to me was on their way to the hospital for the birth of their second child. They never made it; the baby was born in the car, and 911 had to be called to assist them. Talk about having to be flexible! Both the mother and baby are fine. Unexpected as the situation was, with a flexible attitude and ability to deal with sudden unexpected change, all turned out well. The same holds true for us all in the New Work World and beyond: We often consider feelings of pressure and stress as negative emotions, but they can create magnificent things. A diamond results from a combination of heat and incredible pressure. A caterpillar must break through the pressure of a cocoon to emerge as a butterfly. A clam has to put up with the stress of an annoying grain of sand as a beautiful pearl is made. And even flowers find a way to push through a crack in the pavement.
The past few years as well as current global developments have placed incredible pressures and stresses on all of us. But even if we have found ourselves planted under the metaphorical concrete, can’t we look for the crack to find our way out? How can we be like the beautiful flowers that rise from the concrete to bloom where we are planted? As a career consultant tuned in to the pressures felt by employers, applicants and recruiters, and as a single mother who is proud to have raised two amazing sons, I have found a variety of ways we can choose to bloom and be better suited to these changing times:
1. Embrace Change
The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus reminds us that the only constant is change. Yet as uncomfortable as change is, it forces growth. When I was working for a Big Three automaker and progressing up the corporate ladder very quickly, along came the 1980s and a major decline in the market; the automotive industry faced a temporary challenge that affected other industries as well. The result was a mass exodus from my birthplace of Michigan. People at the time quipped, “Would the last person to leave Michigan please turn out the lights?” My job was not in big jeopardy, but the potential for advancement was very limited, and the position didn’t align with my passions. So, I took a calculated risk to pursue something else. I grew personally and professionally from the change I embraced. Had that market decline not happened, I would have never tried my hand at an entirely different career path that I love.
2. Have a Determined, Positive Mindset
As I’ve mentioned, a positive mindset can make all the difference. Author Maya Angelou was right when she said, “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” A client told me that a job candidate brought up how his getting laid off allowed him to become a better person and take more online courses that were helpful in expanding his skills. Focus on the positives instead of the negatives, and you will always have an advantage in your personal and professional life.
3. We Have to Give to Receive
Industrialist Henry Ford said it best: “To do more for the world than the world does for you — that is success.” In times of personal challenge, it’s easy to turn inward. It’s normal to bury ourselves inside our shells. However, when we instead turn outward and help someone else, we can boost our self-esteem, knowing we did something to benefit another person. It also takes the focus off fears and apprehensions. When an employer asked a candidate I had referred for an interview, “What has been your biggest accomplishment?” the candidate described his experience in the Big Brothers program. Seeing the young man he mentored receive a scholarship for his hard work and good grades brought satisfaction. The candidate was happy he was able to influence this young man to move to a better future. My client was so impressed that he made this candidate an offer. He felt that attitude would translate into his being a great team player and assisting other employees to make a solid contribution to the company.
This unexpected place of birth of this beautiful new little girl was totally unexpected. However, if we embrace the metaphor that we will decide to bloom where we are planted and be flexible to make the best of the situation, we could all benefit. Show your own brilliance like the diamond. Bust out of whatever is cocooning you to become your own version of the butterfly. Let the many irritants you have encountered create your pearly vision of your future. Sometimes life is hard. Things don’t always go according to plan. But we always have control over how we respond.
Blooming where we are planted is to choose to respond in a positive manner. By embracing the changes, having a determined, positive mindset and focusing more on how we can help our fellow man, we bloom from that concrete that has weighed us down, emerging like that beautiful flower that radiates its beauty to the world. I will be excited to watch how this beautiful new little girl will bloom where she is planted, rise up from any challenges she may encounter and stay flexible to not let any unexpected happenings hinder her growth!
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. This was followed by “Revolutionary Reinvention”, a workbook for job seekers giving advice on how to rediscover your skills and passions and reinvent your career. Her most recent book is “Revolutionary Results” , a collection of life lessons about relationships, integrity and contributing to the world.
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