My Career By The Numbers
As I enter into my 30th year since graduating from high school,
I am reflective of my career through the years.
Mid-to-Late Teens
I began working in retail at 16 years old and held this job while I was a dance instructor to children (ages 2 to 17) and a DJ at a local radio station — all while taking a full load my freshman year of college. While others may not consider those jobs relevant, I fully claim all of those years and experiences.
I often describe them as a quilt with each patch enhancing the final product ever more. I am thankful that I had to work in high school and through college as it prepared me to make many of the mistakes that I made and learn valuable lessons of responsibility and accountability prior to taking on a professional career position.
In an age of the “Me Too” movement, I remember a time during the Justice Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill trial in which I was put in a compromising situation. Luckily, I did not succumb to peer pressure and getting ahead; rather, I stood my ground and they backed down. I am saddened that predatory environments still exist in some form today, but I am hopeful that more time and attention will make it safer for the future women of the workforce.
Twenties
Restless is the only word that truly describes how I felt during my 20’s. I was always a dreamer with a curious spirit and a desire to travel. Luckily, I met my match in a spouse who (rather than squelching my big thinking like others had) encouraged me to leave the small town that I had known and be more.
It wasn’t easy; at times, we didn’t have two nickels to rub together but we had one another. I wouldn’t trade those days for anything because it made me so appreciative of how far that we’ve come and how much we’ve accomplished.
Thirties
Ah, my 30’s. Those were great years.
I’ve had the opportunity to speak with other women as they are about to reach the 30-year mark and are dreading it. I encourage them from experience that “I didn’t own my voice until I was 30.”
“What does that mean?” you may ask. It means that I wasn’t fully confident in my opinion; that I wavered and could be easily swayed. I feared everything.
As I traversed through my 30’s, I leveraged every experience that I could and learned continuously so that I would be seen as a credible, educated professional. I was ambitious, determined, and wanted to grow and be better with each passing year. In fact, I even created special rules for myself (such as always wearing pants suits) to be taken as seriously as possible.
Thinking on it now, I’m pretty sure that I would’ve gotten to this same point if I would’ve worn skirts; however, it is a good demonstration of how I crafted the outcome in my head before I ever was able to achieve it.
Forties
I read somewhere a long time ago that your years in and after 40’s are your money-making years. They are the years where all of your hard work culminates, and you are appreciated for the value that you bring to the table. What many emerging leaders coming up through the ranks right now don’t realize is that you must dredge through the tough years to achieve this point. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS.
For instance, I can tell you all about being laid off or even about laying someone else off; but until you live through it, there is no way that you can appreciate it. (For the record, I would much prefer to be laid off myself rather than to have to experience laying someone else off ever again…)
Additionally, the great thing about your 40’s is the freedom that it gives you to create your future fearlessly. I read the book The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer in the past two years no fewer than five times. To say that it had a profound impact on me is an understatement.
There will be a future blog about my Year of Surrender. In the meantime, I am grateful for where I am right here and now. By the way, I am still a hungry learner and strive to Dream a Bigger Dream for 2018.
