Nothing Beats Hard Work
I’ve had many of my friends tell my I’m “lucky” that I managed to get out of St. Louis and a job that was getting ugly. I was “lucky” that I was laid off. I was “lucky” that I found another job, in my dream state, doing what I love to do, living where I love to do. I’m “lucky” that I am earning good retirement, no only from the previous job, but the current job. I am “lucky.”
I don’t believe in luck, and never have. I believe in being at the right place at the right time, which is just coincidence. But mostly, I believe in hard work. I believe in nothing comes for free, or without asking, and nothing happens that we didn’t set into motion in some way shape or form.
My job, being able to live in Colorado at the foot of the mountains I love the most, and having had the means to move across the country in the first place, are not matters of luck. They are matters of my putting my effort into getting to my dreams. The layoff was not of my choosing, but I knew it was coming even before it happened. There had been signs before that I had ignored. And when I got the news of my layoff, I spent a good couple of months hoping that something would change so that nothing would change; that is, letting the powers that be figure out that they couldn’t do without me after all, and put me back where I belonged. Change is hard, and no one likes change (even if they say they do). I didn’t like the idea of leaving a job I loved, after having done it for so long (more than ten years).
But change was inevitable, and finally I started looking for work elsewhere. I had options, but I concentrated on options that fit my needs. I started to plan carefully. I cancelled all my days off so I would have a nice vacation payout when I hit my layoff date, enough to sustain me for several months if I needed it. I stopped spending, except to make sure that our cars got some much-needed maintenance, and I paid some bills ahead. The first job interview I had was a bust, but it led to me meeting someone else who was hiring for a position that was perfect for me. I followed up on that aggressively, and more than a month before I was set to leave my job, I had another job secured. It helped that I was already well-known across the country for what I do (a very specific niche field involving technology and disabled students); my reputation preceded me. It was there when I needed it. I had enough money saved up to move us and our cars and our stuff across the country. And I had enough to rent a house.
That didn’t happen by luck, or by providence, or because the Universe smiled on me. It happened because I worked for it, planned for it, and made it happen when the time came. I feel incredibly blessed, of course, but I also know that my own hard work has made so much happen for me. It isn’t luck. It’s more than luck.
And I hope all my friends, and my family, and especially my children, are able to do the same thing. There is no reason to stay where you are uncomfortable, or be somewhere you are unhappy. There is always a choice. Mine was expensive but has been completely worth it!
