The Auction

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last Saturday, I went to an auction. I hadn't been to an auction in 20+ years, at least. When I received the announcement in the mail, I said to myself "August 1st, that will be a tough day for 'Jane' -- I must go and be there with her." Jane lost her mother a year ago and shortly thereafter, her dad, afflicted with dementia, was placed in a care facility. Jane and I met in graduate school and have been good friends since. Together, we've known good times and rough patches.

At the auction, everything that had accumulated in her parents' lifetime was for sale, from books, sheet music, dishes, dolls, antique furniture, and equipment to beautiful goblets from Italy and old coins from Europe. You name it, it was for sale at the auction. Souvenirs from another time. Remnants of a different day. Reminders of loved ones now gone. As my friend and I were watching the events of the day unfold, we overheard various conversations of strangers remarking about this item or that thing for sale. Strangers inspecting, dissecting, holding and conversing about yesterday's memories, yesterday's experiences.

Jane spoke about how none of the stuff really mattered to her...the few items that had meant the most, she had already put aside. Stuff, all just stuff, she said to me...a lifetime of stuff for sale.

I have been thinking about Jane and the auction. Once again, it was an up-close-and-personal reality check of what really matters and what really counts. Perhaps, by now, you are wondering how these words are in any way career-related...these are the thoughts I scribbled in my notepad on the drive home from The Auction:

~ Whatever it is you want to do, or be, don't put if off any longer. Today is the day to start the process of becoming it. If you want to start a business, figure out how to make it happen. If you want to work for someone beyond yourself, figure out how to do that. If you know in your heart, and head, you need to finish the 12 hours to earn your college degree, what needs to happen for that to happen?

~ Whatever life you can touch, touch it now, not tomorrow.

~ Whomever you can help, help. Offer a hand up, not a hand out, preferably sooner than later.

~ Whatever you can do to make someone's life easier or better, do so this day.

~ Whatever excuses you're making for your life or career, stop making them and start doing something different today to better honor and respect yourself so that you can, in turn, be of greater service to others.

~ Whatever you're struggling with, wrestling with, or needing guidance on, enlist some help to keep you moving forward. As my friend Jane said...you can never go back; you can only go forward.

~ Whatever you need to let go of, be it a person, place, or thing, let go of it and allow the process of healing to begin, this day.

~ Whomever you need to forgive to move on in your life and / or career, forgive them...maybe it's your boss, or colleagues, or professor, or family member, or friend. If you are having trouble in the forgiveness department, focus on the second syllable of the word forgive.

Wherever you are in your career or professional life, today is the day you have to work with, not tomorrow, nor the day after. Make today matter. Make today count.

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

cross-posted at billiesucherblog

 

Comments

[Will at Virtualjobcoach]

Great post, but I'd like to add a little color commentary on one of your points:

~ Whatever excuses you're making for your life or career, stop making them and start doing something different today to better honor and respect yourself so that you can, in turn, be of greater service to others.

While I fully believe that you drive your own destiny, this attitude can also be very damaging. Why? One word, luck.
What does luck have to do with it? Well, luck is one thing that few of us consider when we compare ourselves with peers, and luck influences everything (I guess you could also substitute luck for the randomness of the universe). Specifically, people who aren't successful at their careers often blame themselves. They view themselves as failures because their careers didn't go as they wanted. Since you are in charge of your destiny then everything that happens to you (or your peers) YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTROL.

Think about that last line, how much control do we really have over our destinies? While I believe we control them, I also am coming to the conclusion that luck has a lot to do with everything and beating yourself up for things that aren't under your control is common and not productive. Now you could say that beating yourself up is a good motivator, but is it?

[billiesucher]

Hi Will! Always love your comments. As I was reading your post, it made me think of this...as Henry Ford once put it, “If you think you can or if you think you can't, you're right."

So as it goes, if you think you're lucky, or if you think you're unlucky, you're right!
Best! Billie