Crisis and Victory

Well, it started. The payoff to seeing every challenge as an opportunity. I’m calmer than I’ve ever been. Most things roll off me. Return to baseline is faster. I know good is coming.

Oddly, I happened to read a job posting that I was shocked to see “had my name on it.” Truly. So, after several days of pondering, I applied. I am every single thing they’re looking for. And after the isolation of the pandemic, an office job seems almost idyllic. Of course, it might not be. My prior insurance defense job was idyllic. But I got an offer closer to home, for more money. It sucked.

My last form job started the Monday after my mother’s death on a Sunday. I phoned in to say I would have to be in Chicago for a few days. (As I intuited, there was no blowback.) But processing the death after I did start the new job proved impossible.

This was my first billable hour job. I had no clue, other then I had to work until 8:00 at night and on Saturday. And, frankly, the death of both parents in successive years made me ready to do a job that was a “win win”. The new job was interesting, but soul draining. I needed more. I had a side job that allowed me to be happier. I took the opportunity. I resigned the firm job, and went full time as the consultant. It was a huge improvement in quality of life.

Since then, I’ve realized that connecting up the dots was a perfect skill set for me in insurance defense. The managing partner of the 1980s insurance defense job wanted me to stay, but even the assistant manager job did not pay well. Quality of life was not mentioned, but I don’t think I’d have recognized that this was key. I regret that.

Now, I’m pretty much an improvement from my older (younger?) self. Carroll 3.0. If they interview me, they may recognize my utility. But I won’t know if it’s a fit. This time, I’ll ask.

Crisis and victory. That’s how it works. Every expert got that way by making mistakes. I’ve embraced the mistakes. Boy has it paid off. I feel great. Truly.

Update—no. Not a peep on the job. Just a zillion baloney job offers in my email. I doubt I got past the culling by AI. Not a surprise. I’m out of date. Old. Ish. O darn.