What a difference 9 years can make!

Okay - the title may be a little sarcastic, but I have grown a bit from the self-loathing, depressed and insecure individual I was 9 years ago when I left what I thought was the best job I'd ever have. In the intervening years I lost parents, a home, and a big chunk of my ego - that last part was key. I am now working at a job I like, with great people, for an awesome organization. I am happy in my life and my relationships. Time, my friends, and a lot of work heals many, if not all, wounds.

Thing Test

Swirl

Compounded, confounded, and just plain conned. It was easy, at 29, to listen to my mentors - blindly following their advice for my career. What did I have to lose?

$70,000.00
20+ years
Self-worth

And my life, career, future - all in a tailspin.

A pair of shoes. While I value a human being, I may not necessarily respect them. Every once in a while, I am presented with a person of such overtly contemptuous behavior, I wonder what purpose they serve in the universe. This is a pair of shoes, and little else.

Note to leaders: If you happen across your direct report during a crisis, the wrong thing to say is, "Just so you know, this is not good. Yeah." Thank you, queen obvious. Sheesh.

All I wanted was to be a nerd. That's what I've been most comfortable at being. It is what I'm good at. Not just good, but, "WOW!" good. Mind blowing good. I am currently in a job that sucks my soul, paying student loans that I won't finish paying in my lifetime. I was really happy, really excited, and inspired. Now I struggle with depression at every turn. I am not impressed, Universe.

Wonder

Does curiosity bring wonder, or is the sense of awe the foundation of curiosity?