Career Crossroads? Are You In The Driver’s Seat?

Are you living your dream? Or nightmare?

Sometimes dreams can provide clues to something we’ve been searching for. If you could read the hidden messages or take the subtle hints behind, you’ll soon find clarity in real life.

I remember a long time ago (in the year 2000), I woke up feeling frustrated from this vivid dream – I was sitting in the front passenger seat. Next to me was a driver who was taking me to places I didn’t want to go. No matter how hard I tried to protest, he refused to listen. It felt so real that the following few days I started to reflect it on my life.

At that time, I was in a job that I didn’t enjoy. Every morning I literally had to drag myself to work. When I got there, I didn’t feel rewarded nor appreciated. I wanted to change but felt very powerless to do something about it. It seemed there were roadblocks and stop signs everywhere I turned to.

Shortly after going through a bit soul searching during my downtime, without consultation or discussion, basically speaking with no one, I decided to do something drastic – to resign from the company. I gave a two week notice and left my job with nothing else lining up.

Yes, it was risky what I did but it would’ve been riskier had I done nothing about it.

In the short term, it gave me a great sense of relief as soon as I walked away a negative environment. It was an instant feeling. Best of all, in the longer term, it allowed me to reclaim control and the power to run my future, instead of letting others dictate what I should do or where I should go next – just like the dream was trying to tell me – be in the driver’s seat, not in the passenger’s seat!

Only two months later, my relentless effort paid off. I found my niche – a much more satisfying job. I ended up staying with the company for 11 long years. Not to mention, while there, I also met some nice people and even now after so many years we still manage to keep in touch one way or another.

What can I say conclusively from my own experience? Challenges never cease to come at us in any shape or form but by putting ourselves in the driver’s seat, it gives us the leverage to own our journey and make a difference!