Overcoming Challenges

“We each have our own dragon to slay, but we each have the talents and courage needed to slay it.”

A Field Guide for a Hero’s Journey

Whether great or small, often or rarely, everyone experiences some sort of challenge in their life. In order to overcome challenges, we need to prepare for them ahead of time as best as we can and learn from our previous challenges.  Currently, I am in the middle of the challenge of making some difficult and potentially career altering decisions. I am faced with the choices of staying at my current job being paid less than I could be somewhere else, quitting my current job in the next couple of months to become a stay at home mom, accepting a flexible bookkeeping offer, or looking for a completely new job somewhere else.

Fortunately, I am blessed with the best boss you could ever ask for. He is the Controller for our company and is wonderful to work with. After a long process of meetings and conversations with my boss, the general manager, and the owner, my amazing boss came in and talked to me. He gave me great recommendations, advice, and encouragement.

The two recommendations that my boss gave me were to not compare and to not burn bridges. Making sure to not compare is important in any aspect of life, but in business it will enable me to make the best of my own situation and skills. It will also free me from any feelings of discontentment. Not burning bridges is crucial to progressing in my career and in any business. My boss said he could never see me burning any bridges, but it is good to know in general so that if there comes a time when I need a good recommendation for another job, any former employer will willingly offer a wonderful recommendation for me. He advised me to do what’s best for me and to not be afraid to notice my value and say something about it if I feel I am not being compensated fairly. Lastly, he gave me some great praise and encouragement that helped me feel valued and capable of so much more. In fact, he said that he wished that I could work for him forever because I am the best employee he has ever had and even if I didn’t work for him forever, he would give the best recommendations to anyone for me.

Now, I still do not have an answer from the Owner and the General Manager, so I am still in limbo as far as making a decision, but as I move forward with this challenge of figuring out the best decision for my family and my future is, I hope to keep an eternal perspective and remember the advice that my boss gave me.

One last thing that has helped me have a new perspective on overcoming challenges has been from the readings in A Field Guide for the Hero’s Journey. I really enjoyed the principle that “We each have our own dragon to slay, but we each have the talents and courage needed to slay it”. This principle motivated me to develop my talents and move forward with courage as I overcome obstacles in my life.