I believe in you
It was last year when I decided to transition out from a stable job with a great employer. After eight years, and having relocated my family to a new town for the job, I needed to move on. I have gone through transitions before, and they are never easy. The struggle is real, physical and emotional, and unfortunately it lasts longer than your mind is willing to accept and, sometimes, longer than your heart or your body are willing to endure. Unless someone believes in you.
If you look at my career, from large corporations to startups, from one continent to another, from one sector to the next, you would think that I have accumulated a set of extraordinarily valuable experiences. And yet, in a modern world of “perfect fit or nothing”, nothing wins. Hybrid profiles, those who have done this and that, even though you are great at whatever challenge they throw at you, are not welcome. This is an era of hyper specialization. Transferable skills are just a nice theory, but the real world doesn't work like that. You feel lost, abandoned by a universe that was generous once, and now seems to leave you in permanent twilight. Unless someone believes in you.
In this process, I have cried looking at our daughters, eight and five, while they go to school not knowing that we may find ourselves in a very difficult situation where we won’t be able to buy them a toy or an ice-cream. I was trying to tell them that we need to be very careful with the money we have left, and one of them asked me “are we going to be poor, dad”? An unwanted tear dropped from my eye while I was driving, trying to keep myself together without revealing my true emotional state, the terrifying feeling that she might be right. Can you imagine that feeling, having taken that decision because you needed to move on? Who are you to take that decision when you have the responsibility as a father to provide for your family? Many will turn their backs on you, and you will be tempted to take your energy from your dark side. Unless someone believes in you.
Beware; this is not a hypothetical, this is real, and it can happen to any of us. I decided to write this post, to share the scary moments that accompany those transitions, and to let you know that you are not alone. If you are going through some sort of life or career transition, I wanted to let you know that I believe in you.
I grew up in a small city from a humble couple of middle school teachers. My mom fell ill very young, so my dad had to work twice as hard to provide for the four us (them two, my brother and I). Our apartment was tiny, and our childhood was rough, but we managed to get through. I fought hard to get somewhere in life. My parents shielded us from their pain and suffering during hardship. I remember having conversations with my sick mom in bed about my dreams to study computer science. I wasn’t sure that we could even afford the books I needed. As I grew up, it was easy to get discouraged as I began to understand the real obstacles in front of me. However, my mom always said: my dear son, I believe in you.
You might be reading this post at a time when you are going through a tough time too. Let me remind you about your courage, resilience, and character. Nothing in the world will stop you from coming victorious out of your darkest moments. You have done it before, and you will do it again. We are a team and we will find a way out of this tunnel together. Those who believe in you, including myself, will make sure that you have the love and support while you are successfully fighting your way out. We won’t let it happen, and I know you will emerge to tell the tale to all of us, including your children, at a beautiful and happy setting in a not too distant future. I believe in you.
If you believe in God, pray. If you don’t, talk to your loved ones. Whatever your belief system is, keep fighting to overcome physically and emotionally this temporary bump in the road, until the muse of inspiration (in this case, the muse of what is in store for you) shows up at the door again. Picasso said that he liked to be working when inspiration visits, just in case. It’s not luck, it’s your hard work, your resilience and your strength to stop the overwhelming power of career and life transitions from crushing your spirit. You must keep grinding until your last breath; you must keep smiling to the world even though it feels there are only few who are truly there for you when you really need them. I believe in you.
The time will come when this will be in your past. Endure, pray, fight and believe in yourself. I know you will. I believe in you.
