Sometimes Things Do Not Turn Out the Way You Expect
As I write this blog, I am experiencing the annual week that my wife and I spend at the New Jersey shore. The week we are at the shore is the same each year, the last week of June, with not only my wife and I being there, but many members of my wife’s family. My wife’s extended family are there, (she is one of 9 children), so it is a great way to catch up with brothers and sisters, nieces, and nephews and now the generation after that, at the nightly family get togethers we have.
While I am not much of a beach person, (I sunburn very easily), I have adapted myself to a routine that works for me. If I do go to the beach, it is usually in the late afternoon when things are cooler and the sun not as strong. During the day, I might catch up on some work, or spend time reading or watching old television shows that I do not have time to pass the time at home. I often will go for walks and even from a distance look out upon the ocean. Usually, it is a very pleasant time.
However, this year it was a bit different. It started when we arrived at out beach house to find that the entry system had been changed from the standard lock and key, to a key pad for entry. While key pad for entry may be common for some, it was not to my wife and I. In addition, due to a recent surgery she had experienced, I had to carry our luggage up 18 stairs to the entry point of our unit, only to discover we had difficulty with the key pad lock. The lock kept thinking we were violators trying to get into the unit. It was only after a ride back to the real estate agency, that we were explained how to use the lock.
Additionally, the last week of June is usually a pleasant time weather wise at our location. However, this year that was not the case. Record breaking heat began having its impact. Every time when venturing out during the day, one was battling near 100-degree temperatures, with humidity making it feel warmer. Even those who went to the beach indicated it was very hot and uncomfortable unless one was right at the ocean’s edge. To compound things the place where we lived got extremely hot. While we were under the belief, we had central air conditioning that was working, it was just blowing out “hot air.” It was not until mid-week that the problem was rectified. Fortunately, the rest of the week was comfortable, after 2 room air conditioners were installed.
The point of all this (and there are even a few more items to which I can lament), even with the best laid plans and expectations, circumstances happen that are out of one’s control. In the world of job search strategy in which I am involved, in working with clients I look to prepare them as best as possible. However, I do look to make them understand that the part they can only try to “influence,” but cannot control are the individuals they may meet along the way. An individual at a company may have thoughts in mind of the type of individual they are looking to hire. One may have superb qualifications and degrees, but they do not match what that company or individual is looking for. In other instances, there may be a posted opening, but an inside candidate already has a direct tract to that opening. The posting is only to meet regulatory requirements on posting job openings to the outside world. And, the disappointments go on.
Did I handle the difficulties that I ran into at the New Jersey shore, well? No, I did not. Do I regret not doing so? Yes, in the way that they provided some friction between my wife and I. However, perhaps a lesson that I hope I learned not only for next year’s visit, but for other items in my life for which I have expectations, is not to have those expectations, but to experience items as they occur and choose to enjoy the best parts of them. This not only helps with life, but in trying to find that next opportunity for your career.
