Chapter 17

George

The man next to him was reading his newspaper when Josh turned toward him to introduce himself.

“Hello, my name is Josh.”

The man glanced up from his paper, put it aside, faced Josh, and shook his hand. “I’m George. Nice to meet you.”

“Hope the flight takes off on time.”

“Me too,” said George, willingly engaging in Josh’s small talk. “Do you have an important meeting to get to?”

“I do. For a job interview.”

“Oh,” George said, nodding his head. “Have you been looking for a job for a long time?”

Josh laughed. “Actually no, I already have a job. This is a different company that wants to hire me. It’s a long story, but I’ve been on a two-week vacation, and out of blue I got this call from a headhunter about a great new opportunity, so here I am. I wasn’t looking for it. It came to me.”

“So, you’re unhappy in your job?” George asked.

“No, I’m not unhappy,” Josh answered. I just think I might happier in this new job. It seems like a great opportunity.”

“What makes you think you might be happier there?”

“I don’t know,” Josh said, shaking his head. “I just have a feeling, I guess.”

George shook his head and laughed, but not because he was amused. Josh knew he was laughing for a different reason. Josh looked at his watch. The conversation had lasted two minutes, and it was time to pull out his iPad.

But George continued before Josh could grab it, “I’m sorry for laughing,” George said sincerely. “It’s just that everyone always thinks they’ll be happier somewhere else. They move from job to job, marriage to marriage, looking for something more, when the place they should be looking is within themselves. The old saying is true, ‘Wherever you go, there you are.’ When you get to be my age, you realize it’s not about your boss. It not about finding a new job to make you happier. It’s about you. Our happiness has less to do with forces outside of us and more to do with what’s inside of us. Happiness is an inside job. It’s a choice.”

“But don’t you think certain jobs will make you happier than others?” Josh asked. “For instance, I think I’d be miserable if I had to deal with numbers all day like an accountant.”

George, put his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. “Of course, there are certain jobs that will energize you more than others. Some people love numbers, so they’d love a job that deals with them. If you love a job and are good at it, there is a greater probability that you’ll be happier doing it. However, there’s more to the story when it comes to being happy at work.

“I’ve met bus drivers, janitors, and fast-food employees who are more passionate about their jobs and happier than executives making millions of dollars. I’m convinced that our happiness comes not from the work we do, but from how we feel about the work we do.

“The way we think about work, feel about work, and approach our work influences our happiness at work.” Then George paused for a moment and in a soft voice said, “Josh, I believe you’ll be happy wherever you decide to be happy.”

At that moment, the pilot made another announcement that didn’t make Josh very happy: Air traffic control had put a hold on all flights leaving the airport. They could taxi back to the gate and let the passengers off, but then it would take a lot more time to reload the passengers in the event the plane received clearance for takeoff; the better option would be to remain on the plane so that when the skies cleared they could take off immediately. The delay was expected to be an hour.

Josh asked George to excuse him for a moment as he turned on his cell phone, called the headhunter, and left a message that his plane had been delayed, that he would not be able to make it on time for the interview, and that hopefully they could reschedule later in the day.

“If it’s meant to happen it will happen,” George said reassuringly to Josh, who at that moment wasn’t feeling so confident. “Someone told me once that everything happens for a reason, and I’ve come to live my life by that.”

But Josh wasn’t listening. He was thinking about what George had said about happiness, and he remembered what the farmer had said about not letting your mind play tricks on you and about following your heart. Was he following his mind instead of his heart? Was his focus on happiness misleading him? He was more confused than ever.

“How do you know this new opportunity isn’t right for me?” Josh asked. “Who’s to say that it’s not God’s plan for me to take this new job?”

George laughed, but this time it was because he was amused. “I can’t pretend to know God’s plan. Only God is God. But I do know that you just have to be careful when you make happiness your GPS system in life.” Confirming Josh’s thoughts, he added, “Happiness can be deceiving, elusive, and misleading. I’ve had a few friends who have opened restaurants because they love to cook only to find they were miserable because of all the stuff that came with it. I have another friend who loves to paint, but she wouldn’t want to do it for a living. And my wife’s best friend is happiest when she is decorating, but she was unhappy working as an interior decorator. The fact is, just because you are happy doing something doesn’t mean that you should make it your life’s work. Some hobbies are meant to be hobbies, not careers.”

Josh knew this to be true. He felt the same way about the ministry. He was sure it wasn’t his calling. But what he wasn’t sure of now was whether he should join a new company just because he thought he would be happier there. Maybe he was wrong to pursue happiness?

A few seconds later he received a call from the headhunter. Rescheduling the interview wasn’t a problem. She told Josh to give her a call when the plane was about to take off and the company would work around his schedule. The news made Josh much more relaxed. A sign, he thought, that George was wrong. He would be happier at the new job.

“Well, if I shouldn’t use happiness as my guidance system, what should I use? How do I know whether I should take a new job or stay in the one I have?” he asked.

George thought for minute. He had spent a lifetime thinking about such questions and, knowing not everyone believed what he believed, wanted to explain his answer in a way Josh would understand.

“First, I would say that you should look for the signs and follow them.”

For the first time all morning, Josh was excited. “So, you believe in signs, too?” George was relieved. Without Josh’s belief in signs, the conversation probably would have ended right then. “Yes, I believe in signs,” George replied, his eyes lighting up, “ever since I met a bus driver who showed me how to look beyond road signs and to follow the signs that guide you through life.”

“But what happens when the signs aren’t clear?” asked Josh. Sometimes they seem to be pointing in both directions, if you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” George said. “When the signs aren’t clear, you ask a few simple questions: Have I learned all that I’m meant to learn in my current job? Is there still an opportunity for me to grow there? Have I put my heart and soul into my work to be the best that I can be? Have I reached my full potential?”

“If you’ve learned all you can learn at your job and there’s no room to grow and you’ve given everything you have to your work there and you feel as though you’ve reached your full potential, then it’s time to move on. However, if there is still something for you to learn where you are and there is still an opportunity for you to grow and you haven’t reached your full potential there, then you are meant to stay. You stay and you decide to devote 100 percent of your energy to being the best you can be.”

“If you are meant to develop yourself somewhere else, something will happen to remove you from your job. You’ll either get a promotion in the form of a new position with your company or you’ll get a promotion in the form of being fired, which is a sign that there’s a better job out there for you. People experience job losses all the time, and when that happens I know it’s because they are meant to learn and grow somewhere else. They see it as being fired. I see it as a promotion. I’ve learned that adversity is not a dead end but a detour to a better outcome than you can imagine. Can I tell you a story that might makes things more clear?”

Josh looked at his watch. They were well past the hour’s delay and the sky outside was still as black as night. He knew they had nothing but time, and he still had things to learn. “Sure,” said Josh, hoping George’s story would help him make his decision easier.

“Years ago, I got on this bus to go to work—not by choice, mind you, but because my car was broken down. My marriage, my job, and my life were falling apart. I didn’t want to talk to anybody. But the driver of the bus wouldn’t let me sit there drowning in my sorrows. We started talking, and she changed the course of my life. Ever since, I made a pact that I’ll talk to anyone I can help and who could possibly help me. I’ve learned we are all teachers and students, and a life touches a life that touches a life.

“So, after this bus driver helps me, my career starts to take off. I go from being a marketing manager to being a director of marketing, and eventually I was running an entire region for my company. Work was great. My family was happy. I was happy. Then one day a recruiter calls and asks me if I would consider working for other companies. I don’t know why I said yes, but I did. Next thing you know, I start getting all these offers, and my mind, the great deceiver, starts telling me I’d be even happier elsewhere; I can have more power and influence at a new company, and I can make even more money for my family. So I get an offer and decide to leave. But looking back, I hadn’t reached my full potential where I was. I still had room to grow. I left too soon. Looking back, the signs were very clear, but I ignored them out of pride.

“Well, I join this new company and within a year the economy starts to tank and I get laid off. Now I’m lost. ‘Who’s going to hire a guy in his fifties?’ I ask. One day I’m walking on the beach where we have a summer house that’s about to be foreclosed on and I think life would be a lot easier if I just jump into the ocean. But then I thought of my son, who at the time was probably just a little younger than you, and I thought, ‘If I give up now, what lesson am I teaching my son? If I don’t overcome my challenges, my son will learn to let his challenges overcome him. I need to show my son that even though Dad was knocked down, he can get back up . . . so when life knocks him down he’ll know that he can get back up, too.’

“I was inspired with a bigger purpose after that to show my son that I could get back up after being knocked down. I dusted off my resume, called friends and colleagues in the industry, and reached out to various companies, letting them know I was back in the game. During the next few months, I had a bunch of interviews and received several offers, and now I’m doing my best every day to improve and grow at my new company. Interestingly enough, I’m in the same position I held in my old company, running a region.”

“Wow, what an amazing story,” Josh said, thinking of how his own dad had inspired him throughout his life. “I bet your son is really proud of you.”

“He is,” said George. “And so are my wife and daughter. One thing I know is that the greatest lesson we can share with our children is the way we live our life and how we respond to adversity. Getting fired was the hardest thing I ever had to go through, but looking back, I realize the job loss was a lesson I had to learn for having left my job when I wasn’t ready. These days, every young gun wants to be CEO but doesn’t want to go through the process of preparation. I’ve learned you can’t rush it. It’s not about where you will be happier. The future usually seems more appealing than the present because it’s more about fantasy than reality. The key is to make your fantasy your reality where you are. This goes for work, relationships, and life.”

Josh looked at his phone and read the text he had received from the headhunter. She was wondering if there were any updates. Josh texted back, “Still delayed. Waiting for an answer.” He was waiting for an answer from the pilot, but he was also waiting for an answer about what he should do. George made a lot of sense, yet the temptation of a new job was too powerful to ignore. He looked up at George, who continued to make his case “So, in making your decision, don’t choose where you will be happiest—choose where you will learn the most. Choose where you can grow into your full potential. If you’ve grown all you can grow where you are and it’s time to grow higher somewhere else, then leave. But don’t leave because of challenges. Where you experience resistance, you find the lessons that you are meant to learn. People often run when they face resistance, but to grow you must face it and learn from it. We often have to go through things at work and in life that don’t make us happy, but they teach us lessons that lead to our happiness in the future. Every job, good or bad, trains us for the work we are meant to do in the future. Challenges only make you stronger.”

Josh nodded, knowing George was right. Perhaps he was running from his challenges. Maybe he was running to a fantasy instead of creating a meaningful reality. “What should I do?” Josh asked with desperation in his voice as he looked at the texts on his phone.

“Decide to put your heart and soul into your work,” George said with conviction. “I stopped doing this, and it was one of the reasons I left. But looking back, it wasn’t the job that changed, it was me. I now know that if you bring your passion to work and are purposeful about what you are doing, happiness will be a by-product. You won’t have to search for it. Happiness will find you.”

Josh couldn’t believe George had just mentioned passion and purpose. If he was ever looking for a sign, this one was it. He felt the seed in his pocket and remembered what the farmer had said. Find out where to plant it and your purpose will be revealed to you. He was in such deep thought that he almost didn’t hear the pilot announce that they were heading back to the gate. The flight had been canceled, and the passengers would have to rebook on another flight.

Josh walked off the plane feeling tired, frustrated, and conflicted. He said good-bye to George, exchanged business cards with him, and thanked him for his advice. George was someone he definitely wanted to keep in touch with. He looked at the large airport monitor for additional flights to his interview city. There were three other flights that could potentially get him there in time for an afternoon meeting. “Should I go?” he asked himself, leaning toward a decision but not fully convinced. “Some obstacles are meant to test us,” he thought. “Other obstacles are meant to prevent us from doing something that will harm us. Which one was this?”

He remembered the farmer telling him to listen to his heart; thus he decided to follow the signs that resonated most with it and spoke the loudest to it. George had spoken the truth he needed to hear; Josh believed that George’s words and the canceled flight were signs meant to put him on the right path. He turned away from the monitor, walked toward the airport exit, and called the headhunter. He wouldn’t be taking the next flight. He wouldn’t be going to the interview. He was going back to work to reach his full potential.