Archive for category Self-Reliance
5 Low-Stress Jobs that Pay Well
Posted by enrique s in Career, Self-Reliance on June 4th, 2010
Investopedia recently ran an article entitled 5 High-Paying, Low-Stress Jobs. And I thought that “high-paying” and “low-stress” were mutually exclusive. I must be in the wrong line of work. Here’s the list, including their annual salary range:
1. Physical Therapist ($50K - $105K annual salary) - If you like making injured patients cry, then this is the job for you. Imagine: getting paid to torture people. Good times.
2. Computer Software Engineer ($54K - $130K) - That’s a lot of coin for designing computer games. I wonder how much you can make for playing the same games. My son would be a millionaire!
3. Civil Engineer ($50K - $115K) - This brings to mind the Yellow Pages commercial, with the guys dressed as train engineers sitting around drinking tea. Finger sandwiches, gentlemen? Long deadlines, and a 24% growth potential over the next 10 years. Not bad.
4. Massage Therapist ($45K and up) - Not the kind with the Happy Ending, either. A great job for the self-employed, with the potential hazard of having to work on some big hairy guy’s back. Yech! I’ll pass.
5. Technical Writer ($47K - $98K) - A telecommuter’s dream job. You can work in your bathrobe, which, come to think of it, is just a notch below the dress code of the engineers in my building.
Honorable mention: Graphic Designers, Sales Managers, College Professors, and Training Consultants.
I’m shocked that my profession didn’t make the list. Maybe next year.
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Self Discovery Avocation = calling, or that which you find yourself doing even when you intended to do something else. If you feel your body is a gift to use to help others, that may be your calling. Some peoples magnum opus is powerful labour. Magnum opus? Latin. Great work, and also...... -
Money, Stress, and Your Health This post is from GRS staff writer April Dykman. A 2009 AP/AOL survey, Debt Stress in the United States, found that American adults are experiencing significantly more debt-related stress than reported four years ago when a similar survey was conducted. The survey also found that those with high stress levels......
A Backup of a Backup
Posted by enrique s in Organizing, Self-Reliance on December 22nd, 2009
Photo by Mocodragon
Backup my hard drive? How do I put it in reverse? - unknown
One of my coworkers had a near-meltdown last week when her computer wouldn’t recognize her thumbdrive. The thumbdrive contained all of her important files, and was her only copy. Now, I could have been a smartass and said, “What’s the problem? Just use your backup”, but my coworker is a nice person who’s helped me in the past, and I was in a good mood. We were eventually able to copy the files from the thumbdrive to a network drive, so the disaster was averted.
Learning the hard way
I was in a similar situation several years ago, but my files were not recoverable. I did have some backups of the files that were lost, but they weren’t the latest versions, so I had to partially reinvent the wheel, so to speak. The one thing that you can count on about electronic devices is that they will all eventually fail (Isn’t there a Murphy’s Law about this?). I’ve talked about my penchant for being prepared in previous posts (here, here, and here), and I learned my lesson the hard way for not covering all the bases when it came to my computer files.
Redundancy is key
If backing up your electronic files can be considered Plan A, then Plan B is to always have a second backup copy. Think of it as the belt-and-suspenders theory in practice. I always carry two thumbdrives, and I even copy the contents of these portable drives to my computer’s hard drive. On top of that, every week I make two backup copies of the files in the “My Documents” folder of my computer, so I’m pretty much covered in case both of my thumbdrives and my computer’s hard drive crash. You can’t be too careful.
Tools of the redundant
My two thumbdrives are both PQI Intelligent Sticks:
They both hold 4 gigs of data, and I barely use a quarter of the available storage space. There very tiny, about one inch long when closed, a half inch wide and 3/16 of an inch thick. I barely notice them in my pocket. These are my daily portable backups. They are very reliable, but I take no chances. The wear and tear from pocket carry compels me to replace them with newer versions each year. Fool me once…
For my weekly backups, I use two Western Digital My Passport external hard drives:
These are powered by the USB connection on my computer, and don’t require a separate power supply. This makes them a good option for laptops, too. I have a both 60GB and 80GB versions, which are both a couple of years old. I don’t replace these as often as the thumbdrives, since they don’t take the same daily beating. When it is time to replace them, I won’t buy the latest version. I’ll opt for something less than cutting edge, and save a few bucks. The cheapest that I could find was $64.99 for a 250GB version.
Automating the backup
I don’t have an automated backup, but instead do it manually each week. I’ll leave it to an expert to explain automation. Gina Trapani of the website Lifehacker put together this excellent guide to automatically backing up your hard drive.
Other backup options
Of course, my setup is “old school”, and there are many alternatives if you would rather opt for online storage. One is Carbonite, which is a set-it-and-forget-it offsite backup over the internet. Carbonite finds your files, and copies them to their secure servers. Other options include Amazon S3, Mozy, and Dropbox. I can’t vouch for any of them, since I’ve never used online backup. But the website Lifehacker also has a post which details the best online backup tools. Check it out here.
Whatever option that you choose for data backup, make sure you have another backup somewhere. Remember, belt AND suspenders.
For a humorous look at the subject, check out The Tao of Backup.
Share your disaster stories in the comments, so that we can all learn from them. What option have you chosen for data backups?
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How My OCD Keeps Me Grounded at Work
Posted by enrique s in Career, Rants, Self-Reliance, lifehack on December 4th, 2009
Photo by Roadside Guitars
I have a mild case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). It started in my teens, innocently enough, while watching Yankees games on TV. I’d settle into a “lucky” spot, listening to Frank Messer call the play-by-play, and wouldn’t dare move, lest the Bombers’ fortunes would change for the worse. I gradually let it control my behavior more and more, until I took stock of what I was doing, and fought against it. I didn’t seek any professional help, or ask any of my friends for advice, for fear that they’d think I was nuts. I just gradually started to eliminate each of the compulsive behaviors, resulting in the well-adjusted person that I am now. Yeah, right.
From one extreme to the other
I have it under control now. I still have a few quirky habits that harken back to my OCD-controlled existence, but they’re rather benign. I’m a person of extremes. If I want to learn something new, I usually immerse myself in it. Overcoming my OCD was no exception. I started mixing things up, consciously avoiding any repetitious behavior. For instance, when we go out for dinner, I’ll usually try something that I’ve never eaten before. When driving, I’ll take a route that I’ve never taken in the past. I’m always up for a new challenge. You could say that I’ve done a 180° turn, always seeking out unfamiliar territory. And that’s where the remnants of my OCD actually help me.
He reaches into his bag of tricks…
See, it’s good to have some routine to fall back on. You don’t want to re-invent the wheel all the time; it’s just not productive. Just like Felix the Cat, everyone needs their little bag of tricks to deal with the challenges of life. My bag includes some of the things that I’ve picked up through the years, like my filing system. I’m an anti-paper guy, and if I didn’t have a somewhat strict file-naming system, I wouldn’t be able to find anything on my computer. I also keep an extensive list of helpful Excel macros that I pick through from time to time. I’m big on being prepared, so I like to have my “toolkit” at the ready. I also have my habit of doing three things before leaving the office in order to get a jump on the next day. My OCD has helped to sharpen my focus. I just try to keep it within limits.
Out of control
However, I’ve encountered other sufferers of OCD in the workplace, and some of them aren’t as well-adjusted. One supervisor that I had hosted a weekly conference call from his office. He was always fumbling with something in his desk drawer. I later found out that he was stacking his paper clips into neat little piles. A harmless activity, to be sure, but his behavior carried over into his daily sealings with people. He started to get a reputation as a guy with “toys in the attic”, and news of his eccentricity spread. It eventually undermined his standing among his subordinates, and his habits became the stuff of water-cooler jokes.
So, I’m glad I can harness my OCD for the benefit, and not the detriment, of my career. I’m sure there are others of my kind out there. Are you one of them? Let me know in the comments how you deal with this malady, and if you’ve been able to use it to your advantage.
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My Thanksgiving Ritual
Posted by enrique s in Book & Product Reviews, Frugality, Rants, Self-Reliance on November 24th, 2009
Photo by theogeo
People develop different rituals to celebrate Thanksgiving. Laurel and Hardy fans may tune in to March of the Wooden Soldiers, or watch the Macy’s Parade. A local radio station plays Alice’s Restaurant in its entirety every year (I never tire from hearing the massacree again). Some may run in the local Turkey Trot, or pull a muscle or two in the neighborhood Turkey Bowl. Others will plop down on the couch as the plasma bathes them in images of whoever is clobbering the Detroit Lions this year. Some brave shoppers are getting their itineraries set for Black Friday. But I started a new ritual a couple of years ago, and it’s always put me in the right frame of mind for Turkey Day.
The ritual
I’ve always been able to empathize with other people’s suffering. I’ve got it pretty good, even though I tend to complain about life’s little annoyances. I’m grateful for the life I have, and here’s where my ritual comes in. Every year, about a week before Thanksgiving, I re-read a book to put me in the holiday frame of mind. The book is The Long Walk. It’s the story of a prison escape from a Siberian labor camp during World War II. Nothing like a tale of human deprivation to get you in the holiday spirit. Pass the stuffing…
The story
The Long Walk tells the story of one Slavomir Rawicz (I can’t pronounce his name, either), a Polish cavalry lieutenant who is captured by the Soviets during the invasion of Poland at the start of World War II. He spends a year in several prisons, each one worse than the last, before his sentencing to 25 years of hard labor. Oh, and he’s also tortured, packed into a standing-room-only railroad car, shipped thousands of miles across Russia, and then marched through the Siberian winter for several months before reaching the labor camp. He’s literally fed bread and water, and watches as the ranks of his fellow prisoners thin out due to disease and malnutrition. But the worst is yet to come!
The escape
He plots an escape with several other prisoners, and they head south towards Afghanistan. The only problem is that they literally have only the clothes on their backs, and a few meager supplies. Not the ideal setup for crossing the Gobi Desert! As members of the escape party perish from the hardships, they are reduced to eating snakes. Then, they run into yet another obstacle: the Himalayas. And guess who forgot to pack mountain climbing gear?
The lesson
You might think that I have a screw loose, or that I’m some goth kid that cuts himself. Wrong on both counts. A story like The Long Walk reminds me that I shouldn’t complain if my steak isn’t cooked to my specifications, or if my son forgot to take out the garbage. These guys survive under the most arduous conditions, with no material possessions. They’re thankful for an extra length of cloth to wrap around their bloody feet. Talk about extreme frugality!
So in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, I immerse myself in the agony of a young Polish man from nearly 70 years ago, and the turkey tastes that much better, the Sam Adams seems that much colder, the Ashton cigars taste that much richer, and the football game is that more enjoyable, because I can appreciate what I have.
What are some of your Thanksgiving rituals?
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Jumping on the Yankees Bandwagon
Posted by enrique s in Career, Frugality, Rants, Self-Reliance on November 5th, 2009
Basking in the glow of yet another championship, I was greeted at work this morning by a preponderance of Yankees paraphernalia (I didn’t notice any Phillies or Mets caps. Even the Red Sox fans are keeping their heads down this week). Not that I mind; I am a big fan. But many of these “fans” have just recently jumped on the bandwagon. They weren’t around when the team started off lousy. Like sharks, they must have smelled the blood in the water.
Frontrunners
This happened when the Giants won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, too. But I’ve found that the most egregious bandwagon jumpers in the workplace. These are the people that hover around the periphery of a challenging project, keeping their distance until success is assured, usually by someone who’s heavily involved. Look at any photo that’s posted of the honored “XYZ Team” and you’ll find at least one person who didn’t contribute much to the effort. These frontrunners weren’t there for the tribulations, but they are immortalized in the lobby photo.
Like rats jumping ship
As much as they seek to be included in the adulations, you can bet that they’ll be conspicuously absent when the project goes bad. They’ll have moved on to a more successful project, leaving the blame for someone else. I’ve worked with a guy who made this an art form. He kept getting reassigned before the shit hit the fan, and left his mess for other people to clean up. Some companies perpetuate this behavior, as they encourage turnover to promote employee development. Too often, it becomes The Peter Principle incarnate.
Secret decoder ring
So, how do you recognize a true bandwagon jumper for who they are? Is there a special way of identifying these sharks, a secret decoder ring for frontrunners? I’m afraid not. You’ll probably wind up getting screwed by one, and you’ll be wiser the next time. Over time, you’ll know who you can count on, and who’ll jump ship at the first sign of trouble. The ones you can count on will stand by you through thick and thin. Make sure that you return the favor.
So, I’ll share the ecstasy of this Yankees championship with the frontrunners. It’s easy to be a fan when things are good; they never had to suffer through horror of Celerino Sanchez at third base, or of Stump Merrill making out a lineup card. But I know they’ll disappear at the first sign of trouble. I’ll just make sure that I watch my back.
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Avoiding Agita: Get a Hard Copy
Posted by enrique s in Career, Self-Reliance on October 27th, 2009
Photo by *_filippo_*
: a feeling of agitation or anxiety
Agita online
My company maintains databases on an intranet that can be accessed by anyone who has the proper rights. These databases contain links to documents that have been scanned in a pdf format, such as contracts, purchase orders, invoices, etc. It’s a step in the right direction towards the goal of a paperless office. Yeah, right, like that’s going to happen in my lifetime.
404
Sometimes, though, the links are broken. You try to retrieve a signed copy of a contract, and you get a 404 error. Or, in a few cases that I’ve come across, the wrong document is attached. Oops. It was a good thing that I checked closely, because the billing terms were different, or the shipping address was that of another customer. You can’t take everything at face value.
Human error
Sometimes, I’ll get an email that contains incorrect information. If I know it’s bad dope, then I can dispute it. I’ll reply to the sender that the info is wrong. But what if I didn’t know better, and I ran with the bad info? If I screw something up because of it, I can use the excuse that it was in an email, right? It might not be my fault, but it caused me some agita anyway.
The awful truth
We’ve become conditioned to believe that whatever we read on the computer is the absolute truth. Why would someone take the time to post mistakes? It gives us the opportunity not to follow up, because, supposedly, some “expert” has done the heavy lifting for us. We can easily shift the blame, because they made the mistake of disseminating the bad info. Shame on them.
The buck stops here
OK, so someone else screwed up, not you. It wasn’t your fault. But now, it’s your problem. But you could have avoided the problem in the first place by performing a little due diligence. I’m not saying that you have to double-check everyone’s work; just do it on a Pareto basis. You can bet your ass that if it’s of great importance to my company and to my reputation, that I’m going to ask the person to hand me a hard copy. Then, I can check it myself, and avoid any problems before they get a chance to happen. I hate paper copies as much as the next guy, but I can always recycle it later.
So, if you have a job of critical importance, either to your company or your career, give your paperwork another once-over. It could save you some agita in the long run.
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Free Will, or Freewill
Posted by enrique s in Book & Product Reviews, Motivation, Self-Reliance on October 1st, 2009
Breaking Free
Photo by yngrich
There are those who think that life has nothing left to chance
A host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance
I’m a big fan of the band Rush. They have a unique approach to writing music, and they always surprise me with their creativity when a new album comes out (album - I’m dating myself). One of their songs from the early ’80’s is in the rotation on my iPod: Freewill (not to be confused with the whale movie Free Willy). If you’re interested, it’s from the album Permanent Waves.
A planet of play things
We dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive
‘The stars aren’t aligned
Or the gods are malign…’
Blame is better to give than receive
Neil Peart is an excellent lyricist as well as being a drummer extraordinaire. In addition to the music, I like the message of the song. I’m a strong believer that you make your own luck through preparation, and as a result, I’m always trying to be better prepared. I don’t believe in fate, voodoo, the evil eye, or bad luck. Therefor, I don’t knock on wood, rub a rabbit’s foot, or cross my fingers in order not to “jinx” something. I think people use these excuses to cover up their own shortcomings. They make bad choices, because they don’t take the time to think them through, then blame fate for their consequences.
There are those who think
That they were dealt a losing hand
The cards were stacked against them
They weren’t born in Lotusland
If. I hear people bitching all the time, “if I had been born rich”, or “if I had the opportunity to go to a better college”, then everything would be different. If my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle. There is no “if”. There is only what you have to work with in the present. There will always be someone with more resources than you; there are also many more who have less than you. What you do have are opportunities to change your life for the better.
All preordained
A prisoner in chains
A victim of venomous fate
Kicked in the face
You can’t pray for a place
In heaven’s unearthly estate
Many will pray for riches to come their way. In my own twisted view of the cosmos, I think that God has bigger things to worry about than your financial success. If you’re blessed to be born in America, you’re way ahead of most of the world in terms of opportunity. Count your blessings. Rather than look skyward for help, take a deeper look inside yourself. Maybe it’s you who’s holding you back, not fate.
You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice
You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill
I will choose a path that’s clear
I will choose freewill
The song celebrates the empowerment of the individual, and I embrace this philosophy. Rather than leave my life to chance, I take the bull by the horns. I’m not one to sit on my ass and complain that the world has been cruel to me. The world is cruel to everybody. I’m sure that most of the time, you’ve got it pretty good. When something bad happens to you, it’s just your turn to suffer a little. It will make you appreciate the good times even more.
If it’s never our fault, we can’t take responsibility for it. If we can’t take responsibility for it, we’ll always be its victim.
- Richard Bach
So, you’re 20 pounds overweight? Nobody but you is stuffing junk food into your mouth. Just eat less. Deep in credit card debt? You don’t have to pay with plastic. Cut the goddamned things up. Hate your job? You’re not chained to your desk. Stop bitching and look for a new one. Unhealthy is a choice, as are broke and miserable. You have the freedom to change things. Take responsibility for your actions. Stop making excuses and do something constructive.
Choose free will.
Or Freewill.
Just not Free Willy.
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Frugal Cesspool Maintenance
Posted by enrique s in Money, Self-Reliance on September 4th, 2009
Photo by AnyaLogic
Those of you with a weak stomach might want to skip this post. Every three years, we have our cesspool serviced. I know, thanks for sharing, Enrique. We have a few thousand gallons of “stuff” pumped out, and about 25 gallons of sulfuric acid added to both cesspools, the main and the overflow. This keeps us going for another three years through endless showers, laundry, etc. It’s a hefty bill, between $500 and $600, for which I budget accordingly.
I usually “supervise” any work being done on my property, and this was no exception. There’s some prep work on my part, such as finding the access pipes that are buried. I also remove about a four foot square of grass around each access pipe, so that any acid that might splash won’t burn the grass. Trust me, the acid WILL splash. It’s not like they use a funnel for a precise pour. After the work is done, I can easily piece the missing grass back together, and the lawn looks no worse for wear.
I was picking the cesspool guy’s brain, and he told me that I was on borrowed time. The cesspools that I have are stacked concrete block, and are over 40 years old. The correct replacement would include a septic tank and two precast overflows. This sizing would allow me to add a second floor onto my house without having to rip up the lawn again. I asked him what the price tag would be, and he figured between $7,000 to $9,000. Yikes. That doesn’t include the replacement of my lawn and sprinkler system.
My next question was “how long do they have, doc?” He couldn’t give me any guarantees, but thought I’d last at least one more cycle. So that gives me a three year stay of execution. One kid will be finished with college, but the second one will be starting. How much is in my emergency fund? He also recommended that I use Rid-X. He said that it would keep the solids to a minimum (I told you this was a gross subject).
So, I’m off to the store to get some Rid-X. Add that to a three-year maintenance schedule, and your cesspool should be in tip-top shape. And make sure you remove the grass around the pipes BEFORE the cesspool guy pours the acid, or you’ll definitely be removing it AFTER it gets burned.
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Lessons From The Road, Part 1
Posted by enrique s in Book & Product Reviews, Motivation, Productivity, Self-Reliance on September 3rd, 2009
I’m reading the novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy for the second time, while I wait for the movie to come out. He also wrote No Country for Old Men, the film that won Javier Bardem a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The Road is a bleak tale of survival that follows a father and his young son as they try to eke out an existence in a post-apocalyptic world. It’s a disturbing story, tracing the descent of mankind to cannibalism in order to survive.
So, now that I’ve depressed you, I’ll try to glean something positive out of the novel. One part struck me, a line by the son to the father about telling the truth. Camped under a plastic tarp to escape the falling snow, the father makes his son hot cocoa, and limits himself to hot water. The son doesn’t want any special treatment, and is upset about his father’s self-denial of even rudimentary things. Here’s the exchange:
In a pocket of his knapsack he’d found a last half packet of cocoa and he fixed it for the boy and then poured his own cup with hot water and sat blowing at the rim.
You promised not to do that, the boy said.
What?
You know what, Papa.
He poured the hot water back into the pan and took the boy’s cup and poured some of the cocoa into his own and then handed it back.
I have to watch you all the time, the boy said.
I know.
If you break little promises you’ll break big ones. That’s what you said.
If you break little promises you’ll break big ones.
How true. How many little promises have you broken that have led to big promises being broken? I’ll just have one piece of cake, then I’ll go back on my diet. I’ll surf the web for an hour, then I’ll do my homework. I’ll just tidy up my desk, then I’ll put together that report. I’ll use my credit card just this once, then I’ll pay cash the next time. A little backsliding here and there can sabotage your productivity. I know. Just read about the weight that crept back on from my breaking little promises.
Your mission today: Don’t break little promises to yourself. Stay strong. Follow the path that you’ve set out to achieve your goals, whether they be physical, financial, or work-related.
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Burning Bridges
Posted by enrique s in Career, Rants, Self-Reliance on August 28th, 2009
Photo by raindog
Don’t look back
A new day is breakin’
It’s been too long since I felt this way
I don’t mind where I get taken
The road is callin’
Today is the day
- from Don’t Look back by Boston
Conventional wisdom tells you never to burn any bridges in your life. Being a person that questions the validity of conventional wisdom, of course I’ve ignored this advice. And it hasn’t hurt me one bit. More about that a little later on. First, some more song lyrics:
I can see
It took so long to realize
I’m much too strong
Not to compromise
Now I see what I am is holding me down
I’ll turn it around
I’ve never been averse to change; in fact, I welcome it. I’ve worked for many different companies over the course of my career, and I’m sure that my current job won’t be my last, either. I get bored when I stop learning, and then it’s time for me to move on. Stagnation at a job holds you back from achieving your goals. Sure, I may leave my friends, but I’m not going to let that stop me.
It’s a new horizon and I’m awakin’ now
Oh I see myself in a brand new way
The sun is shinin’
The clouds are breakin’
’cause I cant lose now, there’s no game to play
It’s good to get out of your comfort zone. Ditching the familiar surroundings can be scary, but also invigorating. Meeting new people can open you up to new experiences. A challenging new job can help you grow by snapping you out of old habits. You leave any baggage at your old job. You get a chance to start anew. A clean slate.
I can tell
There’s no more time left to criticize
I’ve seen what I could not recognize
Everything in my life was leading me on
But I can be strong
OK, but what does this have to do about burning bridges? I had left a hellish job for a dream job. Unfortunately, after two years, the dream job was soon to be only a wonderful memory, as my job was being eliminated. The natural reaction would be to go back to my previous, hellish nightmare, if only until I could find something else. Besides, all of my friends were still there. Sound familiar? I was even given the opportunity to do some consulting work. But there was a problem.
Decision time
They wanted me to come in on Super Bowl Sunday to fix a mess they had gotten into. I knew that I could solve their problem, and it would take about 12 hours of heavy number crunching to right the ship. But did I really want to go back there? After all, I (and all of my coworkers) had been treated poorly by management. I had counted the days until I was free of the place. But it was a safe refuge, and a steady paycheck, until I found something better. Should I cave, and stay in the comfort zone?
If you don’t know me by now…
Hell no! I gave them an outrageous price for my services, and my former boss was so pissed at my insolence that he basically told me to eat shit and die. Smell that? That’s a bridge burning. How’s that for motivation? I found out later that my former coworkers were howling with joy when they heard about what happened. I’m glad I didn’t disappoint them. Or myself. I went out and found a job that better suited my needs.
So the moral of the story is never look back, just like the song. You’ve left a job for a certain reason, and sliding back into an old role won’t help you grow. Always look to challenge yourself, and don’t get complacent. Force yourself to confront a new challenge.
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