Stranger In My House
In 2000 (I’m dating myself here), there was a fantastic song by the artist Tamia called Stranger In My House. Now, I used that descriptor because I didn’t appreciate the lyrics of this song until I got older and lived, and l loved it a little more. The basic premise begins with her speaking about her love and how he still seems to be the same person superficially; he looks the same, talks the same, dresses the same, etc. But it can’t be the same person because he isn’t treating her as he did before. Now it seems like the familiar RnB classic style of love lost because one is cheating or has changed. The twist in this song, though, is that at some point, she realizes that maybe she is the stranger because SHE has changed and has new needs. Woah! I’m not in an unfulfilling personal relationship, but I thought about how this can apply to the career paths we choose. Our elders learned to follow the path; of education, find a stable job, stay there, and support their family until retirement. Many of us, especially those in our 40s, also attempted to follow this path. Some of us, after a while, dared to wonder if it is possible to seek joy and fulfillment and still be able to take care of our family and needs.
Now a job in no way should define you. Your passion drives you, and at certain moments you are driving cars that need repair (the unfulfilling job is the car, stay with me here), and at other moments you are content. Then there are those rare moments that seem more constant these days, where you seek the dream car, not just the practical one, because you want something that doesn’t just fulfill a need but ignites a spark. I’ve had a moment where I was at a job and began to hate everything about the place until I realized that the stranger was me. I changed so drastically, and my job remained the same. So it was time for me to bounce. Sometimes the most effective thing you can change is your perspective; sometimes, it’s just where you are.
Pop Quiz: Tell me what brought you to your career. Tell me if you like it or love it. If not, could it be that the stranger is you? Have you changed drastically, and the job remained the same?
