The Thicket
“Ah but I was so much older then.
I’m younger than that now…”
My Back Pages by Bob Dylan
The following is a fictional account, summarizing an emergent theme which is presenting itself with increasing regularity. Any resemblance to a real-world person is purely accidental.
“So, I was fascinated with the opportunity to make such great money, to be a part of such a great company, to be ‘important.’ I moved my family, I found a great house (with a huge mortgage), got the kids into a great school, and dove, literally dove, into the work. I was out there in the field mostly five days a week. Then I was in my office at home, working out the schedule, the stories, and the look, sound and feel of my presentations. I was a high-performance machine!
“Then, (I’m not sure when it dawned on me…) I became aware that my heart was no longer in it. My work and I had fallen out of love. But now, I was lost in the ‘thicket’ of financial obligations, commitments, agreements and the weight of all the things I had previously thought were important.
“When I got together with colleagues, we had much to discuss — many fascinating issues, complex legal, ethical, organizational and political challenges. It was almost hypnotic. But then, late at night, I found myself thinking: ‘What is this all about again?’
“I know that I have a ‘great’ life. Everyone depends on me, and I’m delivering! But I can’t quite remember what I found so intriguing about the work in the first place. It’s as if it all came in a great box that everyone loved; but when I lived in that box long enough, I discovered that the work was less fulfilling. And the closer I get to the center, (Having been ‘Called to Management’), I find that it’s a much uglier reality than I ever knew.
“I feel caught, stuck in a thicket… So, what do I do?”
A lot of Executive Counsel hours are spent on this subject. It’s easy to get carried away by the physical things, rank, money, titles, associations and being “accepted by the club.” Then, as one’s perspective matures, that stuff begins to recede in the rear-view mirror. But it is addictive.
Some thoughts:
Start with a self-analysis in the moment: NOW!
Who are you? What’s important? What’s your purpose, as you see it? How would you like to conclude your life? Should you simply carry on ‘til you stop?
Or is there something else that calls to you?
Is that other mission getting louder? Is it something you want to, need to, intend to pursue with all your resources? Or is it something that could benefit from a less than full-time commitment?
How does the future appear to you? Are the kids getting ready for employment? Can they live without the parental insurance policy?
Is your choice of an alternate or part-time vocation going to do irreparable harm to anyone or any institution?
Can your presence in a new arena be a force for good, or even greater good?
Does it have to be an either/or situation, or can you adjust your aspirations to allow progress in both arenas?
What makes your heart leap? Is there “other work” or other activities that might fill your life again?
Remember, the purpose of “work” can be mere survival, but there are more opportunities now, than at any time in history.
And, you’re younger than that now.
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