How did I get here? Why are we where we are right now?
In my last post, I talked about changing situations that made it hard for me to update my blog for more than a year. This time around, I want to talk more about that.
Every once in a while, I get asked by friends from different parts and stages of my life how I am doing, where I am, and how I got here.
I like the situation I am currently in. It is a demanding job, yes, but one that is well-compensated. It affords me the financial freedom to pursue other things that makes me happy. I get to be with different people and learn from them. I like the country and appreciate the culture and its people. I like that it helps me grow. Things could be better but all is good, generally speaking.
So how did I get here?
The gist of it is that I got invited to an interview, passed it and accepted the offer. That is a succinct version of it. But that is not all of it.
Before I go on talking about myself, let me just say that where we are right now is the result of all the previous decisions and actions we’ve taken and this applies to everyone.
I know, some people are born into a better situation. But that is just how life is. Nothing is ever fair. So I told myself to stop focusing on what other people have and focus on my own situation. It is a lot like most card games. I just have to play with whatever cards I am handed. Unlike a card game, there can be no reshuffling when handed a shitty hand. The key to success, then, is learning how to play with what I have. And different people have different ways of playing.
So, how do I play it?
My game plan has always been about taking little steps and striving to improve in any way every day. Reading. Exercising. Listening to other people. Getting new hobbies. Learning new skills. Anything that teaches me something new or reinforces the skills or knowledge I already have, really.
When you get in a position where you are competing with so many other people for a single position, every little advantage you can muster matters.
Do I succeed in improving every day?
Of course not.
There are days when I cannot help but laze around and do nothing. That is just the reality of it. There are going to be setbacks – plenty of it – but what is important is being able to pick yourself up and continuing and striving to improve.
Before being here, I spent over a year in Qatar. But before that, I had several other jobs in the Philippines straight out of college. I went from marketing to customer support, to virtual assistant work, to insurance and investment banking and then to where I am right now. I spent as short or as long in my jobs as needed for my growth. I started off from a paltry $150-a-month job and then slowly but steadily climbed up, accepting better offers when they came along while making sure I learn something from every job I have been in.
I know, this is not the career trajectory many prefer. There are lots of uncertainties when moving between different companies and fields. I can understand why many prefer staying in a single and stable job while steadily climbing up the company ladder or government job. The peace of mind offered by these situations is very enticing. However, I just never felt it being right for me. Progress in these situations seemed a tad slow for those who aren’t academic studs and those with powerful connections. And I was never an academic standout nor did I have any sort of connection. I did okay with my studies but I never had the delusion that I would be in some milk ad, unless that ad is about competitive milk drinking.
I admire people that seem to have so much stock knowledge, who can blurt out interesting facts or recall information effortlessly. Some people can go over a text once and retain the important information. I, on the other hand, sometimes need several passes before the details stick. That is just the way it is. However, whatever I lack in raw intellectual might, I made sure to make up for it with hard work. If I can’t outsmart them, you can be sure as hell that I am gonna try my best to outwork them.
What I am trying to say amidst these jumbled thoughts is to not be afraid to admit your weaknesses. Just as important as knowing your strength, you also must understand your weakness. This way you can improve it or work around it. In the end, the ability to identify and accept your weaknesses will help you better prepare for the obstacles that you will face.
It would seem that I have a very roundabout way of answering the titular question, “How did I get here?” This is because there is no one short answer to the question. As I previously said, where we are right now is the result of all the previous decisions and actions we’ve taken. I narrated my decisions regarding my career path and described my attempts at improving myself, and looking at my strengths and weaknesses. All these are key to why I am where I am right now. And about being where I am right now, in the wise words of Ronald Mcdonald, “I’m lovin’ it.”
