My Professional Odyssey: The Road to Fulfillment - Part 1

I hate those "5 key things I learned" articles. They usually lack context. Why did you learn them? What was the story behind the education? Our experiences are unique. I know that mine certainly have been. This is my saga. The mistakes I made. Most importantly, the painfully earned hindsight and education that may help you to avoid the same pitfalls. I hope it helps you find a better way forward!

5 years ago, If you would have told me that I would own a Data Sciences company specialized in Modern Finance, I would have suggested rehab as an option for you. Sometimes in life, the thing we want most is staring us right in the face. And yet more oft than not, we somehow choose to ignore it. Or perhaps, it's because we are listening to the wrong voice in our heads.

In December, two years ago, I was at the tail end of one of one of the worst professional experiences in my career. Six managers in seven months, the removal of key supporting resources, zero training, zero support, and zero give a ..... What originally I thought was a good bet, turned out to be an unpreventable job loss.

"Corporate decision Rus", they said.

"Collateral damage. We actually determined the shut down before we hired you. Corporate oversight. You understand." - A. Schmuck

Great. Another inter-provincial move (my 2nd in as many years), a rush order real estate deal (my 2nd in as many years), and a cold, dark, and frozen journey back home to Calgary. Merry Christmas kid! This year, you get another healthy dose of reality. Enjoy!

Now here is where I made a very critical mistake. Rather than taking any time for self reflection, self-care, or identification of self-need, I immediately jumped directly back into an overwrought job search, driven and dictated by fear. I built a pipeline of "opportunity", and went after those interview rounds with frenetic retribution as the fuel for my vindication engine.

"I'll show you world!", my ego raged with a clutched fist.

In my head this was absolutely the right thing and the right activity to be doing. But in my heart, there was a void. A somber ache that I was consciously ignoring. An opportunity to uncover an understanding about myself, about happiness, and what the correct pursuit and actions I should have actually been taking to find exactly that. Happiness.

In my heart, I wanted freedom. The platform to carve my own path. What I didn't know or realize at the time was that the platform I was looking for was within, and not without. Yet, here I was looking for a job, where the culture was already set in stone, and in most cases or companies, the antithesis of what I wanted to be a part of. The futility of it all was palpable, and yet I stubbornly, and begrudgingly continued on because the ego is loud, the ego needs to be right, and the ego needs to have its way.

So here I was, interviewing for jobs disguised as "career opportunities", with bureaucrats I didn't want to work for, in cultures I couldn't stand to be a part of. The worst part was I didn't actually need to be doing this. I had time, I had capital, I had the true opportunity to reflect on what really mattered to me most. But instinctively, I was in survival mode. Operating from my reptilian brain stem, and I let adrenaline and fear overshadow reason, logic, and best interest.

Something brilliant happened to me then. The universe said no. As much as my ego wanted a job offer, any offer, my heart knew it was purely for vanity's sake. When your hearts not in it, there is no passion.

When there is no passion, there is no conviction. And without conviction, there can be no belief in oneself. Both, from within and without. Looking back, I am sure every interviewer I sat in front of picked up on that.

After 10 or so interviews, I didn't get one, single, offer.

It was a devastating blow to my ego. Hopelessness, despair, self destructive patterns of behavior. Somewhere in that wallowing pit of self pity, I started listening to the voice(s) in my head. Really started listening. I recalled a great book that a dear friend had given me, called " The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Self", by Michael A. Singer - See HERE

This book is about your relationship with you. Inwardness, and how to free yourself from habitual thoughts, emotions, and energy patterns that limit your consciousness.

It helped me realize that my ego was driving a lot of the poor results, and behaviors I was experiencing. Again, I was listening to the wrong voice. Another thing the "The Untethered Soul teaches, is how to positively correct and neutralize the thoughts / voices in your head, so as not to provide unnecessary damage to yourself, and your positive energy.

In a very brotherly fashion, I said to my ego in that moment, "Job loss sucks, I get it."

"You are bruised, you are afraid, and all this frantic planning didn't work, and it's ok. You got us out of the hot water, you got us stable, and you did everything you possibly could have to ensure our survival. So take a well deserved break champ."

"It's time for your conscience to go to work!"

 to be continued in part 2....

  About the Author

Rus Reuser is a business strategy consultant, entrepreneur, business owner, and sales & marketing executive. His passion and belief in innovation and continuous improvement, is the ethos of his consultative approach to business enablement. Native to Calgary Alberta, he embodies an active lifestyle, and can be found pursuing a multitude of adventure sports and activities in the Rocky Mountains. 

LinkedIN: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/rus-reuser-1226811b/