Resolve: The First Step

It's a gorgeous April morning in Baguio a week after I get my engineering degree and I am leisurely enjoying my walk home.?As I get closer I see a heavy, dark plume of smoke. I start to run, frantically ... our house is on fire! The blaze razes the entire second story. I lose everything that I'm planning to bring as I relocate to Chicago in a few weeks.?

The fire made my resolve to find a job post-graduation even stronger. I just assumed I'd find work with my newly-minted diploma -- but this was different.

Are you currently the Bernie pre- or post-fire?

It is Cinco de Mayo when I finally arrive in the "Windy City."?I struggle to find a job and fail repeatedly with my foreign degree. But Mr. Martensen finally gives me a break at earning some much-needed dollars to help rebuild my family's home in September.?He offers me an usher job sweeping theater floors and taking out the garbage.?It isn't the?perfect job, but it's the first offer ever a bright-eyed 20-year old gets in America. I'm ecstatic.?

A few more months pass, and my job-hunting efforts pay off again.?I am offered full-time work as a clerk at an office before Christmas.?

I'm more elated!?My dollar-earning capacity increases further with a full-time and a part-time job.?

Are you as flexible as I was?

My thinking was that in America, the land of opportunity, if you work long and hard, and you're willing to do whatever-it-takes you will survive.?

In my mind there is no question ... I further resolve to work harder.?I juggle four non-engineering jobs simultaneously!?

Oh, that's a photo on a pitstop driving to California in hopes of a tech job.

When you resolve, you just do -- the "next step" simply shows up for you to act. It's inspired action.??

Once you are clear about what you want and there is no contention in your resolve, solutions show up.?

My post-graduation story is a tad dramatic.

But let's focus on you. [I wish I had a mentor back in the day]. You just graduated -- how do you envision yourself in 60 days? In three months? Six months?

What would it feel like when your vision materializes? What are saying to your family and friends? What are you buying? How much are you making? Where would you move?

Trust me, you'll get there.

And it all starts with ...

Resolve.

I teach students business growth tactics to get hired faster. Let's chat!

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