Via Nicole, today I've read something Jen Lee has posted and that has inspired me to write today's post.
I don't think I ever got to writing the post about how I got the job I have now and the effect it had over me. In my efforts to turn my life around its head and to get rid of all the negative things that were in it, meeting Mr. J. was like slamming the door on the face of bad things. He's helped me a lot and most of the times without even knowing he was. He's a very generous person and he has the biggest heart one can imagine, and the sheer fact of being in the same room as he is makes you feel like you could face anything sucessfully.
Well, so a couple of years ago I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in my world, and one of the things I needed to do so that could happen was to step outside of my comfort zone and watch my element with a little perspective (oh, my! I'm seeing how necessary all those posts I should have written here instead of in my ever present notebook were. I'll go back to that, ok?) After much instrospection and self-questioning, I reached the conclusion that my element was the same it always was: translation. The only problem was that I had lost perspective, joy and motivation as a result of all the things that were going on in my life. Translation is what I can do, it's what gives me confidence, and pleasure, and joy, and a thousand topics of conversation and discussion. It is what I've always wanted to do and I what I want to do always. It is the thing that I would still do when I won the lottery and had all the moneys in the world (who hasn't had that conversation about what would you do if you won the lottery and had all the money you would ever need?), for free. And what happens with your element once you go at it and, instead of squeezing it mercilessly, you encourage it and love it and let it grow, is that wonderful things start to happen. People who nurture your element start pouring into your life. Opportunities you never thought possible start to appear. And that's what happened to me.
Mr. J. found this job for me and the first few months were like working at Disneyland and your work is to ride on all the attractions. Everything was fun, new, intellectually energizing (I can't believe I just wrote that)... in one word: wonderful. I was surrounded by people who "got" what it was to be a translator, and suddenly I felt all the possibilities opening in front of me. For a long time it was like that. But that changed and it's been a while since I've felt ready to move on.
When I realised I was fed up with the office, I thought it was a pain, I felt somewhat lost and I didn't know what to do next. Now that I was moving to the States, what choices did I have? But I was looking at it all the wrong way. My experience (longer than a short period of time) in an office has been whatever, but above all, it's made me learn and grow. Now I have a better understanding of what I want, I have a clearer image of my dream company, and I can identify the things I have to avoid above all else. We can't always extract positive lessons of whatever we do, but sometimes they're good to define what we do NOT want. That is also a lesson; and a valuable one sometimes.
Now that I've understood all that, I realise how positive my experience here has been, and it even makes me a little sad to leave. I've always tried to do my best in my job, even when my spirits or my energies wouldn't let me concentrate on the task, and on the way I've learnt valuable lessons about human interaction. Not bad for a industrial engineering company, is it? Oh! And one more thing. May as it be, this company has uncovered the little scientist in this body of Humanities of mine... I'm a nerd! I still need some time for that to sink in.
I don't think I ever got to writing the post about how I got the job I have now and the effect it had over me. In my efforts to turn my life around its head and to get rid of all the negative things that were in it, meeting Mr. J. was like slamming the door on the face of bad things. He's helped me a lot and most of the times without even knowing he was. He's a very generous person and he has the biggest heart one can imagine, and the sheer fact of being in the same room as he is makes you feel like you could face anything sucessfully.
Well, so a couple of years ago I wanted to be the change I wanted to see in my world, and one of the things I needed to do so that could happen was to step outside of my comfort zone and watch my element with a little perspective (oh, my! I'm seeing how necessary all those posts I should have written here instead of in my ever present notebook were. I'll go back to that, ok?) After much instrospection and self-questioning, I reached the conclusion that my element was the same it always was: translation. The only problem was that I had lost perspective, joy and motivation as a result of all the things that were going on in my life. Translation is what I can do, it's what gives me confidence, and pleasure, and joy, and a thousand topics of conversation and discussion. It is what I've always wanted to do and I what I want to do always. It is the thing that I would still do when I won the lottery and had all the moneys in the world (who hasn't had that conversation about what would you do if you won the lottery and had all the money you would ever need?), for free. And what happens with your element once you go at it and, instead of squeezing it mercilessly, you encourage it and love it and let it grow, is that wonderful things start to happen. People who nurture your element start pouring into your life. Opportunities you never thought possible start to appear. And that's what happened to me.
Mr. J. found this job for me and the first few months were like working at Disneyland and your work is to ride on all the attractions. Everything was fun, new, intellectually energizing (I can't believe I just wrote that)... in one word: wonderful. I was surrounded by people who "got" what it was to be a translator, and suddenly I felt all the possibilities opening in front of me. For a long time it was like that. But that changed and it's been a while since I've felt ready to move on.
When I realised I was fed up with the office, I thought it was a pain, I felt somewhat lost and I didn't know what to do next. Now that I was moving to the States, what choices did I have? But I was looking at it all the wrong way. My experience (longer than a short period of time) in an office has been whatever, but above all, it's made me learn and grow. Now I have a better understanding of what I want, I have a clearer image of my dream company, and I can identify the things I have to avoid above all else. We can't always extract positive lessons of whatever we do, but sometimes they're good to define what we do NOT want. That is also a lesson; and a valuable one sometimes.
Now that I've understood all that, I realise how positive my experience here has been, and it even makes me a little sad to leave. I've always tried to do my best in my job, even when my spirits or my energies wouldn't let me concentrate on the task, and on the way I've learnt valuable lessons about human interaction. Not bad for a industrial engineering company, is it? Oh! And one more thing. May as it be, this company has uncovered the little scientist in this body of Humanities of mine... I'm a nerd! I still need some time for that to sink in.
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