Music Mondays - Brave
Brave
In my 15-year career, I have experienced many ups and downs, I made numerous mistakes and frequently said things I wished I didn’t; however, through all of my challenges, I was always brave. I wasn’t afraid to work on a trading floor where 90% of my co-workers were men. I wasn’t afraid to leave a high paying job to make less and have more of a life. I wasn’t afraid to uproot my family and move without a job for the promise of something better. I wasn’t afraid to leave a well-known wealth management firm to start my own company.Don’t get me wrong, I have lots of fears in my life, in fact, I blogged about them at one point, but I never feared my career path, and looking back on it, despite the ups and downs, I am thankful that I chose to be brave and make bold choices. It not only gave me a diversified background, but it also led to more money and opportunities over time.
My advice to mentees
I mentor young men and women frequently; and the biggest piece of advice I have to give them is to be brave in their career paths. On Friday’s podcast, I am talking to one of these mentees who stood at a crossroads in her career. She could have stayed in a comfortable job where she had friends and a solid support network, or she could be brave and take on a new opportunity.From my perspective, when she was faced with this decision, it was a no-brainer; of course she should leave the comfortable job and push herself to be something more. Initially, she didn’t quite see it as clearly as I did; in fact, she called me from her car the morning she planned to submit her resignation letter to tell me she was having second thoughts. I forgot I said this; however, while recording the podcast she reminded me that I said “Put your big girl panties on and do this, it’s the right thing for you and your career.”
Don’t fear the gap!
“Maybe I’m in the gap between the two trapezes” is one of my favorite lines from the song, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall by Coldplay, and to me it completely sums up the brave decisions we make where money and our career are concerned. It’s scary to let go of something to reach for something else when you could quite frankly fall flat on your face. Despite my bravery, I have felt those panic moments when I am caught between the two choices, and I have experienced the pain of falling; however, I have also experienced the joy of soaring to the next level and that joy far outweighs the pain.
I wanna see you be brave!
At the end of the day, though, you will never know what you are capable of unless you take the risk and make a brave choice. You could be brave by asking for a raise, you could be brave by interviewing for a new job, and you could be brave by leaving a comfortable job and starting your own company. Whatever your brave represents, I encourage you to take it. Your brave decision today may not lead to immediate success, but I guarantee you that it will lead to success down the road.You will have to listen to the podcast on Friday to see how it turned out for my friend; however, I was so proud of her bravery. I know she was scared out of her mind, but she overcame that fear, took a chance on herself, and chose to be brave.Featured Image Source: Art to Self