#52Stories, Week 29, What major crossroads have you faced in your life, where you had to choose among competing paths or opportunities ? Who or what helped you make the right decision ?

Which job offer to accept ?

To sell or not to sell ?

Stay or go ? Cut and run.

I guess these three questions sum up most of the crossroad type situations I have been in in my life.

One day 20 something years ago I was offered two jobs. Both in Johnsonville (so handy to home), both paying about the same. Which one to take ? I can’t even remember the details of the one I didn’t take; maybe something in the education sector in that business complex on Broderick Rd. The one I did accept, I ended up staying for close to 20 years ! Who could have predicted that. What a team – my Yellow family. Wouldn’t change it for the world – but then there came another crossroad. Too many changes over all that time and the last one, a change in reporting line was the catalyst. Cut and run. Live life my way. Make choices for ME.

Then another, that eternal restlessness. There must be gypsies somewhere in my past I think. To move or not to move. To sell or not to sell. To take a chance or settle. No regrets (well not many)

There have been plenty of stay or go, cut and run situations. Sometimes indecision or low confidence made me stay longer than I should. But when the decision to go gets made – things happen. FAST.

Advice ? Sometimes this seems scarce. Sometimes it isn’t offered. (Maybe people don’t read my signals well.) Sometimes it is misguided. Sometimes people play the devil’s advocate, sometimes they lay all the cards on the table. But usually the final decision is mine. Then the regrets, if any, are my own demons to deal with.

The experience makes me more resolute, determined not to follow the same path again. It challenges me to make things work, to learn from past mistakes.

YOLO – choose how you want to live it. Be brave, take chances.