Assembling the Puzzle Pieces

Do you ever feel like the thing you're doing right now has nothing to do with your life? You were on a path but seem to have taken a wrong turn somewhere. You find yourself engaged in some activity that makes no sense. I have certainly experienced that "what-am-I-doing?" feeling, especially in my career.

I am a writer. I have always been a writer. Then, what was I doing selling training programs on the East Coast—driving up and down unfamiliar highways, losing my luggage every time I went to Philadelphia, hailing cabs in crazy Manhattan, and lugging sample cases through airports? I had no idea. It felt like an out-of-body experience until I looked back on it years later when I was selling myself to potential clients. I could never have done it if not for that totally unrelated stint as a sales rep back in the eighties.

Take the long view and realize that everything you do, no matter how inconsequential it may seem, is like a puzzle piece in a much bigger picture. The piece may not fit anywhere at first, but eventually the pattern will become clear.