Thinking Outside the Box

Talk about taking action! Janet's call to action in our last post made me think of the story of a friend of mine.

We all know far too many people who have been out of work for far too long. Urban legends abound of job fairs with all too few employers with a handful of jobs being besieged by out of work candidates who have waited in line for hours to talk with an employer.

Clearly, we are going to need to think outside the box to differentiate ourselves . . . or to take advantage of opportunities that do come our way.

My friend's story demonstrates this very well. The dream opportunity came her way: a perfect match for her skillset and a rate that, amazingly, would actually meet what she was worth. The only snag was that it was a “GUD” – Geographically UnDesireable. This dream job is a 90-minute commute from her home; and that is without traffic!

Now, most people I know would not have looked any further. They establish the geography that they can work within and confine their search within those borders. Oh, they may stretch and try to negotiate a virtual office situation in which they work remotely from home; but, if that doesn’t fly, they don’t pursue the job.

Not this friend. She and her husband decided they would embark on an adventure during this strange time. She immediately began looking for a tent/trailer and a place to park it. If she gets this job, she will get to enjoy the novelty of living and working in a new area for awhile and, after 25 years of being together, she and her husband will renew the romance and excitement of living apart during the week and seeing each other on weekends.

Now, that is what I call thinking outside of the box … and learning to THRIVE during difficult times!

Question to ponder: How could you be thinking "outside the box" in your own situation? What resources do you have to help you create new approaches or solutions in your life?