(If you have stumbled across this post, you have found me blogging my upcoming book “Getting to Did: How To Lose Your Big But and Live a Life Without Regret.” In the last installment, the TRAINER taught Sam about the valuable point about GROWTH and GOALS. If you need to catch up on the whole book, you can start with “Sam’s Crumbling World” and follow the successive links.)

Wrapping Up with the TRAINER

“That’s it, Sam.”

“That’s it? You say that like I’ve been sitting here for only ten minutes. This all makes sense. I mean, really, I kind of already knew all of it. Seeing it laid out like this really helps. But, I gotta tell you, it’s pretty weighty stuff. It’s going to take me forever to get it all down and I’m not sure I even can.”

“Let me be HONEST with you. Getting it completely right will take you a lifetime. After all, it is about GROWTH. We are like trees, Sam. If we stop GROWING, we’ve died. I don’t get it right all the time. Dave doesn’t get it right all the time. That’s why we help each other. That’s why we’re here to help you. And that’s why we’ll eventually rely on you to help us. The point is, Sam, you CAN start the journey from COULDA to CAN today and each day you WILL get better.

“Now, let’s go grab a bite of lunch and get to know one another a little better. I’ll let you mull over what we’ve talked about today on your own. Take some time this week to work through the cards I gave you. I know Dave will want to get together with you again soon to see what you thought of all this.”

“Great, I’m starved,” said Sam gathering up the cards and his notes.

Sam looked at the summary card one more time before he put it into his planner.

***** 

Sam showed Susan the cards when he got home and told her what the TRAINER had taught him about the nine keys of getting from COULDA to CAN. She thought it sounded neat but added, “I sure hope this isn’t going to stop you from looking for a job. It seems to me you SHOULD get a job first, then you CAN start looking at all this stuff.”

“I don’t know, Susan. You know I’ve thought about starting a landscaping business…”

“Yeah, BUT honey,” Susan interrupted, “like you’ve always said, if you start working for yourself, you lose all those great employee benefits.”

“Well, look at where those benefits have gotten me. I don’t know,” Sam said thoughtfully, “You might be right. I’ll wait and see if Dave calls me again. I think he has another friend he wants me to see. Somebody called the PROFESSOR. That really sounds weird. Either way, I’ll hit the classifieds and call my recruiter again tomorrow.”

*****

A week later, Dave called Sam.

“I’m sorry Dave,” Sam stammered, “I’ve been meaning to call you, but I’m just overwhelmed looking for a job.”

“That’s okay, Sam,” Dave replied. “Most people I’ve worked with are overwhelmed by the TRAINER.”

Sam was taken aback by Dave’s perception. “Well, I was overwhelmed with that too. However, I have to admit I have been thinking about some plans, you know NEXT STEP THINKING. I just don’t know if I should try this ‘start my own business’ thing, I mean, it’s so iffy and the benefits I would be losing…”

“Losing, Sam? What benefits do you have right now?”

“You know what I mean, Dave. I have to think about my family. Like I said, I probably SHOULD just look for another secure job.”

“I’ll tell you what, Sam. Let’s not discuss what you SHOULD do until we meet with one of my other friends tomorrow. You know the drill. I’ll meet you at 5:45 in my driveway.”

“Is this the PROFESSOR?”

“Yes, that’s what we call her.”

“What’s that all about?”

“Meet me at 5:45 and you’ll find out.”

(Come back next Thursday to meet THE PROFESSOR.)