A woman I know went through an intense period of dissatisfaction with her job. It lasted several years, during which time she applied for every open position at her company. Whenever a new job was posted, the hiring manager would see her resume. Unfortunately, there was never a suitable match for her skills.

I don’t know exactly when this woman stopped applying for internal positions; it took awhile for me to notice. I don’t even know what prompted it or if she made a conscious decision to stop trying. What finally seeped into my consciousness, however, was the realization that somewhere along the line, this woman had become more engaged in her current activities. Rather than resigning herself to her occupational fate, she had chosen to embrace it.

This woman dove in and took control of her job. She became the resident expert in that area, and she now touts herself as such. She finds new ways to apply the services of her department and communicates the options throughout the company. She has made her job into her vocation.

Figuratively speaking, she has stopped trying to sell her house and instead has decided to live there, remodeling and redecorating to transform it into a space she loves. Good stuff. I wonder where I need to redecorate.