Difficult Journeys often lead to beautiful Destinations!

Outdoors, impressive landscapes, open road, visiting new places, always on the move...  These were the things that made me want to work as a professional driver, and that for years kept me happy in my job.   But life awaits with unexpected twists that put us to the test: health issues started claiming my attention and I had to face a difficult moment in my life:  I had to find another job.

At this moment in time, many thoughts occupied my mind; feeling that this was part of growing old was one of them thoughts.  You still feel very young inside, and you hope for your body to keep up with the enthusiasm of your young spirit.  In the middle of this crisis of mine, this became a big issue, and at this point in my life I became very depressed.

Me (Tony) trying to look happy at work!

They say with age comes wisdom... Well, it’s difficult to be wise when everything seems to be spiralling down...  Wisdom... or resignation? It seemed to me it was “resignation” to living a “limited version” of myself, and hey, this is not “special edition” I’m talking about.
And while I was waiting for “wisdom” to pay me a visit, I was very depressed. I was becoming increasingly stressed and grumpy, health issues pressing on me, and feeling powerless and run down by the “old age” looming ahead.

Obviously, with this frame of mind, things started spiralling downwards until I reached the end of my rope, and found myself seating at my boss’ office ready to resign my job. Needless to say, quitting my job would have had dramatic consequences, but what else could I do? I always used to give the best of me, and now I felt totally inadequate, to me it was not just a mid-life crisis, it was a total disaster. And I was striving for a way out of my misery.

I had then a conversation with my boss that meant a turning point. I learnt from her two things: 1) Being a professional goes beyond the mere performing of the immediate tasks at hand and it includes social and human abilities. 2) I could bring forward these abilities and put them to work.
The first part of the conversation consisted of my moaning about my life situation and I already felt relief being able to put it all into words and have somebody listening to what I had to say. This made a big difference.


Think about how many times you feel somebody is really listening to you in your everyday life?  Sometimes when talking to people you have the feeling that they are just waiting for you to finish talking so they can put across their point. On the other hand, when somebody is listening to you he or she won’t judge you, he or she will ask you about your feelings, will ask you to explain your points: This is called “active listening”. And you can tell the difference when somebody is really listening to you, as opposed to just being quiet when you are talking but not really “sinking in" what you are saying. When you are being listened to, something happens during that conversation by which everybody makes progress.

My boss reminded me of all other things I was good at. Things I even had forgotten and that had been a part of my previous professional experience.
Then my boss prescribed the recipe for my “problems”, a plan of action. She hinted that there was a job position she thought I could fit in. She first invited me to “pull myself together” and reflect upon the things we had spoken about.

Therefore, I had some time to do an overhaul of my approach to life, time to reflect on the things that really matter in life. And it worked.
Upon my return to work, I was presented with my new job position: I would be working in the office, in collaboration and close contact with the Sales Team and my boss. This exceeded by far my expectations, I felt immensely grateful for having received such a positive way to resolve my conflicts.

Note : Fortunately “wisdom” exists.
A profound change had taken place within me: I felt like brand new. I feel empowered to be the new version of me, and leave aside the worries that brought me up to this point.  I had a renewed zest for life: My new job was very fulfilling, so much that all my stress and worries dissolved and I started to search for solutions instead of succumb to problems.

Me (Tony) Looking naturally very happy at work!

I want to thank Colleen Goodsir, my boss and Director of the company. She has played a brilliant role in appreciating value in me and highlighting my potentiality. Managing a company requires talent to know your staff and acknowledge their contribution. Possessing this talent is something extraordinary in this vertiginous world of ferocious competition. Deeply grateful for that.

On the other hand I believe it is an outstanding example of corporate values: The real life evidence that my boss puts into action that what she believes, not just big words for the show, but a genuine interest in the people that work alongside with her. Now, when she says things like “I believe in people” or “people is the most valued asset in this company” I believe her. A real leader has the responsibility to bring into life the company values.

I am happy to say this is a real story. And the satisfaction to say this is part of a story, my story, and part of a path that starts here. That’s why I I am enormously grateful to this organisation and its spirit. Spirit, the driving force of this company, alive in the hearts of people like the Goodsir family, with so much knowledge and experience, people that put their heart into everything they do.
Thank you A1 Coaches!

Written by Tony Cordova.