Career Inklings from Columbia

Show Your True Colors

By Janet M. Ruck

In my opinion, this is the best time of year on the East coast. The emerald foliage of summer has given way to the oranges, crimsons, golds of autumn, as Mother Nature clothes the world in technicolor. Dark, cool mornings obscure the promise of the color array which emerges as day unfolds. For me, this is a magical and majestic time. I feel reborn as I am treated to the many hues that the autumn equinox brings to life in the mid-Atlantic. Change is in the air, and the vibrant colors herald its arrival.

Perhaps this might be a good time to consider changes to your career or job. As a career counselor, I often see individuals who have fallen into a rut. They perform the same job, with the same tasks, day after day, year after year. They complain that they are bored, yet they are often fearful to make the change that will result in doing something more and better with their lives. By looking at their work with the same viewpoint, they find that they are unable to take the steps to make the change that will create new experiences. Yet, just as Mother Nature kisses a palette of many colors onto the trees in the forest, along the highways, and down each and every country road, so, too, are workers afforded the chance to manifest their many talents through their work.

Whether you spend your days behind a desk, at a bedside or on an assembly line, you can decide which of your attributes will color your work this day. Fall’s tribute to nature can provide a backdrop for your view of your work. Take a cue from Mother Nature to move toward the change that can give your career new vibrancy. Demonstrate your many talents, passions and skills, remembering that you get the chance to choose which colors you show the world. Shake off the doldrums and color your world with brightness and vibrancy. Make this the best season of your career!