The final straw...

Who knows where this one is going...

In the last month, I changed jobs. Gone are the days of middle management. Gone are the days of spinning my wheels trying to satisfy the needs of the staff(poorly) and trying to answer to the call of administration(poorly). I can't say that I miss it. There are many things I do miss but those things have little to do with my past job description. I had the opportunity to enjoy some wonderful relationships with co-workers. The hospital has a lot of great people. I will miss them, but I don't see that I'm going to miss the job.

So, what's new. I'm back to direct patient care. Back to making a difference for little old men and little old women. It's a new environment for me. Now days, I drive from house to house to treat people in their homes. Not something that I would have aspired for early in my career. In the younger days, I was driven by the art and science of manual therapy. Manual therapists think of themselves as the creme de la creme...and for the most part, they are. I've studied under some of the most brilliant practitioners in the world. There was a time when I wanted to run in those circles. I wanted to be that therapist that others would call on. Now days, I just want peace. The peace of driving alone. The peace of arriving at a patient's house and being greeted by the dog in the yard. The peace of sharing a cup of coffee with patients who have seen the world change over the course 95-100 years. There's much to be learned if we take the time to listen. I'm looking forward to this new era.

So, what was the final straw? For the last several years, I've been looking for a change in career. Try as I might, I never found an opportunity that seemed to work. I have pages of prayers where I asked God to either give me peace or let me go. I never felt like I had liberty to go. So, I stayed and prayed. One day, I happened upon the cycling manufacturer's website. There it was: "Director of Bike Fitting" in the career section. I was in a bit of a crunch for time. I did a quick revamp of the resume' and answered a few questions based on my bike fitting experience. I never thought I would hear from them. I never thought I would have the qualifications to be considered with so many talented people in this emerging area of cycling science. This is one of those times when I was glad I was wrong. The company called me and we began talking about the position they had in mind. Let's just say that it was going to be a dream job. I made arrangements to fly up to meet with the staff and owner in mid December. It was an amazing trip. I met some of the most passionate(and blessed) people in the cycling industry.

At the end of the trip, I was basically offered the job. As I left the offices, I don't think my feet touched the ground until I got back home. We had plans to discuss compensation and all the other stuff that goes along with changing jobs. Unfortunately, the economy had other plans. Meetings to discuss the details were postponed from late December, to January, to February. When the call didn't come in February, I chose not to bring it up again.

When I was discussing the Director of Bike Fitting role with the owner. I was very up front about it. If I got the job, that would be great. If I didn't get the job, I still had the opportunity to work closely as coach and bike fitter. It is truly a win-win. I still believe it to be a win-win. I now have relationships with some of the most influential people in the bike industry. You won't find any better.

So, that's the straw. I was ready to leave the hospital. I had a fleeting opportunity to leave health care and go into the cycling industry full time and at present, it has slipped away. As you can imagine, my attachment to the hospital was gone. By early January, I was showing up to work in body only. My dedication to the organization was gone. I had to get out. Luckily, the door opened for me to take the new role back in patient care.

Where's the silver lining? Maybe I had been holding on to that middle management job too long. I needed something to come along and break my grip and force a change. I'm a firm believer that everyone needs to work in their area of passion. I have a passion to make positive changes in people's lives. The middle management role didn't fulfill this need. Regardless of the industry(health care or cycling), if I have the opportunity to make a difference, I get the intangible rewards!

Tomorrow is another day! I'll get to walk, and talk with people who are twice my age. I'll get to make their day go better. It will be a great day!