Don’t get hung up on failures — everything happens for a reason

Last year I took a job at a call center. It didn’t pay incredibly well, but I made it work. I was excited, happy, and upset all at the same time. I didn’t know why. I thought of the good things that I’m getting into: A steady income, benefits, networking, and the freedom to save (and spend) money I may or may not have. I still wasn’t happy and I wasn’t sure why.

This wasn’t the job I wanted. At all.

I felt like I was settling for whatever came my way. I was desperate. I set the bar high for myself and felt like I let myself down big time by accepting this position.

I’ve wanted to move to Los Angeles, California for years now. I (and many friends, family, and colleagues) told me that it’s where I needed to be for what I want to do, so what am I doing taking this job at the call center? I needed stability.

A year later and after working 55+ hour work weeks since January 2019, the wind has changed the sails’ direction.

I applied for a job and received an interview. It went incredibly well, so I received a second one.

I got the job.

The experience that I gained from the call center job was of big interest for the employer in addition to my podcast, music industry knowledge, and journalism work. The hard work I put into the call center job and everything around it finally paid off.

It’s not at all what I wanted to do at the time, but the experience I gained with it placed my resume at the top of the pile so I can purse my dream out in Los Angeles, California.

Moral of the story: Not everything in your life is going to make sense, and you may feel like you’re settling for something. That’s okay. Don’t get too comfortable if it’s not where you want to be. Keep grinding, making moves, and working hard. You will get to where you want to be.

I promise.