by The Parmigiana Whisperer

The content(edness) calendar-Day 9

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. – Dalai Lama

If there is something that I learnt over the years, is that life is full of surprises: that job that you didn’t get, the house of your dreams already sold, that person ignoring you – they might actually be blessings.

A couple of years ago, I applied for a job that I really wanted in a company fairly close to where I was living. I went for a first interview, and while I was leaving the building I bumped into S., a lady that used to work with me in another company, in a previous life. She was interviewing for the same position – it is a small word, I wished her luck and waited for a response on my interview. As it turned out, they gave the job to S., and I was quite upset, as I thought that that position was perfect for me. A couple of weeks later, I read about another position advertised in a company even closer to my house, with an higher salary and even more interesting than the one that I didn’t get! I never heard of that company, so after a bit of googling, I applied for the role, and I actually got the job! To be honest, despite I was quite happy where I was, my mind would sometimes go to the job I didn’t get, probably out of pride more than actual interest.

After a couple of months in my new company, our Manager introduced to us our new starter: it was S.! She hated the job that I wanted so badly, and from talking to her, she had all the reasons to run away from it as fast as she could: the workload was ridiculous, she got no support whatsoever, and she was so busy she couldn’t even take the time to have a lunch break. And that, my friends, is how life seems so harsh on us but it is actually doing us a favour.

I wonder what would have happened if I got the job rather than S.: at that time I was stupidly stubborn so I am not sure at which point I would have left; actually I am not even sure I would have left at all.

It is a little bit like the film “Sliding Doors”: the film alternates between two storylines, showing two paths the central character’s life could take depending on whether or not she catches a train.

Turning right or left, wearing the red or the blue sweater: what might seem an irrelevant decision, could actually change the course of the events – and I find it so fascinating! Do you have a “sliding door” story?

17 thoughts on “The content(edness) calendar-Day 9”

  1. Are you familiar with the old saying “Be careful what you wish for”? Sometimes we don’t realize how good we have it until it’s too late. Very thought-provoking, isn’t it?

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  3. My life is a sliding door story, so much so, these days I just trust it. If it goes bad I don’t really worry because time and again the alternative is surprising, sometimes painful, sometimes breathtakingly brilliant, but I wouldn’t change it or try to design it myself anymore. Great post! You’re on a roll!

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  5. Man I love this! The more I can just sit back and enjoy the ride, the more success in life I have. We just need to get out of our own way and stop micro-managing. Sliding doors is a cracking movie as well 🙌👌

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  7. Thank you for sharing this story. I am glad it all worked out for you. In 2017 I tore my MCL and I could not walk for six months. Honestly? Best thing that ever happened to me.

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