Are You Buzzard, Bat, Bee or People?

I got this from someone in an email a long while back.  I keep stuff much longer than most do only so I can use it for writing fodder someday in the future.  Well I ran into this one and the day came for this one.   Watch out!  (BTW, it came with no author, so if it’s yours claim it and I’ll give you credit.

Here’s what it says:

THE BUZZARD: If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT: The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE: A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE: In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That’s the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up.

Now I’m no National Geographic expert so I don’t know if all this stuff is true, but the message rings loud and clear for me.

A job seach is rarely easy. We spend time struggling, intensely focused and typically consumed by the job search. Even if there’s no financial pressure and the relationship with the spouse is doing well, we have our ego to deal with.  We have to face the idea of staying home with little to do.  That all can be a little nerve racking works hard against the clear thinking that creatively helps us move forward.

This is probably a good time to reflect on the animal story above. Are you banging your head real hard against wall (Ouch!) and missing out on an obvious next job search step?

If that is the case, her are some “look up ideas” for you to consider:

• Meet with a former co-worker, boss or peer (coffee’s fine) and ask them for ideas to fuel your job hunt.
• Ask a fellow job hunter to look over your situation and suggest ideas.  (It’s amazing what one job hunter can do for another job hunter’s search.)
• Consider a job coach.  Many of them will give you a free initial coaching session (like a test drive) to try it out. I do.
• Go to the gym, go for a run or even just a brisk walk.
• Get yourself a book like Richard Nelson Bolles’ What Color’s Your Parachute? or my own Breakthrough: The Hate My Job, Need a Life, Got Laid Off, Can’t Get No Satisfaction Solution to help see your situation differently.  (You can learn more about my book on my product page.)
• Read an excite novel or rent yourself an intense movie.  (Braveheart is my favorite.)  After one of these, I feel refreshed, reflective and more creative.  (And enjoy these now.  When you get back to work you won’t have as much time to do this kind of stuff.)
• Schedule yourself some do nothing time away from the Blackberry, laptop and email.  Take it easy.
• Take a simple walk with the spouse and/or kids.  Sometimes just some simple relationship time can help us screw our heads back on straight and get out of our rut.

Again, I know it’s not easy, but if you try something different, keep yourself sharp and stay creative you can do a better job searching for work then you would otherwise.