Connecting the dots in your life

In hindsight, your present difficulties will make more sense

If you're going through a rough time due to work or lack thereof, I want to offer you a word of encouragement: In hindsight, this will make more sense.

See, there are two parts to our identities, two versions of ourselves. One goes through life experiencing the present. It's what we see, hear, and feel in the moment. The other exists in our memories. It's the way we recall and interpret our past - which may differ from our initial reactions. These reflections shape our self-image and even our aspirations.

I've had jobs that weren't ideal at the time. What am I doing here? I muttered. But through them, I gained valuable skills and knowledge, which I leveraged in future roles. In hindsight, it made more sense.

I've had bosses who were micromanagers. Those were the worst times in my career. I constantly felt tense and anxious. But because of them, I learned how to pick my battles. In hindsight, it made more sense.

I've also been laid off and unemployed. I was once rejected after final round interviews by half a dozen places. It stung. But I ended up landing a role that paid much higher. In hindsight, it made more sense.

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Let me be clear: Not all situations have happy endings. I won't tell you platitudes like "everything happens for a reason" or "this is for the best." Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Life may bring windfalls and blessings in disguise. But it also brings storms and senseless hardships.

Still, I believe your present circumstance will make more sense to you later on. Not because your problems will magically resolve. But because you will make sense of this experience. You will view it in the bigger picture of your career. You will reflect and ascribe meaning to what may currently feel meaningless. You will see yourself in a better light.