Grinding the Ax

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

                                                                                  --Winston Churchill



Jill Abramson has been in the news lately. She's the editor at The Times who recently got the ax. The how was unceremonious. The why was a little less clear. Either because she was a woman, didn't play well with others, or a little of both. 

In a commencement speech at Wake Forest University today (read more about that here), she said of her situation that she was "scared but also a little excited."  What a great feeling and one I've personally felt lots of times. It's called "bittersweet." You're sad something's ending because with it, two other companions go, too -- Comfort and Known. 

Then you pick up a new traveling buddy -- a drifter named Change. When Change enters the picture, it can be a mixed grab bag. Sometimes good, sometimes unexpected, sometimes not great. What I've found with Change, though, is to adapt the old adage "never let 'em see you sweat." Change is like a cat. He knows when you're averse to him and comes and rubs against your leg and sits in your lap. He can sniff out fear. Change gives you the chance to show the world and yourself exactly what you're made of.

And if you welcome Change, often you get the chance to meet some of his cousins including Opportunity, Experience, and Better.

"...one opportunity leads directly to another, just as risk leads to more risk, life to more life, and death to more death."

                                                                --Markus Zusak, The Book Thief