Early last Saturday morning in The Windy City, we were walking along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Michigan, hoping to catch a glimpse of sunrise. The day was overcast and cool, though, and you could feel a hint of Fall in the air. As we sauntered along looking for a park bench, there it was, in the middle of nowhere, one little green sprout -- no bigger than a button and no taller than one inch (as shown here in the photo). The sprout had taken root in the most unlikely of places -- the sandy shores of Lake Michigan where humans and their canines gather together for outdoor enjoyment and entertainment.
The lone sprout. Unexpected. A surprise. Out of place. Most unusual, yet there it was. One small sprout amidst thousands and thousands of grains of sand. One tiny seed that had somehow made its way to life and sunshine and survival in an environment that changes daily when man and machine arrive to smooth, tend and maintain the sandy shoreline.
The entire scenario reminded me of my clients and their search for new employment, fresh starts and new beginnings in today's tumultuous, competitive and ever-changing times. No matter how challenging you may find your search for a new opportunity, stay positive and focused and undeterred by negativity, naysayers, and the plethora of no's you may hear. No matter how many times you're told we're not hiring or business is bad or we're cutting staff - again, keep knocking on doors, keep connecting with people; keep on it; keep at it. No matter how many times someone tells you what you can't do, don't give up on the possibilities and goals and dreams of the things you can do! No matter what the forecast for the future, be it glorious or gloomy, go ahead and plant a seed anyway! Who knows what may surface in the most unlikely, uncommon, unusual, unanticipated, and unexpected of places.