Truman's Treasure

My oldest son Truman is 4 1/2.  When you ask him his age, he is not 4 1/2..."just 4".  And his name is not Tru or TMan or Trunemo, it's "just Truman".  Truman is a phenomenal human being - direct, honest, driven, hilarious, thoughtful, intelligent, witty, creative, cautiously adventurous, and happy. 

Today, he and I decided to enjoy the Colorado sunshine by taking a long journey to the park.  He rides his bike, and I walk.  Every trip we take, no matter the destination, Truman has a purpose - a goal.  Today, his goals were to have fun at the park with his friend Ella, find a red treasure, and find a gold treasure.  We phoned Ella, but no answer.  Truman's solution?  Play with other kids at the park.  So we head out...

Upon arrival, Truman automatically targets a few kiddos to play with - some older, some younger.  He approaches and asks "Can I play house with you guys?"  All three kids ignore him and turn their backs.  Second attempt, Truman says " I have some special rocks, want to see them?"  The three kids tell him, "Go play by yourself."  At this point, I ask him if he's okay and he says yes but his feelings are hurt.  I tell him that it's okay to tell the kids what he's feeling.  Third attempt, Truman approaches the kids at the play house and says "When you say you don't want to play with me that hurts my feelings.  Can I please play with you?"  Two of the kids block both entrances to the play house.  Asked and answered.  Truman was sitting alone and head hanging low when I ask him "What do you want to do?"  His answer?  "Go find another friend."  YES!  Fourth attempt, Truman targets a younger girl at the swings.  He walks right up and asks, "Do you want to play?"  Answer?  "No."  Ouch.  At this point, my heart is breaking for Truman and I want to intervene.  But instead, I choose to trust in him and talk with him.  Choices are good, so I ask "Do you want to go home or go look for treasure?"  Truman wants to go look for treasure.  After 20 minutes, no red, no gold.  As a mother, I am anxious because Truman isn't getting what he expected today.  As always, as I worry, Truman confidently changes direction.  He decides to walk the perimeter of the baseball fence to look for treasure.  Two minutes into the hunt, Truman yells "Mom, check this out - I found exactly what I needed!!!"  The treasure wasn't an audience, not a friend, and it wasn't red or gold.  Truman's treasure was a tiny blue and green dinosaur. 

My point?  While you navigate the big bad world of job hunting:

1.  Identify viable prospects, confidently and tactfully approach, and ask to participate.
2.  When/if rejected, keep moving and try try again.
3.  As a next step, pull a "Truman":  don't give up but incorporate a new tactic; take the unbeaten path and explore uncrowded territory.

Don't protect yourself from what might not happen, prepare yourself for what can happen.  You might not get what you asked for, but you just might uncover the something(s) you need.

Happy Hunting!