exit interviews

All of life's ups and downs should be accompanied by exit interviews. You know, the prerequisite final hurrah when quitting an organization. Why are you leaving? What was good? What needs improvement? Why is the grass greener?

A lot could be gleaned if life could do the same. If every time you faced disappointment from someone or something you could sit down and gather honest, upfront information. If every time something didn't work out as you wanted or expected it to there would be someone who could tell you exactly why. Don't get me wrong, there is an aspect to that in every day life. Ask anyone who has shed tears to family and friends, there are people there to listen to our plights and offer sage advise. Sometimes, however, it isn't enough.

Part of personal and professional development is being coachable. Being humble enough to know you need to improve and having someone (yourself, a boss, a friend, a lover) outline what that improvement entails and why.

As people I think we are often afraid to disappoint and hurt others as well as ourselves. I believe if we functioned in an environment of open communication, albeit without accusation or hurtful intent, many people would be open not only to some introspective improvement, but also to live more for others and pay it forward.

I don't know. Life throws weird turns our way and it can be tough to understand why things happen the way they do. Instead of focusing on the past, I need to control what I can today and act upon that. Easy to say, sometimes it feels impossible to do.A few friends have told me lately to let go of the control and just go with the flow. This exit interview is helpful. The more I try to tightly hold everything and force a hand the more I create my own expectations and set myself up for disappointment.

So life as you were for so many yesterdays, here is my exit interview: I have a death grip on what I want to but cannot control. The death grip ends today. I need to go and explore and not be side tracked by my fear of the unknown. I cannot plan out everything and some things only happen when one is completely willing to just jump in and swim. So my dissatisfaction with career, personal life, whatever can't change unless I am the one to make it happen. Watch out life, my c'est la vie attitude and lifestyle returns to propel me into the best chapter yet.