Sticks & Stones

If you grew up listening to country music on the radio in the 90s, you are intimately familiar with the artist Tracy Lawrence. You may recall his number one single, “Sticks and Stones,” that had a choke-hold on America in early 1992. As an elementary school kid, I strongly sided with Tracy against this gold-digging wife of his who promised to be with him no matter how poor they were. Now, after all these years, it’s not good enough! How dare she?!?

I rediscovered this song as an adult, and it rings differently now. Tracy claims he worked hard to get her everything she ever wanted and her words are tearing his heart apart. Did she tell him she wanted those things? Or did she ask for him, his time, and his affection? In my middle ages, I wonder how much she put herself out there, only for him to preoccupy himself with work and making money.

A few years ago, a woman who was recruiting me compared jobs to romantic relationships, which made my brain stop and spin for a second. She said her job was currently like a lazy boyfriend who had forgotten his responsibilities in the relationship. She needed to bring in a third party to relight the spark (interpret that how you see fit). She left a few months after I pulled my name from consideration, so I guess that spark never reignited, but her words continue to echo with me.

I remind my clients that we are not married to our jobs - nothing is holding us there nor preventing us from finding a new employer. I do not mean to dismiss the time, energy, and work needed to pursue a new role, but I need you to remember that if your job is no longer serving you, then you cannot continue to support it.

If you are thinking about your relationship with your job, let’s connect. Your career is yours, so don’t waste time in a job that doesn’t serve you.