Rewriting Roadblocks as Opportunities
Last week I had the honor of being invited to be a panelist at All Hands Taiwan's very first event, Love Your Next Job. Alongside several other Taipei trailblazers, I was asked to share some of my experiences going from being an English teacher to carving out a less than traditional career path in Taiwan.
"Love Your Next Job"... well, to be honest, in the beginning weeks of 2019 I had been struggling to feel all that motivated or inspired about what I was doing. Let's blame it on the residual end-of-the-year exhaustion and the need for a holiday. Speaking and hearing the other panelist speak that night helped give me the little boost I needed -- to be reminded me of how far I’ve come and where I want to go.
It's always interesting to hear the stories we tell of who we are — the way we tell it to other people and as we tell it to ourselves in our own minds. How did we get where we are? How can we explain our decisions, successes, and bumps in the road?
As I sat listening to the other wonderful panelists and heard myself talk, one theme that came up again and again was how we see the things that happen in our lives. For many of us, it seemed that loving our jobs was tied to our ability to create and take advantage of opportunities. When challenges, roadblocks, or disadvantages presented themselves, many of us had tried our best to look at them as chances for growth, adaptation, and finding solutions.
Pausing that night helped me remember how I choose to look at what’s happening in my life determines how happy and motivated I am feeling. The night helped me reset, to appreciate everything that’s already happened, and to get back to the root of why I do what I love.
I appreciate you all being a part of my experience, for sharing your time with me by reading and by dancing with me in your homes and in my classes. I hope we can continue to create more opportunities for connecting and inspiring one another in the year to come!
Keep moving! xx, Katie
我們告訴自己的故事
上周我很榮幸受邀為「愛你下一個工作」的四位主講人之一，分享主題是 ------ 要如何在台灣從一位英文老師走上一條非傳統的事業道路。這是 All Hands （本次主辦單位）第一次辦以「愛你下一個工作」為主題的活動。老實說，2019 年開始的這幾周我的確感到有些缺乏動力以及小小的失去熱情，我想應該是因為年底太忙加上需要度假充電的關係。活動那晚的所有分享中，都提醒我要停下腳步，回頭看看到現在我經歷過了什麼，並向前看接下來我想要去哪裡，這為我帶來一些自我肯定的動力。
聽自己分享心路歷程總是一件有趣的事，不論是我們在社交場合講給別人聽，或是我們在心中講給自己聽。我們是如何走到現在的位置？如何看待（分析）自己的決策、成功、以及路上的波折？在聽所有主講人（包括我自己）的分享中有一個很大的共通點，就是他們（我們）看待自己生活的角度。我們都把「愛自己的工作」和「創造與爭取機會」串連在一起，當挑戰、路障與缺陷出現時，我們把它們視作成長、適應與找到解決方案的機會。
那晚的沉澱讓我回想起一件事，我是否感覺開心或是充滿動力取決於我如何定義人生中發生的事情。經過這個重新開機的夜晚，讓我有時間跳出日常的框框，感謝所有發生的事，並回到初衷 ------ 我為什麼要做我愛的事。
真心感謝你們都是我人生經驗的一部分，讓我藉由電子報和你們分享我的成長，讓我和你們一起跳舞不論是在課堂上或是網路上。在這個新的一年，希望我們可以繼續創造更多的機會互相認識、彼此激勵。
繼續前進！
愛你的 Katie
( Anna Liang 譯)
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