Life Lessons

Life Lessons

Share this:
FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

One of the most valuable pieces of advice I was given years ago when first starting out in my career was never to close doors – of course I mean this figuratively rather than literally. So, never say never, always leave people and projects on good terms, always pay what you owe, always deal with people as you would wish to be dealt with and above all, always enable yourself to go back.

This is just so true but not always easy to do. When you are young it is difficult to imagine a future when circumstances and your position may be different. It’s very easy to cast people aside who upset or offend and claim you never want to work with them ever again. But you don’t know where they may turn up again in the future or if they are likely to be in a position to help or, conversely, hinder you.

If you go through life courting controversy and allowing differences of opinion to drive wedges between yourself and colleagues, friends, associates, industry peers, former employers you risk narrowing your window of opportunities for the future. Of course, you could always blame your behaviour on the impetuosity of youth, but far better not to have to rebuild those bridges by not knocking them down in the first place.

Now, as a freelance writer, I am so glad I was given that advice and that I did my best to follow it, because doors that I had forgotten about are still open for me – I don’t necessarily want to pass through them all, but the choice is mine and the options are there if I want them.

Share this:
FacebooktwitterlinkedinFacebooktwitterlinkedin

, ,

Comments are closed.