Are They Roadblocks or Street Signs?

There was a time in my life that I blew past a number of red flags and paid them no heed whatsoever. Fortunately for me, the end result of ignoring those messages from the universe did not result in complete and utter disaster. It took far too long, but this sort of reckless behavior led me to a place where I've grown to have a deeper appreciation for the possibility that red flags or roadblocks put up by circumstances may not be exactly what they appear to be at first glance.

USS Barry - Fore and Aft Masts Removed

Though it's hard to let go of things, like the USS Barry a bit of minimisation might be just the thing for my ego. Once a thing has truly outlived its usefulness, taking some of the superfluous growth off the top might be characterized as a good start. In parallel with my efforts at material minimization, it appears there have been forces greater than myself at work trimming a bit of the excess ego that may have developed over the years.

Today, I received word via email, after the announcement had been plastered on social media, that I'd not been selected for a promotion. This development is a bit of a disappointment, but it really does not come as much of a surprise. I could point out the opinion that at least a couple of people who were chosen for a promotion over me might not be as capable of delivering results in my field of endeavor.  I might be tempted to point out that someone that I view as even more capable than I am, and widely recognized for his prowess, was also passed over this year. I've gone through those conversations in my mind, and I've decided that they don't really cover the fact of the matter.

The fact of the matter is that in assessing my future value to my current employer, a decision has been made that other people bring a more highly valued set of characteristics than I do at this time.  That's a tough thing to admit, and I believe this assessment may prove to be less than accurate, but the fact remains that this is what's happened.

Minimalism - Day 13 (minus one item that didn't make the photo)

Today I got rid of thirteen pieces of clothing. I came to own every single one of these shirts, shorts, sweaters, etc. because at the time I acquired them I perceived that there future value was higher than the present expense. Since I rid myself of these items, it's clear that the value calculation that I used in the past has changed, and that's alright. This shift in priorities feels a bit like what happened to me today with the promotion (or non-promotion, in my case) announcement today. My value hasn't really been diminished, but the organization I work for has made a very detailed and deliberate assessment and they've communicated to me that we have a bit of a disagreement on my value to them.

I'd like to say they are wrong, but that's a pretty tough case to make since the decision has been mulled over by their top minds and this is the conclusion they've drawn.  Perhaps they've made mistake, but perhaps this is one of those street signs that's been cleverly disguised as a roadblock. 

I go talk to the man who informed me (five hours after I'd heard the news already) via email. It may prove to be and interesting morning, and I'm really quite curious and excited to see how that set of events will unfold.

Roadblocks or Street Signs...I'm really not sure.