Find Your Way

We are nearing the time of the year when students, high school and college, find themselves at the door fro the rest of their lives. Graduation brings not only a lot of gifts and congratulations, but also fear and worry for serious minded young adults. What happens now?

Prepare and plan as one will, life doesn’t usually work out like you plan. We all know those with college degrees that end up in some labor job. And, there are those that barely got out of high school, that find a place with wealth and prestige. No, it’s not the luck of the draw. It’s life.

So to those approaching the phase of life that marks the beginning, I would offer, "Do not worry, too much. You will find your niche. I know.

I grew up poor and didn’t make it to college until later in life. I worked in a gas station, then a manufacturing plant where I loaded trucks and boxcars, and had a host of other jobs. But, eventually I ended up working for an electric utility, in the area of energy efficiency. There was never a thought about that as a career. I worked mostly with engineers, although I had no background in engineering. The years passed and I found that I loved my job. After almost 30 years, I retired. But, what did I accomplish? Plenty.

With all of the emphasis on saving energy, I got to guide consumers on how to conserve. It meant working with a lot of smart people, and some not so smart. And, it was during that time that Energy Star became a common household word. If a product was Energy Star rated, it used less electricity. And, the people at Energy Star had tried and failed to make a measurable house. I told them that if they would let me run a program in Texas, we would show them how to get it done. And so we did. I have a certificate on the wall from Energy Star for the first Energy Star rated house in the world.

Now, most cities have codes that require builders to build to the very energy efficiency standards in that first house, plus updated technology and materials.

If you don’t find your niche in life. It will find you.

PMO
©2017