I came home from work early today as I wasn't feeling too well. I walked into the apartment and Jasmine was home from Kindergarten (she turned six in October). I sat down and she started talking to me about how in the summer we're going to move out of our apartment and buy a home. She talked about how when we have a home we'll have a yard and when we have a yard she can get a dog. You can tell she's planned this all out. She really wants a dog. She mentions how the dog is going to be a "weiner dog" and his name will be Charlie. I've been hearing the same story for the last 3 months.
Now I work hard for my employer. I put in long days and late nights. Last week I didn't get home till 4:00 in the morning on one night. I go to extra events during the week and on the weekends to advance my learning and growth, to network with other professionals, and to advance the name of my employer in the community. I've achieved certifications and attended courses to develop my professional skills. I've convinced myself that I'm really doing all of this for my family and that all my hard work and loyalty will be rewarded, that the relationship I developing with my employer will be reciprocated. I originally thought this was a wise decision and I still believe it is a principle to live by. I mean, this is how careers are built. I believe that careers come out of relationships and jobs come out of contracts. I believe that loyalty must be proved before it can be rewarded. I know that, I've seen and experienced it. But loyalty isn't proven by effort, it is proven by time. That's why patience is an absolute when starting a career with a new company.
Now when Jasmine asked me about moving into a house next summer and I couldn't answer her with a resounding yes, I had to wonder, am I really making the right decision here? At what point do you cut your losses and stop investing in a career? What if you have the promise of a great return but the time frame is too long? What if the time frame is short but the size of the return cannot be guaranteed, let alone any return at all? Remember, this isn't just money on the line, we're talking about the hopes and dreams of my family—of my little kids. I've been in this situation once before when Jasmine was two. You know, its funny, the decision doesn't get any easier.
So what do I chose? I chose to be loyal. Why? Maybe it's because I'm an Eagle Scout, maybe it's because of my religious beliefs, maybe it's because I have no where else to go (which isn't the case, I can guarantee that). Nope, that's not why. You see, last time I faced this challenge I chose to move on. I chose to not demonstrate the loyalty I so long had professed to have. I chose not to invest the necessary time, regardless of whether it was short or long.
But you know what (beside the fact that I'm sounding like my dad)? At the next company I was with I saw a guy who had put in the time and earned the rewards that come from true loyalty. That's something I want. I've never had it, and unless I actively seek after it I can never achieve it. I think about him all the time, and whether or not I am behaving as he must have behaved at times.