Important Message about Fear in Bruce Springsteen's Lyrics

When I was in high school, Bruce Springsteen was topping the charts with hits like Born in the USA and Glory Days.  I enjoyed these songs but never became a die-hard fan.  Even his incredible good looks couldn't lure me into investing in one of his records.  Fast forward to 2010 and I found myself not just enjoying his songs when they came on the radio, but cranking the volume, singing along and contemplating actually buying a CD. 

I want to direct readers to one particular song that I came across a couple of months ago - the title track from his Devils and Dust CD (2005).  Now the music itself is incredible with its powerful building and Springsteen's beautiful harmonica playing.  But it's the lyrics that ultimately captured my attention when I first heard it.  He wrote the song in 2003 at the start of the Iraq war and his lyrics about the darkness of fear are profound:  "Fear's a powerful thing  It can turn your heart black you can trust"... "Fear's a dangerous thing  It can turn your heart black you can trust". 

I've included a you tube link to the video that was made for this song.  I encourage readers to watch it and really listen to the words and reflect on fear itself and the incredible and usually negative impacts it has on our lives.  Fear can paralyze us or lead us into actions that have unintended consequences.  As Caroline Myss writes in "Anatomy of the Spirit" (Three Rivers Press), "Even when choices made from fear lead us to what we desire, they generally also produce unwanted side effects." 

Consider all of the actions you've taken or haven't taken because of fear.  What were the unintended consequences that you're aware of because fear was the driving force?   Fear can both propel us into action and hold us back from doing the things we know we need to do in order to achieve our potential.  I encourage you to listen to the song at the link below.  Whether you're a fan of Bruce Springsteen or not, I hope the lyrics will give you pause to reflect as they do for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG8ZQkeZvzc

Endless Opportunities Await You

A common concern that arises with my clients is that, because of the person's experience, skills, background, circumstances, etc., there is a lack of job opportunities.  Add to this a sense of competition from other job seekers, and my clients are often starting the process with a feeling of defeat.  So it's my job as their career coach to assure them that there are as many opportunities as there are unique individuals in the world.  No two people are the same, and that's exactly how you want it to be when it comes to the job market.  I have yet to work with clients who overlap each other in interests and job goals.  And this is because every single person is unique.  That's the beauty and reward of the work I do.  I get to meet so many interesting and talented people, each a product of their own unique interests, abilities and goals. 

When you focus on carving out your own unique career path, you essentially eliminate almost all of your competition because it is highly unlikely another person is going to have the exact same career plan as you. 

And thus begins the starting point for your career plan and job search - this recognition that the plan you develop will be unlike anyone else's.  Even in the height of the recession, there were job opportunities for my clients because we had developed such a clear plan based solely on their unique profile as a job seeker.  Endless opportunities await you specifically because there is only one you.