Remember the show Quantum Leap?  Quantum Leap was a television show that aired in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.  In the show Doctor Sam Beckett and his team discover a way to time travel.  Sam himself did the “leaping.”  He finds himself trapped in the past and leaping into the lives of random people.  To find his way back to the present Sam needs to keep leaping and the only way to leap is to “set right what once went wrong.”  The challenge of every episode—figure out who he had “leaped” into and what needed to be remedied.  Once the past was changed would he “leap.”  Sometimes, when his leap was delayed, he would exclaim, “I fixed “x”—why haven’t I leaped yet?!”

From watching this show I became intrigued with the thought that someone could come into your life for a time, change it for the better, and then move on to the next place.  I have often felt compelled to “leap” to something else only to find myself feeling trapped.  In retrospect, I have always been able to discern that my inability to “leap” had a reason behind the “wait.”

Once again, I find myself waiting.  Waiting something different.  Waiting for someone new to come into my life.  Something new to engage my brain and my heart.  I have never been one to be superstitious or look for “signs.”  But in all my waiting, my patience fried, I’ve asked God for signs.  I’ve looked for signs.  I think I may have even been given signs.  Signs that I am on the right track, signs that I need to stay the course.  Three separate times in the last 18 months I have given up—defeated and exhausted.  I have said, “no more—I’m done.”  And yet each time the response was, “wait—be patient.”

I’m ready to leap—leap into that next chapter in my life, but my experience tells me that if everything isn’t aligned it won’t last.  I have two examples of this from my work world.

In 2004, I applied for a job that I knew I would love.  I got an interview, but did not get the position.  In 2005 the position became available again.  I applied and got an interview.  Once again, I did not get the job.  Thanksgiving week of 2007 I received a call from a woman who interviewed me in 2004.  She said the position was open again and wanted to know if I would be interested in another interview.  The next week I interviewed and a few days later I was offered the job.

As I started the job I came to learn that the position had actually been open two additional times.  I was the fifth person in the role in less than three years.  What I came to realize is that the conditions in the organization at the time of the first and second interview were such that I would not have been successful.  I was ready for the position, but the position and the organization were not ready for me.  I spent three years in the role and loved all the work that I did during that time.

Several years later, in a different organization I was ready to get out.  In my field there are not many positions dedicated to the work that I do therefore, my choices are limited.  An opportunity came up at one of the most highly respected employers in town.  Despite having a recruiter friend at the company, I didn’t make it past the phone interview.  Disappointed I had to keep moving forward.  I threw myself back into my work.

At the time, I had a colleague who seemed to always get assigned menial tasks like updating PowerPoint slides and retyping meeting notes.  She originally took the position because she wanted to do more teaching—instead she was tied to her desk.  I asked our mutual boss if my colleague could help me with some leadership development sessions.  I thought our boss would think this was a great idea.  I was quite surprised when she said, “no—she isn’t ready to be in front of leaders yet.”  I disagreed, but at first obeyed my boss’ wishes.  Then I thought—what the heck—I could include my colleague in the sessions.  I’m usually a very compliant employee, but I couldn’t stand to see my co-worker literally wasting away at her desk.  First, she came into a session to observe, then she co-taught a section with me, then she taught a lesson on her own.  And you know what?  She did a great job!

My colleague confided in me that she was also looking for a new position.  It wasn’t long before she found one.  On her last day in our department she said to me, “I thank God for you Dawn.  If it wasn’t for you believing in me I wouldn’t have had the courage to try this new position.”  I consider this one of the highest compliments I have ever received.

On the heels of her departure I was reflecting on what she said and what had transpired.  If I had gotten the job I had applied for months earlier, I wouldn’t have been around to encourage my co-worker.  I remember quoting Quantum Leap when I was lamenting to my mom, “I guess I was supposed to stay and help my co-worker, but if that is the case—then why haven’t I leaped?!”

Six months had passed since I had interviewed for that other position.  There hadn’t been a job to apply for in months.  Low and behold, a second identical position opened in that highly respected employer and one month to the day of my colleague’s departure I was interviewing for that position.  Two weeks later I was offered the position.  I am still in that same position nearly five years later.  In this case, again, I was ready to leave, but there was still work to be done in my current world.

Here I am—I’m waiting, I’m ready to “leap.”  I take comfort in the fact that preparations are still being made in that new world.  I guess I will still be here—patiently waiting—for whatever wonderful thing is being made ready just for me.

 

Note: I dedicate this post to KE who will recognize her own story above—thank you!  And also, to all the friends who have been patiently waiting with me—you know who you are—love you!  dmj