Wandering Around the Parking Lot Looking for My Car

Sometimes, even small changes can throw my day into a spiral.  Take parking places.  When I go to work, I always park in the same spot - every day.  Except last Tuesday when, to my dismay, someone had taken my spot.  And, as all the surrounding spots were also filled, I ended up parking in a completely different lot. 

I know, it doesn’t sound like much of a problem.  Except that when I left work at the end of the day I did what I always do.  I walked to “my” spot in “my” lot.  Only “my” car wasn’t there. 

My first thought was "Crap, did someone steal my car?"  My second thought was "Crap, where did I park?" It took me about ten minutes of wandering from parking lot to parking lot clicking my key fob before I found my car. 

What can I say, I am a creature of habit.  In most cases, habits are good because they help us with important things -  like finding our cars. But after a while doing the same thing over and over again can get tedious.  When that happens, sometimes it’s time to make a change.  It’s time to find a new parking space - no matter how scary the thought of losing your car may be. 

Last year, I had to make a big adjustment.  I changed jobs.  For twelve years, I had been working in the same unit, for the same boss, with the same people, in the same office, doing the same work.  I had my parking space. 

Then, in what felt like a blink of an eye, it all changed.  I was in a new unit, with a new boss, and new people, and a new office and doing new work.  For the first few months, I felt like I was wandering around the parking lot looking for my lost car.  Only this time, my key fob wasn’t working and someone had turned out all of the lights.

As time progressed, I settled in.  A year later, I felt good.  I felt like I fit in.  I liked my work.  I liked my coworkers and boss.  I  had found my parking space again.

The thing I learned is that change is inevitable.  You don’t always get to keep the same parking space.  Sometimes you need to move your car.  And though it may be a bit unsettling, it’s often the case that finding a new parking space is just what you needed to get your engine going again.