If I had a crystal ball

Clients will often ask me to tell them what job they should apply for that will guarantee success. My response is that I would need a crystal ball to do that. There are no guarantees in life. What they are really asking for is a solution to their situation that would free them from any work-related problems. They would like to avoid any circumstances that would result in feelings of discomfort or confusion. It is through the problems we face that our growth takes place. Think back to any one of the many problems you have had to deal with in your life. Now ask yourself what you learned about yourself as you worked through each of those problems. In some cases it was that you would never go down that same road again. In other cases you discovered a new-found strength. Perhaps you learned to be more assertive or an effective leader. That may not have occurred if your path had been problem free. The lives we lead today are the result of the problems that people such as inventors solved such as the light bulb that allowed us to illuminate our homes and workplaces. They had no crystal ball but used their ingenuity and creativity to see beyond the moment not knowing if what they invented would actually work. What problems have you encountered that led you to grow as you solved them without a crystal ball?