I’m very proud of all three of my brothers. I’m proud of what each one of them has accomplished over the years; not so much in terms of cumulative material success (although they’ve have done well enough for themselves), but more in relation to how they’ve overcome difficult challenges, leading to their growth and development into amazing human beings.
But this story is centered around my youngest brother, who’s always been the most daring and fearless of our family. He’s also the tallest of my brothers, which is the reason why I got used to referring to him and even introducing him to others as my “little big brother.”
My little big bro has recently gone through some difficult challenges. A few months ago, he took the brave step to leave a job he was successful at, but that made him miserable. After a short stint as a sales rep for a security alarm company (which ended up by being even worse than his previous job), he was officially offered what seemed to be a sales dream job at a movie theater advertising company; and then the company simply took it back (took it back!) due to budget constraints. In the middle of all this, he was coping with the end of a 7-year relationship. He had to start from scratch on major areas in is life.
Instead of wallowing about it, he took some time off to reflect about his next moves. It didn’t take him long to engineer a plan of action. Following his WTF philosophy, he created his own dog training company (named Jewel of a Dog, after his dog Jewel; he already has several clients); decided to study for and pass the challenging state test to become a certified insurance representative; and kept looking for his dream job, while being invited to interview for positions at insurance companies and other employers.
One day, my little big brother noticed on a popular job search website what seemed to be a dream sales position at a progressive California-based company. Knowing that thousands of people would be applying for that job through that and other job sites (there were already over 500 applications on the site alone), he decided to check if it was possible to apply directly through the company’s website. He found out that the company website allowed job searchers to upload a 1-minute video as part of the application process, which was not possible through the job site; so he created and edited an incredibly informational, engaging, unique and funny self-intro video and submitted it, along with his resume and other required info.
Among thousands of applicants nationwide, his video was noticed and he was personally called by the company’s founder and co-owner for an interview. He was offered the job during the interview and received an offer letter a week later. [Update: This job wasn't his happy ending; he left it when he realized it wasn't a good match, and did the same with another job before finding the one that he's now happy at.]
Of course, he’s had his low moments during the challenging phase he went through, but that never stopped him from looking for solutions and taking action. He also kept his high spirits by focusing on the many things that bring him joy, on everything he can be thankful for in his life.
As I observe my little big brother in action, I feel immense pride... He also inspires me to want to be more like him again: Fearless, daring, hopeful, and capable of joy and gratitude for every small or big gift that life provides.
© Gisele Marasca-Vargas; 04/26/22
Image by Nick Fewings from Unsplash
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