Step-by-step

Ben is a young, exuberant 6 year old boy always looking to growing up sooner. Everyday you'd hear him asking his mom, "Mommy, mommy, I want to grow taller. Why can't I grow taller sooner?" His mom would lovingly reply, "Of course you will be taller Ben. Just not now. Everything has it's time."

Upon hearing those words Ben would usually end up sulking, "But I want to be tall, just like a basket ball player, mom!" His mom would then carry little Ben and hug him, "Awwww Ben, you'll definitely grow taller! Trust mommy. You don't know it, but you'll grow little by little, step by step, that's what growing up is all about Ben."

Eventually after 19 years, Ben did grow up to be as tall as a basketball player. In fact, Ben represented his secondary school and university in interstate basketball tournaments. He also graduated magna cum laude majoring in finance. He was going to join the elites in investment banking to become a somebody in the corporate world.

He did join a multinational investment bank. Ben was so hyped up about work and trying so hard to fast track himself in corporate ladder that he burnt out in less than 2 years. Ben found himself waking up in the morning finding that he hated the idea of having to go to work. He found himself exhausted from everything. Every night when Ben got home, he was always tired, given a choice between dinner and the bed, he'd dive for the bed anytime.

Ben's mom knew he wasn't in a good shape and probably will not be healthy physically and emotionally for Ben if his situation prolonged. So one night, Ben's mom slipped into Ben's room before he was about to go to bed.

"How's it going with work Ben?" His mom asked.

Ben took a deep sigh and replied, "It's okay mom. Could be worse right?"

Ben's mom looked at Ben and gently replied, "Could be worse only if you let be worse."

Ben just sighed.........

"When you were little, you were always looking forward to growing taller, like a bastkeball player. You remember that? You were always so eager!" Ben's mom said.

Ben chuckled when he heard it, reminiscing his younger days.

"Been a while since I last saw you smile like that you know, Ben. I was beginning to wonder where your smile ran away to." said Ben's mom.

Ben sighed again.......

Ben's mom look at Ben for a long while and said, "Ben, when I look at you, I can see a lot of determination. I can see the drive in your eyes. I can see your eagerness to grasp success in the neck and not let go. That eagerness is just like your eagerness to grow taller when you were little. Always in a hurry to grow up, all hyped up and just can't wait to grow. It gives you the drive, which is good. But just like growing up, career success needs time and has to be done by step by step."

Ben nodded as she spoke.

"Despite how eager you were to grow as tall as a basketball player, it never happened over night. Eventually you did grow as tall as a basketball player, but after having proper diets and basketball training. If I recalled, it took a good three to four years for my little Ben to grow up to big tall Ben that I am talking to now! Growing up is similar to your career, Ben. The corporate ladder, is called that way because you have to go up that ladder step by step just like how you grew up inch by inch over a few years. If you try to find some way to skip some steps on a ladder, chances are, you will find yourself slipping and falling. From what I see, you seem to be slipping and falling right now, feeling frustrated with work, feeling demotivated and demoralised right? Ben, Ben, Ben, you got to take a step back, look at the correct steps you need to make to move forward and do it step by step one step at a time.", Ben's mom said.

Ben took a few minutes to digest what his mom just said. Look at her, smiled and said, "Step by step, that's how it should be. Just like growing up."

~Path of Time~ by Micky Foo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License.