My husband is one of the hardest working people that I know. He goes above and beyond the normal expectations of his job daily. And he simply refuses to give up on a project until it is completed. Maybe that is the reason why I only get to see him on the weekends...
Even though *Cole has remained loyal to the same company for six years, promotions seem to be elusive. When a position does manage to become available, the job is simply handed to someone that is chosen by the powers that be. No interviews are even offered to interested employees. So much for loyalty.
I began to see the warning signs two years ago. New responsibilities were being piled onto my husband without any talk of compensation. He also found himself working numerous back to back open to close shifts. Did I mention that he has a two hour commute?
While Cole is very proud of the work that he does, I can tell that it is simply wearing him down. He hardly ever gets enough sleep and he certainly does not have any time to relax or unwind. I told him that it might be time to start looking for other job opportunities.
At first, he seemed excited at the possibility of finding a new job. Maybe he would finally be able to work a normal schedule. He might actually be able to spend time with me and our fur babies. That's about the time when the no's started rolling in.
Cole would check his e-mail every morning. I learned to stop asking if he had any nibbles. Breakfast time was soon filled with expletive laced rants about how unfair the working world is.
By week two, a definite change had come over Cole. Instead of being angry, he was something far worse: defeated. He had completely given up. All of the rejections had taken their toll on his self esteem.
I am not going to lie; I do not have much sympathy for him. I know what you are thinking. How can I be such a heartless wife? The truth is, I know the great potential that lies within Cole. I also know that he has a tendency of being meek. When life pushes him around, he refuses to push back.
However, I find that the "no's" in life are what fuel my passion and drive to succeed. I see every "no" as a challenge. A chance to shatter all expectations and show the world what I can do.
I refuse to let the "no's" define me. When one bank refused to give us a loan for our house, I did not sit in a corner and cry. I grabbed the phone book and started dialing. We have now been in our wonderful home for four years.
I wrote a manuscript for a children's book about our three-legged dog, Penny. I sent my story to every literary agency that I could find. The flood gates of rejection soon opened.
Most were just generic canned messages. Some stated that there isn't a market for my story. Others claimed that it did not have a hook (something to grab the reader's attention). But something inside of me refused to give up. I was determined to prove the naysayers wrong.
I decided to self publish my story. I even went a step further and created my own company: Theuerkauf's Tails, LLC. The illustrations have been tested on children in my target audience group. The result? Children love Penny!
The book, Priceless Penny, is going to be published at the end of this month. The book launch party is being held at Stray Rescue St. Louis. Penny and her amazing spirit are going to change the way that people view differently-abled animals.
Cole needs to realize that there is great power in the word "no." It should never be seen as an ending, but a chance to fight for a new beginning.
*Name has been changed
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