Having Faith that Things Happen for the Best

"Faith is like electricity. You can't see it, but you can see the light."

Unknown

Eight months before I was diagnosed, in August of 2006, I decided to switch jobs. Now I already touched on this story in an earlier post involving my boss, but I am going to take a different angle this time around to share another lesson I've learned.

I decided to take the job because it would give me the opportunity to re-connect with a former co-worker who I had become good friends with, to travel abroad, to work on different kinds of projects and to make more money. Some of those things panned out, and some didn't. But as it turned out, none of them really mattered. Switching jobs became crucial for maintaining my most valuable possession - my health.

Four months into job, I was doing well and my future looked very bright. I had just arrived in Hong Kong, where I would be spending the next year living and working, as well as traveling extensively throughout Asia for business. My first assignment was to assist on the coordination and analytical work to help take one of our portfolio companies public in the U.S. My first three months were consumed with working on this project.

It was a tough assignment, but a valuable learning experience. I made a quick trip back to the US for business at the end of February 2007, and then it was back to Hong Kong. At this point things began to take a negative turn, and I really began to wonder why I had made the decision to take this job.

First, the company that we had helped to go public began to perform poorly, significantly reducing the value of my firm's investment. This was a big blow to us as we were counting on the profits from this deal to help fuel future business. Also, around this time, I was told that my stay in Hong Kong would be extended to possibly two years. I wasn't happy about this as I was already growing weary of the lifestyle on the island and I was looking forward to getting back home. Finally, China began showing some signs of slowing growth, a prospect that would make it much harder for us to do well there.

For these reasons I began to wonder if I had made the right decision. Nothing seemed to be working out the way I had envisioned. My previous job in Los Angeles was stable, I enjoyed working with the team and I was happy with my lifestyle. Why did I leave?

Then I was diagnosed with cancer.

It turned out that this firm supported me unlike any other company would do for someone. Not only have they continued to pay my salary and provide me with health insurance to this day, but they have gone above and beyond in many instances. My boss was kind and generous to my whole family, paying for our accommodations in Hong Kong while I underwent treatment. He gave me flexibility and freedom to focus on my health and not worry about work when I needed it the most.

Nobody could have possibly expected this battle to go on for so long, but nobody in my Company has wavered for a second when it comes to supporting me. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't decided to join.

Looking back as I write this, I realize now that if you give your full effort and commitment to something, be it work, family, or a health battle, you should have faith and believe that whatever happens will happen for the best. As a believer in fate, I believe there's a reason for everything, a reason we don't always see or understand until later on in life.

The reasons for which I thought I was taking my new job (traveling, money., etc.) were not the reasons I took it. Now I see that I was guided to this opportunity because I was going to get sick, and I needed people to support me.

So, even if things seem like they keep going wrong, have faith that there is a reason for these disappointments, and don't allow yourself to give up or doubt your decisions. If you keep working hard, things will happen for the best. Now that doesn't mean that life is going to be all roses, but whatever happens, you will be satisfied that you gave your best.

Be well...