Welcome to Chez Cliff!

I am angry.

I am pissed to high heaven.

What am I doing?  Why am I waiting?  I am better than this.  Everyone tells me they expect great things from me yet I do nothing.  I know I am meant to do more than build reports.

I have disappointed myself.  I have embrassed myself.

This will not happen again.

I will do something.  I will do something now.  Right or wrong, succeed or fail, I will do something.  I am 34 and I have nothing to show for it.  That changes today. 

Well, Kiyosaki, you’re up to the plate.  I follow your advice.

I take action.

I take action today. 

Tonight, I attended a party.  No, not a raging party with drunk people, loud music, and a donkey.  Once a month, a French group that I belong to gets together and we eat, drink wine, and speak French.  This party is filled with a good mix of Europeans, Asians, and Americans.  It’s kind of wild being surrounded by 40 plus people, speaking nothing but French.

I was surprised to see that my ex-girlfriend came.  She’s French.  Actually, this is where we had met.  It had been 9 months since I had seen her and I knew at some point our paths would cross again.  Needless to say, I was surprised to find myself remarkably calm and quite confident as she joined the conversation I was having with a mutual friend.

Ex:  Are you still working for that company?
Clifford:  (long pause) Yes . . . but I got a promotion.

Something inside of me snapped when she asked me that question.  We dated for six months and during that time all I talked about was how I hated my job.  I complained constantly about my job.  Yet during that time, I had done nothing.  It had been nine months since we broke up.  Still, I had done nothing.  Fifteen months of my life had come and gone and I hadn’t accomplished a damn thing.  Plus, I was embarrassed.  I hate being embarrassed.

Ex:  So are you happy?
Clifford:  (long pause)  Yes . . . and no.

I lied.  I am not happy.  Actually I’m angry.

I received an email from an old friend.  Every few months, we exchange a few brief emails and talk about what we’re doing with our lives.  This is a condensed version of our dialog.

Friend:  So how’s the job going?
Clifford:  It sucks.  I hate it.  I’m so disgusted with this place.  I gotta do something to get out of here.
Friend:  Do you have any idea?
Clifford:  I think I’m going to to buy a four-plex.
Friend:  Oh, you’re on that kick again.

He was right.  I had read the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book a year or so ago.  I claimed it had changed my life yet I had done nothing.  With this guy, I had talked to him every few months regarding buying investment property.  After a year of listening to me, he has earned the right to critique me.  I have done nothing.

I entered the office of HR.  I wanted some answers on everything that had transpired and I had the right to know.

HR:  Cliff, you have to understand.  We can’t promote everybody.
Clifford:  I’m not asking that you promote everybody.  If someone has earned a promotion, they should be entitled to all of the benefits that go with it.  And you’re punishing me because I’m making more money.
HR:  It’s good policy to keep everyone in a certain level at the same pay scale.
Clifford:  What does that mean?
HR:  It’s a bit complicated to explain.  I have a graph if you’d like to see it.
Clifford:  You have my future on a graph?  Well I definitely understand the outcome.
HR:  You should feel lucky you even got your promotion.
Clifford:  Why is that?
HR:  Some felt you didn’t have enough experience.
Clifford:  Seven years at this company plus two years prior experience . . that’s nine years of experience!  How much more do you need?
HR:  Well, if you get promoted then you won’t have anything to look forward to.
Clifford:  How about the next promotion?  How about a manager position?
HR:  If a position opens in your organization, maybe.  But usually 15 years is what it takes to be a manager.
Clifford:  A position opens?  The only way a management position opens here is if someone dies or someone retires.
HR:  Yes and plus you still need 8 years more experience.

I am angry.  I am more angry than I have ever been in my entire life.

I entered the office of my boss’ boss.  He and I often times saw eye to eye on things and I wanted to get his input on what had transpired with my pay raise.  I explained to him the conversation that I had had with my boss.

Clifford:  So the moral of the story is, top performers get rewarded how?  Obviously pay raises aren’t it.  I deserved every single pay raise I ever got and now they tell me that I make too much money?  That makes no sense!
Boss:  Well Cliff, if you’re really interested in furthering your career then you should look outside the company.

Stunned silence.