Although I am a proud citizen of the United States who served in the US Navy for many years, I was born in Haiti. This is always the point where I have to say that yes, while the government has had a bad track record and yes, while there was a massively devastating earthquake, it was actually a wonderful place to grow up.
I was middle class by Haitian standards, and learned to balance a solid worth ethic from my father with a large dose of compassion from my mother. I left not long after graduating high school, settling with my uncle in Florida. While I had a lot to learn: the language, how to get a job, become a citizen, enrolling in college and norms of culture, I was struck by one thing that transcended even the language barrier in the beginning. Americans seemed to place an emphasis on mental well-being.
I know the rest of the world is fast following suit and maybe there are countries who are ahead of the United States with this attitude, but I was impressed that it was taken seriously when someone was depressed, or if they had issues that were clearly not physical. I knew that therapy existed, but I had no idea to what extent it was a tool used by so many Americans… and keep in mind this was nearly two decades ago.
While I was serving as a public health practitioner in the Navy, and even before, I saw just how hard the brass worked to include mental health screening, programs and treatment into the culture of the military. We’ve learned so much about things like PTSD over the last 25 years that it would almost be neglectful not to provide as much mental support as physical support, especially to service members in the field.
Yet so much of what was offered went unused. I routinely heard service members (and some others) talk down the mental health offerings. The overwhelming attitude was that mental health support was for weak people. They seemed to believe that while physical injuries were real because you could see them, those who “suffered” with mental distress were somehow less than them – when the reality was, it was often the guys who shamed it the loudest that needed it.
Why? It was different and they were scared.
Now, as a career development coach, I see the same thing. I see people sitting down in my office, or on the computer screen, tentatively, as if they’re not sure they belong. They sometimes look like a deer in headlights, or ashamed, as if they shouldn’t be there.
When I ask about their hesitancy, I hear the same thing again and again, “If everybody else is happy with their job, why can’t I be? Why can’t I just shut up, go to work, get a check and go home like everybody else? What’s so wrong with me?”
The reality, I explain to them, is that the only thing different about them than the others they observe is that they are doing something about their lack of job satisfaction. Prior to the pandemic, nearly 70% of most surveys and polls showed employees unhappy with their jobs. An April 2021 survey of the medical industry showed that 3-in-10 were considering leaving their job because of COVID-19 burnout.
“Everybody is unhappy at work, but you’re the one doing something about it. You should be proud, not ashamed,” I explain to them. “They’re going to languish, wishing for ‘more,’ but you’re the person who’s going to get it.
“More” can mean happiness, money, a feeling of self-worth, the opportunity to help others. It’s really defined by the client I’m working with, not me.
If you’ve been considering talking to a career development coach but feel like you may be seen as a black sheep or stick out like a sore thumb, I promise you that you’re losing valuable time. There’s a proper track and a place for you out there. The real question is if you want it enough to talk to somebody like me who knows how to help.
But before you talk to me, prove it to yourself. Check out ArnelDuvet.com and take the career satisfaction quiz. Don’t tell yourself you’re just having yet another bad day. Maybe it’s time to consider making a change. Take this quiz and we’ll calculate your score and let you know if you’re satisfied where you are or if it’s time to follow your destiny.