For years, I have been the person to really give everything my all, work hard, learn quickly, act proactively, and make a name for myself quickly, but I only did this at work. Life was secondary, hell even school was secondary. With this trait, though, has come MANY rewards, but it has had its share of burdens, as well. So with Kroll, I decided I would do something a bit different. I am flying under the radar. You know, I used to loathe those that did that, and I really do not want to fly low for long because I still have ambitions, but I have to say that I enjoy it. It is so much more relaxing to just go with things. I do not do extra, I do not go out and seek work, and I love it! Now, don’t get me wrong, when we really pick up and the projects are in full force, I plan on giving it all 200%. That is my nature. But why do that now? I am not responsible for more than my own work, and I am very much okay with that. I come in, check mail, work on whatever happens to be there for me. If there is nothing for me to work on, I read, learn, educate myself, play on the net, or otherwise occupy my time. I really TRY to stay busy, but honestly, I just can’t. I do not know nearly as much about what goes on here than I did at Deloitte or Walmart, and that is ok. But because I do not know, I cannot do. And in the past, that was a big deal to me, and I HAD to go out and seek the way to make a difference. I just do not have the desire to do that now. Maybe Deloitte broke me. I got there, learned it all in a short amount of time, then started moving up… to my own destruction. Deloitte taught me that it is supposed to take time to get to the levels to which I was headed, and that if I do not allow myself that time, I am shooting myself in the foot. Matt once told me that Deloitte was unique. He said that it was a place that would enable one to move up quickly, and in that haste, people would be snapped back down even quicker because they would do something that an experienced person may not do. So there you go. I am SO glad that I moved. Do I wish I were busier? Of course… but I am still enjoying the break.

I have recently begun paying more attention to social issues. With the reduced amount of focus and dedication to a job, I have more time to pay attention, but I guess the real trigger for this is my decision to interview for Nashville in Harmony. Of course, the motivation behind this was music, not the gay agenda, but with the decision to join also came the reality that I am now in a group that is not afraid to speak up – not afraid to opine. I have never really been one to hold back my opinions. I am opinionated, almost to a fault. But when it comes to human rights, I have typically kept my opinions either to myself or confined to my blogs. I would only speak up in a group in which the opinions would be shared, and I have never been one to confront others that have a conflicting belief. Sure, I send a reply or two back on Facebook, but if something happens in real life, I just walk away. And I cannot do that anymore. I am GOING to be an advocate for acceptance and justice. I am going to speak up, I am going to campaign, and I am going to become an active member of my community. I am too talented and too influential not to. No, I do not have an ego, but I know that I am an influence on others. I see it in my family, I see it in my friends, and I see it where I work. It is a gift, and it is an opportunity to contribute to my community and to mankind. It may not be a big contribution when looked at from the perspective of humanity, but for me, it is a direction that I can take in life that will leave me feeling like I really accomplished something… I really CAN make a difference… and I will.

With that, I am excited to report that I have joined the publicity committee with Nashville in Harmony, and with the connections that I hope to make serving in that capacity, I hope to be given more opportunities to take my message to a larger audience. Get ready world because I have set my mind on making a difference, and if anyone can tell you one thing about me is that when I completely set my mind to something, nothing will get in my way. Taking a step back from work has enabled me to really focus my energies on the world. I am but one man. I cannot be everything to everyone… so I chose. I chose to fly under the radar at work so I can soar above the clouds in the rest of the world! Please make sure your seat-backs and tray tables are in their up-right and locked positions.

-=brett=-

p.s. I just realized that my little tag at the bottom of my posts kind of looks like wings. How awesome!