This is a question ive been pondering since the oil markets went negative at the start of this week. Is this a good time for some reflections and a change?

Ive also been pondering the quote from the America writer “One finds limits by pushing them” and wondering to myself just where do my limits lie.

Ive worked in the energy industry since school and one way or another I have a feeling that an enforced break of some sort is coming. After all the commodity that my employment supports is currently unstable in the markets to put it lightly.

I’m a big fan of the line of thought that says if you cant control it don’t worry about it. In that sense the fear of losing my job isn’t there. I cant control that, if it happens it happens.

What I can do is have a plan in place to control the aftermath.

Because my chosen industry has been unstable for 6 years now that plan has been in my mind for some time, it was a fixed plan, it was rigid and it was mine.

The joy of the energy industry for someone like me is that you can progress and pick up a lot of transferable skills even if you don’t have great qualifications.

The downside of that is none of them are documented, so transferring them to another industry is tough. I don’t say this negatively its just a statement of fact.

So the fall back position has always been to do some consulting, and something mechanical using my hand again until work picks back up, however long that takes. This had always been the back up plan. Not terrible but not necessarily exciting either.

Then writing happened.

I had picked up love of writing in school but never developed it. In work that transferred to being the weirdo that didn’t mind writing the reports, but again it never developed further than that.

Then 6 months ago my partner suggested I write if only for myself as another creative hobby. I never dreamed I would become so enthusiastic about it and that I’d be able to publish it, share with the public willingly or be paid for it.

What writing has done is all those things and more. It’s also given me a firm push to explore doing something else with my life and the possibility to potentially do something creative that I enjoy at my own pace and on my own terms, if i need to now, or when the time comes that I decide that I’m ready to sometime in the future.

Especially in times like these now when it can seem tough, if we have a passion or a hobby or interest and we are dedicated to it. It can open our minds to a whole new world of fresh and exciting possibilities.