I learned to look at the donut, not the hole

Originally appeared on spirituality.com

During the 1950s, a small diner in my hometown posted a series of sayings on the walls above the horseshoe-shaped counters. One of them stuck with me: “As you go through life, my friend, keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole!”

I've always thought that to be a wise adage about productive focus. And recent experiences have made it particularly meaningful to me.

At the end of 2002, I was retired from a challenging career as a technical writer by a mandate of the European company I worked for. I felt a sense of loss, but since I’d worked in Europe for an international company, I thought I'd be highly employable back in the United States.

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