#BreakThings: When In Doubt

06.24.21

On Thursdays, we order lunch from a neighborhood Chinese restaurant. And after, we read our fortunes to each other.

Today, my fortune read: When in doubt, trust your instincts.

It’s the kind of vanilla platitude that is perfect for a fortune cookie. On the surface, it seems deep and meaningful. But when you dig a little deeper, you see how shallow the advice is.

I live in doubt. I have never felt confident about a decision I’ve made before making it. Every choice in my life that mattered has felt like a crapshoot.

This uncertainty, this doubt, it used to terrify me. Now, it’s just annoying. Because the lesson I’ve learned over my life is that it is not the mental effort you put into a decision beforehand that makes it the right decision, it’s the work you put in after.

So even the you “trust your instincts,” it isn’t the gut feeling that determines the outcome of your choice. It’s the follow through once the choice is made.

One Work Thing // Standing out from the crowd during the hiring process is a challenge. One of the ways to do that is with a great cover letter. But cover letters are tough to get right.

The Everygirl teaches you how to show passion in a cover letter so you can stand out from the crowd and get that interview.

One Intern Thing // Remember that mistake you made at your first job that was so embarrassing that you still look back on it with total regret?

An intern at HBO sent out the wrong email. So other successful people jumped into the Twitterverse to let this first-timer know that he was not alone. Some of the stories are awesome.

As for mine, I once crashed into Sen. Barbara Mikulski while giving a Capitol Tour. We both flew across the floor like bowling pins. She was so startled that she didn’t even know what to say. A Capitol Police officer helped her to her feet and then she and her staffer just kept walking. My bruises were all internal, and lasting.

One Food Thing // Fly By Jing Chili Crisp — we put that s**t on everything. It makes takeout sublime. It’s great on frozen vegetables. And you can even toss it into leftovers for zing. Buy two.

One Great Thing // Meet Digby the Doodle. He works for the fire department helping trauma victims after fires and accidents. Recently, he saved a woman from suicide because he brightened her day in a dark, dark moment. He’s a good boy.

One Last Thing // There are all things we’d like to change about ourselves. Sometimes others don’t see or validate that work. But that isn’t why you keep doing it. So be proud of yourself, and let that be enough.