In a family-owned business, the mom, who is the owner, promises the son that he will take over the business when she retires. However, she remains “active” in the business until her late 80s, and then decides that the son is too old to take over and gives the chairman position to the grandson.
A person works in a publicly-owned Fortune 500 company and is praised for her efforts year after year. She is assured that one day she will rise to being an Executive Sr. Vice-President. Yet every year for a decade she is told that it’s not going to happen this year, but hang in there because she has a very bright future.
Your career is a journey. You get to choose what you make of your journey wherever you are at on the road. Just don’t fall into the trap of living today for a “guaranteed future” because the beast does not exist. The future you want may or may not happen, but the impact you can make today in your work, in your community, and in your family is something you definitely can attain.