Rats – six career lessons I learned from a recent rodent invasion

Just like many of you, I’ve been spending more time at home during COVID-19 which has made me focus on the beauty of nature. I installed a bird feeder outside my kitchen window, and was enjoying all the daily visits from colorful cardinals, blue jays and yellow finches. I didn’t even mind the occasional squirrel partaking in the activity, after all, there was enough food for everyone. That thought, however, rapidly changed two weeks ago, when I first spotted a rat on the feeder.

Although feeling a little uneasy, I tried to tell myself that this was just another one of God’s creatures, similar to a squirrel, just not nearly as cute. Eventually, the rat went away, or so I thought, even telling a friend that the rat had moved on. The following morning, I ate my words for breakfast, when an entire rat family was also enjoying breakfast off the bird feeder.

You might wonder how a rat invasion is related to career advice. I went through so many levels of thoughts and emotions in dealing with the situation, that I realized they apply to any condition in life, and decided this was a great exercise in raising one’s vibration. Here are the six lessons I learned from this experience:

1) Don’t be a victim
2) Anger can be a motivator
3) Read the signs
4) Embrace any situation as a learning opportunity
5) Engage an expert when reaching limitations
6) Move on

1. Don’t be a victim

For a short time after seeing that rat family, I was full of fear and felt paralyzed. I was beating myself up for not recognizing the problem earlier and allowing the situation to become much worse. This is typical victim mentality.

It is completely normal to feel helpless in some circumstances of our lives and careers, e.g. when you didn’t get the promotion you thought was rightfully yours. The secret is not to linger in this victim mentality and to become aware enough to move your vibration to a level that better serves you.

2. Anger can be a motivator

I was angry that the rats had invaded my space. When the exterminator inspected my house for evidence of rodents (thankfully the rats stayed outside), he pointed out that it probably wasn’t the best idea to leave bags of dog food at the entrance to my basement. I immediately got a plastic container and transferred the kibbles. The exterminator responded by saying, “No one ever listens to my advice that quickly.” I replied, “Anger can be a great motivator.”

While I do not get angry easily, especially at work, anger is a normal response to stressful events, such as an unexpected performance review. Venting helps to let go and get to a place of taking control of your emotions, which ultimately lets you tap into higher vibrations of energy.

3. Read the signs

I was completely oblivious to signs along the way. My dog, who is part hound, part yellow labrador retriever, part house alarm, has been digging holes in various areas of the yard and was frantically pulling me in their direction. Meanwhile, I thought that they were chipmunk holes.

Similarly, in our careers there are usually signs that indicate bigger events are about to take place, such as layoffs, mergers or re-organizations. Tune in to that intuition of yours, and don’t ignore the signs. You will be better prepared for what is about to happen so you can take control of your destiny.

4. Embrace any situation as a learning opportunity

My immediate reaction to the rat family sighting was to go into research mode. I Googled rats, their behaviors, the way they live, etc. I learned more about rats in the past week, than I ever wanted to know. Although the images I saw were repulsive to me, the facts I learned were fascinating and I was able to gain an appreciation for how smart and organized rats are. Here is a fun fact I learned – rats are neophobes, they are afraid of change and new situations. Who cannot relate to that?

Shifting into learning mode empowered me. I have frequently used this skill to wrap my head around dynamics in the workplace, and it has even helped me in conducting competitive intelligence and market research. The more you know about the motivators of others, the more you control your course of action.

5.Engage an expert when reaching limitations

While a close friend was trying to be supportive and Googled natural ways of getting rid of rats (peppermint oil and having an owl), I did not hesitate to get an exterminator right away. Yes, it is quite expensive to rid yourself of rodents, but I needed an efficient and effective solution, and was willing to pay any price for it, especially after I learned that rats can procreate every three weeks (see lesson 4).

I know my abilities and I know that there are many things I can do myself. For instance, I was working on creating my new coaching website for quite some time and could certainly pull it off myself. But, when you get to a point that you want results quickly and efficiently, I recommend hiring an expert. With regard to my website, I found a fantastic service on Fiverr (check out Zionike if you need a web page) and I’m happy to announce, that I will be able to launch it in November

6.Move on

I spent so much time and energy thinking and talking about this rat experience, which brought out all kinds of thoughts and feelings in me. I spoke to my friends and family on the phone, and eventually I started seeing the humor in this. In finishing this article, I am releasing any residual catabolic, non-serving energies and am moving on to bigger and better things!

In letting go, I am able to re-focus on launching my business as a career coach and blogger (Belladonna Career Coach). Stay tuned, you will be hearing much more about my new endeavor shortly.

In the meantime, I hope you had some comic relieve from my rat story and can take away how to turn even the most unpleasant experiences into learning opportunities.