Golden Claws

I just got off the phone with a dear business colleague from a previous lifetime.

We had not been in touch for many years, but he reached out to me on LinkedIn to reconnect.

As we caught up on our respective paths, he lamented the soul crushing feeling that he sometimes experienced when he chafed against the “golden handcuffs” of a former employer.

“My uncle” he related, “would always tell me that a Company employee is most similar to a crab. Left alone in an open container, the crabby crustacean can extricate itself and get out. Put the crab in a container of other crabs, you can be rest assured that not one will escape as they will all struggle and maneuver themselves trying to reach the top, only to be pulled down by the others because their claws are all hooked and intertwined.”

Whether butter poached or slow cooked in a Cajun gumbo, every one of us crabs will eventually meet our maker. How we spend the remainder of our time is up to us.

So gather your strength, wear your shell with pride and start to crawl. You will be out of your box swimming in the cascading waters of blessing, as you paddle away with your Golden Claws.