学进去

After ten years of working for a Wall Street bank, I determined to go beyond a nine-to-five job. Scanning advertisements, I learned a financial company was to hire more consultants. With great excitement, I made a(n) ______ with a branch president. That day, it went so well that I was ______ he would hire me on the spot ______ , he told me to come back for 12 more interviews with his top salespeople!

Over the next five months, every one of them ______ me from working as a consultant in finance. “You are better off in a safe nine-to-five job.” “Eighty percent of newcomers fail within their first year.” The more they attacked my dream, the more my stomach ______ . I realized I would have to “fake it till I make it”, though.

Eventually, the last interview with the president came. “You’ve got the job!” he announced, and then added, “On one   ______ that you must resign, participate in our training and take an exam.” I accepted. “It’s 250 questions long and you must pass it without one point lost on the first ______ !”

I nearly choked at the prospect of taking a huge leap of faith into the unknown. However, attracted by this great ______ and the courage I had never had, I ______ hard and said, “I’ll take it.”

As instructed, I cut my lifeline to the bank and leapt into ______ waters. After the training, I took the exam and when the scores were displayed, I let out a loud sigh of ______ .

My experience ______ the truth of Thoreau’s words: “If one advances ______ in the direction of his dreams and ______ to live the life which he had imagined, he will meet success ______ in common hours.”