There Are 146 Ways
If we've talked in the last few months, I've probably mentioned watching Suits. I loved it. I devoured it. I haven't binge watched a show this way…maybe ever? And I often think about a concept I learned from Harvey Specter (below left).
Throughout the series, Harvey and Mike talk about one of Harvey's many philosophies: there are 146 ways to get out of a gun to your head.
Of course, Harvey’s take might seem too idealistic—because let’s be real, who would have the nerves to bluff or strategize with a gun pointed at their head? In a life-or-death moment, instincts take over, and rational thinking often flies out the window.
Harvey Specter + Mike Ross, forever + always.
But that’s exactly the point. Harvey’s statement isn’t about literal survival tactics; it’s a metaphor for how we react under pressure. Too often, people default to the most obvious choices—not because they’re the best, but because they seem like the only ones available. When stress and urgency cloud our thinking, we become trapped in the false belief that we must pick between two extremes: fight or flight, yes or no, stay or go.
We’ve been conditioned to operate within an “either-or” mentality, categorizing everything as black or white, for or against, us vs. them (just look at our political environment). We define decisions in absolutes, rarely stopping to ask: What about the grey area? What about the space in between, where creative solutions exist, where we don’t have to accept the binary options presented to us?
This is where my own “stuckness” comes into play. I have felt STUCK for a long time. In a funk, a little depressed, uncertain of my next chapter, and just not propelling myself forward in the manner I know I'm capable of. But lately, I've become obsessed with this belief that no situation is truly inescapable; there are always opportunities.
I got let go from my full time job in December of 2022 and haven’t returned to full-time corporate work since, despite hundreds of job applications, tailoring each resume and cover letter; interviews where it feels promising but leads nowhere; and countless time spent on LinkedIn (a waste). I saw a new therapist yesterday and we were talking about my job search. She said, “have you considered that maybe the reason you haven’t found something is because you don’t want to go back to what you were doing before?”
I hadn’t. I have dabbled in consulting, freelance, and entrepreneurship in the last two years, yes. But I have not considered that returning to full-time corporate marketing/communications work isn’t what I want. It just seems like what I should do because it’s what I know and what I’ve done. It’s how I made my career and learned so much of my expertise. But does that make it who I am? Does that make it the only choice for my career? What if the next chapter looks completely different? For years I have thought, I should return to what I was doing before. It’s the next step.
The only next step, or a possible next step?
Harvey’s philosophy challenges that thinking. It reminds us that the best way forward isn’t always the most obvious one. So, why follow the well-worn path just because it’s been followed before, even by you? Why accept a choice you don’t believe in, just because it seems like the only one? The real power lies in recognizing the 145 other possibilities—the ones that require creativity, confidence, and a willingness to redefine the game entirely.
And listen, I don’t totally live with my head in the clouds. I need to work. I need an income. Part of why I’ve spent so much time and energy looking to return to what I was doing before is for stability and security. But again, it’s not the only way to achieve that. It’s not the only opportunity.
If I pay attention, there are 145 other ways.
