There’s a story I read to my son pretty regularly. It’s from the collection Dr. Seuss’s Bright and Early Board Books called Put Me In The Zoo. For all you young parents, I recommend picking it up online or at your local library or bookstore.

It’s the story of a bear-like creature who can change the color of his spots. One day, he decides that he will go to the zoo, but the zoo’s security guards stop him, tossing him out to the curb saying:

We don’t want you in the zoo. Out you go. Out, Out with you!

Sitting on the curb outside, the creature laments being casted out in such a manner and begins displaying his spot-changing abilities as a testament as to why he should be allowed in the zoo. A boy and a girl nearby watch in joyful bliss as his spots change to red, orange, green and a multi-pastille of bright colors.

When he is finished, they tell him that they love him, and that his abilities are more suited for the circus as opposed to the zoo.

I think, over the last few decades, we have conditioned ourselves to believing that the zoo is the target for our careers: walking through the entrance below that corporate logo, passing welcome desks and cubicles like exhibits en route to our desks, to be seated in front of a computer for the duration of the day, almost as a presentation that we are present under the watchfully observant eyes of our superiors watching through the windows of his or her larger exhibit.

But over time, growth and significant effort, we develop a diverse set of skills that are unexpectedly interchangeable between the zoo and the circus, but then we’ll see that the specifics as to what exactly the managers of the zoo want for their exhibits has become blurred. We may find ourselves lamenting the zoo–even cursing it–for how they may have casted us aside for whatever reason that may be, leaving us with nothing but the least desirable option in our hearts: joining the circus.

However, here’s a thing about the circus: it’s an opportunity to have a greater impact than simply lying in the sun or hiding within a log could ever have on the community. The circus is an opportunity to show that you are more than your certification; that you are capable of climbing feats you never anticipated. It’s an opportunity to display how your degree and expertise never gets in the way of your ongoing education or the development of your soft skills.

Whether you join the circus for the short run until a spot opens at the zoo, or you’re in it for the nationwide tour, go at it with everything you have.

After all, it is the greatest show on earth.