Between assignments: quiet time, and what to look for in the next work

Frederic says that since being pushed out of his previous mission he feels it is time for a change but does not care yet what it will be and is not even looking - he is simply going on holiday, which he notes is different from his old impulse to go searching.

The Wonders recall giving him the same advice years ago during a job transition: use the time given to relax and enjoy, let things come up, be ready to move when they do, but do not chase.

They advise him to quiet himself, connect with himself, meditate and reevaluate his life while staying open, because opportunities will arrive five or six at once and he will have a choice to make.

He should not settle merely on money - all of them will pay well, differing only slightly - but ask what the work will be about and, most importantly, what the people are like, what they believe and what they want to create.

They point out he does not need to be in a building: he can work from home and simply rearrange his physical space for it.

They mention up-and-coming companies in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland that struggle to find people aligned with their way of thinking and building.

On employers demanding physical presence, they say it can be negotiated and that companies can be educated, since the psychology of presence changed substantially after the pandemic and any company claiming it is a necessity is not being truthful; Frederic adds that the smart companies understand this and that it is middle managers wanting control and justification for their own jobs who push for return.

Finally the Wonders warn that quiet time is only quiet if the mind is quiet, otherwise it becomes busy time: with a mind spinning like a gerbil on a wheel he will not see opportunities coming.

Since he has already proven he can earn good money, they urge him now to look for something more - an emotional reward for himself.