I also changed how I responded to pressure.

The next time a supplier threatened to cancel an order unless I drove to another branch that afternoon, I asked for the documents to be sent electronically and arranged a call with their manager.

The problem was resolved in an hour.

I sat in my car afterward and stared at the dashboard.

I had treated my old job like a series of fires that only I could extinguish.

My employer had relied on that belief.