Having just come from the gym I was thinking about this a lot. It’s a line on Dixie Chicks, “Taking the Long Road” CD, called “Easy Silence”. The words that stick in my mind are “…anger plays on every station, answers only bring more questions, I need something to believe in …breathing sanctuary”. You really should listen to the whole song. It is more of a quiet prayer than anything else. I know, believe me I’m not listening to this as I run, but more on the machine for the waist line. However, these are times when we all do need something to believe in. I know some of you out there have very strong beliefs that will do you in good stead during these hard times, but for others that the words hope and faith do go together. You hope that things will get better, but you have to have faith that they will to actually engender a change. This is part of the reason why I will end my piece with Feed the Positive Wolf. This is also the reason I feed the birds. By the way this is a particular good time of year to feed the birds. They are so appreciative. But when I feed the birds, I say to what ever entity I believe in, “as I feed your creatures, please take care of mine”. Then I name a few friends or family members that could use some help. Hey, you gotta believe that putting positive energy out there is a really good thing.
I actually had a networking meeting last Monday. I know, I finally did it..Hoo Rah! It wasn’t all that positive since the environment that I’m looking to work in, big surprise, isn’t doing that well. However the one thought that remains with me has to do with what she said about how her company was managing talent acquisition. Not that they are actually acquiring at this time mind you. But, what she said that resonated, was that from the CEO on down, they were concerned about when the uptick comes, how are they going to be able to fill those positions. What if the economy picks up as quickly as it went down? These people evidently believe that is a real strong possibility. How are they going to be able to hire and train all the people they are going to need? See, here is where faith comes in. I believe, just as we were all filled with shock and awe at the way the economy crashed, it will come back in just as ungainly manner. We need to be focusing on what will position us to be in the forefront of that hiring binge. Mind you everyone, please do stop your job hunt. You need to spend at least two hours a day, in follow up, sending applications, calling contacts etc. but with of the rest of the day think about other things that you are really interested in to follow up on.
Another thing my friend told me, which I’ve heard from other people, was to look for something I really cared about and volunteer. So, I’m having this conversation with a friend of mine and a few ideas came up. If you like animals and don’t have one of your own, or even if you do, how about volunteering at an animal shelter or looking to get a part time job at the zoo? What the heck huh! Myself, I’ve been thinking about the Botanical Gardens. This is besides Plan B, by the way. It’s a great time of year and for those of us who are apartment dwellers, volunteering or working at a botanical garden gives us a chance to dig in the dirt maybe. Please if any of you have other ideas, please add them in the comment sections. I would love to hear them.
Along with gardening, Spring is a great time for cleaning right? This is a fabulous time to clean some of the clutter out of your life. A friend of mine called me on Friday and told me she felt that my books were starting to sprout up again. You have to understand, I have a lot of books. Last count I believe it was somewhere in the range of 1,500 books, and that was after I donated a couple thousand to various libraries. She was right, I looked around my office, aka my spare bedroom, and saw they were starting to clutter up the bookcases, all every which way. The reason I’m writing about this is because, for me, books are a way to fending off change or possible decisions or new things. Like the Simon and Garfunkle song “..I have books and poetry to protect me..”. The same holds true for other things in ones home or office. This is especially true for those of us that have been sitting in front of the computer dealing with all kinds of fears and anger and frustration. We need to banish that stuff out of our lives so that we can have open space to receive new things or ideas. Here’s a great like that gives some practical advice on how to start this process: http://www.wor710.com/pages/4035137.php. What I was also thinking was that I have pictures of when I was at work, when it wasn’t a good time. I’m going to look for those and get rid of them. Another good source for clutter clearing is Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui. It’s really easy reading.
Finally, I’ll end with a couple other reading selections that you may be interested in. First of all Wayne Dyer is a great author for inspiration. His earlier books were more down to earth and funny, but "Manifest Your Destiny" is great too. The other book that I have found very helpful, especially when I meditate is "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain. I think I’ll leave it at that. I’ll call around to the various shelters and stuff this week and let you know what I find out. I’m hoping that I’ll have some leads for you by next week.
Have a happy successful week and please, Feed the Positive Wolf.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Folks I Think It May Be Time For Plan B
I’ve been thinking all week that maybe the time has come to fall back to Plan B. Now, over the past year of so I’ve had a lot of plan B’s. For those of you who may not have heard of this, Plan A is usually pursuing a job pretty much like the one you got laid off from. It may be a little different or perhaps in a different industry, but pretty much same job, different floor, building, company… Plan B however, is a whole different kettle of fish. At least in my mind it is. Let me tell you something about my Plan B’s. When I was first laid off, I had absolutely no desire ever to do that kind of work again. I had this list of three things to pursue. Yup, posted it right up there on the fridge, along with the magnets and new year’s resolutions. The three on my list were; work on a presidential campaign, open an aromatherapy, lotions and potions shop, and go to cooking school and become a chef. Wow, I was ready! Unfortunately, the economy wasn’t. Well, I did work on the Hilary for President Campaign. I quickly found out that for someone who wasn’t too keen on office politics, woo boy, stay away from the big time players! The second had been my dream for oh maybe the last ten years. I did all my reading and contacted the small business association and then I thought about it. Fortunately, I put that one to bed as well. Good thinking no? Who in this economy is going to spend money on specialized lotions, when we’re all out there cutting coupons and going with the bargain brand? Finally I contacted cooking schools and got their brochures. Do you know how much it costs to go to cooking school? More than it cost me to get my MBA! I know that was a while ago, but anyway. Then I started thinking about the horrible hours that chefs keep, all on their feet with crazy people (if what I read is correct, don’t mean to offend anyone if they’re a chef), so decided to put that one away too. Then, after three months, I went back to Plan A. Heavy sigh….
I have been pursuing Plan A pretty heavily for over a year now. It was working for me for the most part. But lately, I don’t know about the rest of you, but it sure is getting tough out there. Mind you, I am still sending out my applications and setting up networking meetings, but I think it’s time, as they used to say in the 90’s, to think outside the box. Oh, by the way, I had another Plan B, which I kind of liked. It was to set up a used book shop in one of the vacant stores across the street from me. I have a ton of books in my apartment and though I could solve the inventory problem that way. Well the shops have been taken and I didn’t really want to let go of my books, so another Plan B shelved. The reason I’m sharing all this is to get the rest of you thinking. I do actually have a new Plan B. I think however, I’ll keep it to myself until I see how it plays out.
I don’t have any links to pass on this week. It appears that we were all probably pondering our Plan B’s. Please feel free to comment on your Plan B’s. Share it with the rest of us. I really do believe that bouncing ideas and talking gets’ the juices flowing and that we can come up with some terrific stuff to do for the rest of our careers.
Open the windows. Breathe the fresh air. Look at the Spring flowers. Feed the positive wolf and have a great week!
I have been pursuing Plan A pretty heavily for over a year now. It was working for me for the most part. But lately, I don’t know about the rest of you, but it sure is getting tough out there. Mind you, I am still sending out my applications and setting up networking meetings, but I think it’s time, as they used to say in the 90’s, to think outside the box. Oh, by the way, I had another Plan B, which I kind of liked. It was to set up a used book shop in one of the vacant stores across the street from me. I have a ton of books in my apartment and though I could solve the inventory problem that way. Well the shops have been taken and I didn’t really want to let go of my books, so another Plan B shelved. The reason I’m sharing all this is to get the rest of you thinking. I do actually have a new Plan B. I think however, I’ll keep it to myself until I see how it plays out.
I don’t have any links to pass on this week. It appears that we were all probably pondering our Plan B’s. Please feel free to comment on your Plan B’s. Share it with the rest of us. I really do believe that bouncing ideas and talking gets’ the juices flowing and that we can come up with some terrific stuff to do for the rest of our careers.
Open the windows. Breathe the fresh air. Look at the Spring flowers. Feed the positive wolf and have a great week!
Friday, March 6, 2009
OMG Unemployment..Don’t Do What I Did!
Last week was a pretty tough week for me. It’s probably the reason that I didn’t post anything until Sunday. But amongst all the normal trials and tribulations I made a huge mistake that could have caused me to lose 13 weeks of unemployment insurance payments.
Before I get to that, I do have to say something regarding the comment by anonymous to my posting on Sunday. You know I have it set up so that I have to approve comments before they get posted, so I did decide to post your comment. I figure it’s always good to have another side to the story. However, one thing, I am probably who I am and learned so much from the days when I managed telemarketing. If I could go back to that job, I would do it in a flash. It was my favorite job of all time. My favorite, mainly because the people who worked in the department were so darned positive and upbeat and indestructible. Telemarketers, collectors and sales people in general have a really hard job. This is a job where you get rejected on a hourly, daily, minute by minute basis. So, if you don’t have a way to keeping up your confidence or being positive, you will not succeed. I remember walking through the department. There were about 140 telemarketers on the floor in an open environment, with an aisle down the middle where the teamleaders sat. I was rushing through, as usual worrying about something to do with budget or management; frown on my face. One of my top sellers stopped me right there and said “how do you expect us to keep going to the “yes”, if you are walking through with a frown on your face?” I told her she was absolutely right and from then on not only was I completely conscious of the attitude I was projecting, but I started to really enjoy myself. These are the people who taught me that every time you get a no, you are one no closer to a yes! This really really applies to our job search. When you get rejected, it’s one rejection closer to landing a job. It’s all probabilities. So anonymous, I thank you for your comment and I can appreciate your perspective on Tory’s speech, but please be sensitive to other fields of work. And, Sales guys, telemarketers and collectors (by the way I hear they’re calling you guys debt mitigation specialists now a days..yeesh) I’ve got your back!
Now back to unemployment insurance. By the way, this only pertains to NY. I’m sorry, but that’s where I live, so I’m not sure if the same pertains to other states. Anyway, the week before last I got word that our unemployment had been extended another 13 weeks. Woo Hoo! Kudos to NY DOL, they sent me a letter telling me this and they actually called me and left a message with that information on my machine. So I go ahead and log on, (by the way, my benefits had run out after 46 weeks in January) and hit complete the claim for the week. It appears everything is going smoothly. I print the confirmation page and go about my business. Now I’m checking my bank account on Thursday, no payment. So I check it again on Friday, still no payment. Then I look on the confirmation notice. Under the Claim Complete there is a second bullet, “Important Information”. What it said was “Your benefit year has ended. Please contact the Telephone claims Center at 1-888-209-8124 to verify your continuing eligibility for extended benefits”. Now I read this as darn I wasn’t eligible. (Amazing what a negative defeated attitude will do for you huh?) Thanks to one of my good friends sending me the notice and pushing me, I called them. They told me it was a GLITCH! I fell through the cracks for crying out loud! I really felt it important to impart this story to all of you, just in case some of you are falling through that same crack. Sorry it’s not more entertaining today, but I felt this was too darn important. Now if you want to just shake your head and say “what was she thinking?”, I‘ll take that risk, happily. I’ve pasted in the notice from NYDOL below. Hey we’re supposed to get a raise. I haven’t seen it yet but maybe it’s coming soon. And, maybe I’ll just pick up the phone and check on it next week. Let me know if any of you have seen the raise or if you know anything about it. Here’s the memo:
MORE THAN ONE MILLION NEW YORKERS EXPECTED TO BENEFIT FROM UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROVISIONS IN FEDERAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN
Filing for Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits Allowed Until December 31st; $25 Added to Weekly UI Benefits
New York City, NY (February 27, 2009) - State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith, together with Congressman Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, today announced that more than one million unemployed New Yorkers statewide will benefit from the provisions for unemployment insurance compensation that are included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In New York City alone, nearly 400,000 unemployed individuals will benefit from them. The economic impact of the ARRA’s unemployment insurance provisions is estimated to total more than $2.1 billion statewide. The impact in New York City alone is estimated to total $934 million.
Speaking at the Upper Manhattan Workforce 1 Career Center in Harlem, Commissioner Smith outlined how the ARRA unemployment insurance provisions will benefit New Yorkers, by:
• Allowing new claims for extended unemployment benefits to be made through December 31, 2009, with benefits payable through May 31, 2010. (Previously, the deadline for applying for extended benefits was March 31, 2009, and no payments could be made beyond August 2009.) It is estimated that this extension will impact 352,000 people statewide, including 158,000 in New York City. New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive 26 weeks of regular unemployment insurance benefits and 33 weeks of extended benefits.
• Increasing weekly unemployment insurance benefits by $25 through December 31, 2009. The increase applies to individuals who are collecting both regular and extended unemployment insurance benefits. Approximately 900,000 people statewide and 331,000 people in New York City are expected to receive the increase to their regular benefit payments; and approximately 500,000 people statewide and 225,000 in New York City are expected to receive the increase to their extended benefit payments. The additional payments will be made retroactive to the week ending March 1, 2009.
• Suspending the federal income tax on the first $2,400 of unemployment insurance benefits per recipient. This provision is expected to result in an estimated federal tax savings of $215 per beneficiary in 2009.
• Providing $412 million to New York State to replenish the UI Trust Fund, and $29.5 million in administrative funds to help improve claims processing, add staff to field calls and resolve claims, and improve the Shared Work program.
“The federal stimulus bill will provide critical assistance to unemployed New Yorkers at a time when they need it most,” said Commissioner Smith. “To everyone who is struggling to find re-employment at this difficult time, the message is ‘help is on the way.’ Our leaders in Washington have responded to the needs of working families to help them get through this unprecedented economic crisis.”
“I urge all New Yorkers who are out of work through no fault of their own to make sure they file for unemployment compensation,” Commissioner Smith continued. “I also urge them to visit their local One-Stop Career Center to register for re-employment assistance. The federal stimulus bill also includes funds for worker training, which will become available to states very soon. It is important for workers to remain in contact with their local One-Stop so that they may take advantage of appropriate training opportunities that become available.”
“This is not just about giving hope and a helping hand to those who have been knocked down by this economic crisis, but also laying the groundwork for future success,” said Congressman Rangel. “By extending benefits, increasing access to healthcare and providing funding for job training and preparation programs, we are providing residents with the kind of support and resources they need to not just find temporary work but a job that will last.”
Individuals are encouraged to check the Department of Labor’s web site at www.labor.ny.gov for current information regarding unemployment insurance, including extended benefits, eligibility rules and instructions on how to apply.
Here's a link from the NY Times that a friend sent me:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/jobs/01careers.html Enjoy!
Keep the faith guys. We will go back to work. Of that I have no doubt. In the mean time, summer is coming.
Before I get to that, I do have to say something regarding the comment by anonymous to my posting on Sunday. You know I have it set up so that I have to approve comments before they get posted, so I did decide to post your comment. I figure it’s always good to have another side to the story. However, one thing, I am probably who I am and learned so much from the days when I managed telemarketing. If I could go back to that job, I would do it in a flash. It was my favorite job of all time. My favorite, mainly because the people who worked in the department were so darned positive and upbeat and indestructible. Telemarketers, collectors and sales people in general have a really hard job. This is a job where you get rejected on a hourly, daily, minute by minute basis. So, if you don’t have a way to keeping up your confidence or being positive, you will not succeed. I remember walking through the department. There were about 140 telemarketers on the floor in an open environment, with an aisle down the middle where the teamleaders sat. I was rushing through, as usual worrying about something to do with budget or management; frown on my face. One of my top sellers stopped me right there and said “how do you expect us to keep going to the “yes”, if you are walking through with a frown on your face?” I told her she was absolutely right and from then on not only was I completely conscious of the attitude I was projecting, but I started to really enjoy myself. These are the people who taught me that every time you get a no, you are one no closer to a yes! This really really applies to our job search. When you get rejected, it’s one rejection closer to landing a job. It’s all probabilities. So anonymous, I thank you for your comment and I can appreciate your perspective on Tory’s speech, but please be sensitive to other fields of work. And, Sales guys, telemarketers and collectors (by the way I hear they’re calling you guys debt mitigation specialists now a days..yeesh) I’ve got your back!
Now back to unemployment insurance. By the way, this only pertains to NY. I’m sorry, but that’s where I live, so I’m not sure if the same pertains to other states. Anyway, the week before last I got word that our unemployment had been extended another 13 weeks. Woo Hoo! Kudos to NY DOL, they sent me a letter telling me this and they actually called me and left a message with that information on my machine. So I go ahead and log on, (by the way, my benefits had run out after 46 weeks in January) and hit complete the claim for the week. It appears everything is going smoothly. I print the confirmation page and go about my business. Now I’m checking my bank account on Thursday, no payment. So I check it again on Friday, still no payment. Then I look on the confirmation notice. Under the Claim Complete there is a second bullet, “Important Information”. What it said was “Your benefit year has ended. Please contact the Telephone claims Center at 1-888-209-8124 to verify your continuing eligibility for extended benefits”. Now I read this as darn I wasn’t eligible. (Amazing what a negative defeated attitude will do for you huh?) Thanks to one of my good friends sending me the notice and pushing me, I called them. They told me it was a GLITCH! I fell through the cracks for crying out loud! I really felt it important to impart this story to all of you, just in case some of you are falling through that same crack. Sorry it’s not more entertaining today, but I felt this was too darn important. Now if you want to just shake your head and say “what was she thinking?”, I‘ll take that risk, happily. I’ve pasted in the notice from NYDOL below. Hey we’re supposed to get a raise. I haven’t seen it yet but maybe it’s coming soon. And, maybe I’ll just pick up the phone and check on it next week. Let me know if any of you have seen the raise or if you know anything about it. Here’s the memo:
MORE THAN ONE MILLION NEW YORKERS EXPECTED TO BENEFIT FROM UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROVISIONS IN FEDERAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN
Filing for Extended Unemployment Insurance Benefits Allowed Until December 31st; $25 Added to Weekly UI Benefits
New York City, NY (February 27, 2009) - State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith, together with Congressman Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee, today announced that more than one million unemployed New Yorkers statewide will benefit from the provisions for unemployment insurance compensation that are included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). In New York City alone, nearly 400,000 unemployed individuals will benefit from them. The economic impact of the ARRA’s unemployment insurance provisions is estimated to total more than $2.1 billion statewide. The impact in New York City alone is estimated to total $934 million.
Speaking at the Upper Manhattan Workforce 1 Career Center in Harlem, Commissioner Smith outlined how the ARRA unemployment insurance provisions will benefit New Yorkers, by:
• Allowing new claims for extended unemployment benefits to be made through December 31, 2009, with benefits payable through May 31, 2010. (Previously, the deadline for applying for extended benefits was March 31, 2009, and no payments could be made beyond August 2009.) It is estimated that this extension will impact 352,000 people statewide, including 158,000 in New York City. New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive 26 weeks of regular unemployment insurance benefits and 33 weeks of extended benefits.
• Increasing weekly unemployment insurance benefits by $25 through December 31, 2009. The increase applies to individuals who are collecting both regular and extended unemployment insurance benefits. Approximately 900,000 people statewide and 331,000 people in New York City are expected to receive the increase to their regular benefit payments; and approximately 500,000 people statewide and 225,000 in New York City are expected to receive the increase to their extended benefit payments. The additional payments will be made retroactive to the week ending March 1, 2009.
• Suspending the federal income tax on the first $2,400 of unemployment insurance benefits per recipient. This provision is expected to result in an estimated federal tax savings of $215 per beneficiary in 2009.
• Providing $412 million to New York State to replenish the UI Trust Fund, and $29.5 million in administrative funds to help improve claims processing, add staff to field calls and resolve claims, and improve the Shared Work program.
“The federal stimulus bill will provide critical assistance to unemployed New Yorkers at a time when they need it most,” said Commissioner Smith. “To everyone who is struggling to find re-employment at this difficult time, the message is ‘help is on the way.’ Our leaders in Washington have responded to the needs of working families to help them get through this unprecedented economic crisis.”
“I urge all New Yorkers who are out of work through no fault of their own to make sure they file for unemployment compensation,” Commissioner Smith continued. “I also urge them to visit their local One-Stop Career Center to register for re-employment assistance. The federal stimulus bill also includes funds for worker training, which will become available to states very soon. It is important for workers to remain in contact with their local One-Stop so that they may take advantage of appropriate training opportunities that become available.”
“This is not just about giving hope and a helping hand to those who have been knocked down by this economic crisis, but also laying the groundwork for future success,” said Congressman Rangel. “By extending benefits, increasing access to healthcare and providing funding for job training and preparation programs, we are providing residents with the kind of support and resources they need to not just find temporary work but a job that will last.”
Individuals are encouraged to check the Department of Labor’s web site at www.labor.ny.gov for current information regarding unemployment insurance, including extended benefits, eligibility rules and instructions on how to apply.
Here's a link from the NY Times that a friend sent me:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/jobs/01careers.html Enjoy!
Keep the faith guys. We will go back to work. Of that I have no doubt. In the mean time, summer is coming.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Suddenly it Appears We Are Totally “Au Fait”?
My apologies in advance, for my incorrect spelling in French, if that is indeed the case. I’ve only heard it spoken. To be “au fait” is to be in the know or doing something that is cool. The reason I brought this up is that while reading the NY Times this morning. (This being my very favorite thing to do on Sunday mornings, especially happily ensconced in my favorite place.) I noticed that there were several articles in the Style section, for crying out loud, talking about the recession. One article was about how it is affecting New Yorkers in their decisions for school choices; private or public. There was also a piece on the Women for Hire job fair, which I went to last week. Reading the article “About His Deposit…”, by Jan Hoffman was rather interesting. It points out how many people are affected by the recession. Being someone who not only doesn’t have children, but who probably wouldn’t send them to private schools even if I did, I did find it really interesting as to how these people, never mind their kids are being affected. The other article “Generation B: Boomers in a Past Boom Economy” really hit home. Not only am I a Boomer, yes, but actually was at this particular job fair. Here’s the link incase you want to read it: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/fashion/01generationb.html?ref=style. Now mind you, I went to the breakfast before, which didn’t have any food, to hear Tory Johnson speak. Found out later that it wasn’t breakfast after all, but “Coffee with Tory”. For those of you who might have attended the coffee and enjoyed it, I will try to contain myself. But, it won’t be easy.
What I am talking, or some might say ranting, about is the Women for Hire fair, preceded by “Coffee with Tory” for which I, and my best friend, paid $20 to attend. If I had gotten anything, I repeat anything, from this coffee; any words of wisdom or uplifting ideas, I might not be in such a snit. Basically I do not agree with anything Tory was saying. In fact, some of it I found downright insulting to women. I will stop myself before I go too far down that path. There are two things that I really disagree with that I would like to clear up. First, Tory told us that we should be working at finding a job, slogging away, eight hours a day, five days a week. She said that if you want to take time off, that’s what weekends are for. I don’t agree. It is so important for our wellbeing that we remain positive and focused. In order to do so, we need to get out of the house. Maybe it means going to a museum, or taking the kids or grandkids to the park. What ever it means to you personally it is important to do this. Not only will it provide you with an opportunity to meet people and network, but it will keep your mind fresh and active. You’ve gotta get out of the house. You’ll never meet anybody there. Plus, we all will go back to work and we need to use this time as a very special time. The second thing Tory said which really bothered me, was that we women needed to learn to negotiate as it pertains to terms of employment. It really pissed me off that there she was speaking to an audience of professional women (and a few men that she decided to invite at the last minute) and telling us that as women we don’t negotiate. Never mind that this may not be the best time to start asking for more money. Granted we can all ask for something else when offered the job, but if what they offer sounds good, jump on it! Myself, concerned as I am about Cobra running out, will probably ask to make sure that health benefits are effective first day on the job. The worse thing about what she said was that she was telling us that we as women were all poor negotiators. I thought those days were over. Maybe there are many women, and men too that aren’t that good at negotiating for themselves, but you don’t have to reinforce it. We can do it and we are doing it. All of us, men and women both are taking care of ourselves and our own. OK, that’s in on Ms Tory,. Wait, one more thing. Her entire delivery was in this high pitched voice. For those of you who may have like what she said, let me give you a piece of advice. Lower your voice pitch to make the sale. Look at Hiliary and most successful women. Years ago I managed a Telemarketing Department and a Collections Department. For those women who weren’t meeting their quota, many times I asked them to lower their pitch and it worked like a dream. I used it myself. I remember going to a requirements meeting and when it came time for me to question the requirement, I always really lowered my voice. My friend Bob told me I got the attention of every guy in the room. Hey what ever works. My basic concern or queasyness with this "Coffee with Tory" was that at $20 a head, with 650 people in attendence, that works out to $13,000! This is all from people who for the most part are out of work. In addition, I believe they may have paid $1,000 for the room. There's just something a little bit to mercernary about this whole thing. OK folks, I'm moving on.
I have to say, last week was a tough one for me. To my delight, I had so many people stand up and provide me support. We are in this together aren’t we? Not only those of us who are currently unemployed, but also those who are still employed and may not only be fearful of losing their jobs, but also may be suffering through survivors guilt. It’s a really hard time. Here is something a friend sent me last week:
Step Up To Success: The Language of SuccessLuminary Circle Founding Member and former chair of the Los Angeles Board of Directors Liz Dennery Sanders offers Step Up members insight each month into key steps to success.
I had lunch with an old friend the other day and couldn't get a word in edgewise. For almost two hours, I heard about the problems she has with her husband, her friends and her ailing health. I also realized that we had the same conversation a year ago and the year before that. In fact, I can't remember a time when we had an uplifting conversation (I'm not sure I can call it a conversation since she was the one doing all of the talking). It dawned on me that not only had my friend bought into her own sob stories, she was creating real-life versions.
Most of us understand that the actions we take (or don't take) lead to our success or lack thereof. But I wonder how many people actually stop to analyze the words that regularly come out of their mouths. We seem to be a society of such fast talkers that it's hard to believe we are truly that thoughtful about our daily diatribe.
The words that come out of our mouths actually set in motion self-fulfilling prophesies. Our words are the impetus that directs our lives. I think most of us know a Debbie Downer - she's the friend who's always complaining and telling you her sad story or depressing drama. How do you feel around her? Probably not so good, right? What fabulous things are happening in her life? Not too many if any at all. Most likely, Debbie sucks the life right out of you.
People like Debbie are stuck in a scarcity mentality that creates their negative reality. You will often hear things like, "I can't," "I should" or "I'm so upset because..." Not taking personal responsibility and placing blame on external things keeps us stuck and small. Taking full responsibility for everything that happens in our lives keeps us moving forward. Take a look at these small but powerful language shifts that move us from naysayer to confident go-getter: "I can't" to "I choose""I don't want" to "I intend" or "I want""My problem is" to "My opportunity is""I should" to "I would like to" Shifting both our self-talk and the words we utter to others from scarcity to confident, prosperity thinking will have a huge effect on the decisions we make and the actions we take. It will not only affect our own energy, but the energy of those around us.
I am reminded of a wonderful quote from Gandhi:
"Your beliefs become your thoughts.
Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your values.
Your values become your destiny."
Be thoughtful of the words that come out of your mouth. They could become your destiny.
©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009
Liz Dennery Sanders wants you to build your buzz and be successful beyond your wildest dreams. As the CEO of Dennery Marks Inc., a brand development and celebrity outreach firm, she founded SheBrand, to help female entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners market themselves, attract more clients and position themselves as experts in their industries. You can reach Liz directly at liz@dennerymarks.com
Isn’t this great? This is just one example of the great things people send me to post on my blog to help us all out. Never mind, that she gave me the best hug Tuesday when I really needed one. Oh, along those lines there was another article in the NY Times this morning, Preoccupations, “In a Job Hunt, A Good Attitude Beats Bad Times”. I’ll include the link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/jobs/01preoccupations.html?scp=1&sq=In%20a%20job%20Hunt&st=cse. Hopefully you’ll be able to access the article on line. The title says it all. Finally, I will end this with a link to a networking calendar that the same good friend who sent me the article above, also put together. She does this every month! She really is incredible. Here’s the link. I hope you all can access it. I apologize to those of you who don’t live in the NY metro area. I believe if you go to the linked websites you may find the events for areas close to you. http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pqI7XvIwKIe0BdMRD3OqtTA&inv
Good luck all of you! Remember always feed the positive wolf!
What I am talking, or some might say ranting, about is the Women for Hire fair, preceded by “Coffee with Tory” for which I, and my best friend, paid $20 to attend. If I had gotten anything, I repeat anything, from this coffee; any words of wisdom or uplifting ideas, I might not be in such a snit. Basically I do not agree with anything Tory was saying. In fact, some of it I found downright insulting to women. I will stop myself before I go too far down that path. There are two things that I really disagree with that I would like to clear up. First, Tory told us that we should be working at finding a job, slogging away, eight hours a day, five days a week. She said that if you want to take time off, that’s what weekends are for. I don’t agree. It is so important for our wellbeing that we remain positive and focused. In order to do so, we need to get out of the house. Maybe it means going to a museum, or taking the kids or grandkids to the park. What ever it means to you personally it is important to do this. Not only will it provide you with an opportunity to meet people and network, but it will keep your mind fresh and active. You’ve gotta get out of the house. You’ll never meet anybody there. Plus, we all will go back to work and we need to use this time as a very special time. The second thing Tory said which really bothered me, was that we women needed to learn to negotiate as it pertains to terms of employment. It really pissed me off that there she was speaking to an audience of professional women (and a few men that she decided to invite at the last minute) and telling us that as women we don’t negotiate. Never mind that this may not be the best time to start asking for more money. Granted we can all ask for something else when offered the job, but if what they offer sounds good, jump on it! Myself, concerned as I am about Cobra running out, will probably ask to make sure that health benefits are effective first day on the job. The worse thing about what she said was that she was telling us that we as women were all poor negotiators. I thought those days were over. Maybe there are many women, and men too that aren’t that good at negotiating for themselves, but you don’t have to reinforce it. We can do it and we are doing it. All of us, men and women both are taking care of ourselves and our own. OK, that’s in on Ms Tory,. Wait, one more thing. Her entire delivery was in this high pitched voice. For those of you who may have like what she said, let me give you a piece of advice. Lower your voice pitch to make the sale. Look at Hiliary and most successful women. Years ago I managed a Telemarketing Department and a Collections Department. For those women who weren’t meeting their quota, many times I asked them to lower their pitch and it worked like a dream. I used it myself. I remember going to a requirements meeting and when it came time for me to question the requirement, I always really lowered my voice. My friend Bob told me I got the attention of every guy in the room. Hey what ever works. My basic concern or queasyness with this "Coffee with Tory" was that at $20 a head, with 650 people in attendence, that works out to $13,000! This is all from people who for the most part are out of work. In addition, I believe they may have paid $1,000 for the room. There's just something a little bit to mercernary about this whole thing. OK folks, I'm moving on.
I have to say, last week was a tough one for me. To my delight, I had so many people stand up and provide me support. We are in this together aren’t we? Not only those of us who are currently unemployed, but also those who are still employed and may not only be fearful of losing their jobs, but also may be suffering through survivors guilt. It’s a really hard time. Here is something a friend sent me last week:
Step Up To Success: The Language of SuccessLuminary Circle Founding Member and former chair of the Los Angeles Board of Directors Liz Dennery Sanders offers Step Up members insight each month into key steps to success.
I had lunch with an old friend the other day and couldn't get a word in edgewise. For almost two hours, I heard about the problems she has with her husband, her friends and her ailing health. I also realized that we had the same conversation a year ago and the year before that. In fact, I can't remember a time when we had an uplifting conversation (I'm not sure I can call it a conversation since she was the one doing all of the talking). It dawned on me that not only had my friend bought into her own sob stories, she was creating real-life versions.
Most of us understand that the actions we take (or don't take) lead to our success or lack thereof. But I wonder how many people actually stop to analyze the words that regularly come out of their mouths. We seem to be a society of such fast talkers that it's hard to believe we are truly that thoughtful about our daily diatribe.
The words that come out of our mouths actually set in motion self-fulfilling prophesies. Our words are the impetus that directs our lives. I think most of us know a Debbie Downer - she's the friend who's always complaining and telling you her sad story or depressing drama. How do you feel around her? Probably not so good, right? What fabulous things are happening in her life? Not too many if any at all. Most likely, Debbie sucks the life right out of you.
People like Debbie are stuck in a scarcity mentality that creates their negative reality. You will often hear things like, "I can't," "I should" or "I'm so upset because..." Not taking personal responsibility and placing blame on external things keeps us stuck and small. Taking full responsibility for everything that happens in our lives keeps us moving forward. Take a look at these small but powerful language shifts that move us from naysayer to confident go-getter: "I can't" to "I choose""I don't want" to "I intend" or "I want""My problem is" to "My opportunity is""I should" to "I would like to" Shifting both our self-talk and the words we utter to others from scarcity to confident, prosperity thinking will have a huge effect on the decisions we make and the actions we take. It will not only affect our own energy, but the energy of those around us.
I am reminded of a wonderful quote from Gandhi:
"Your beliefs become your thoughts.
Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your values.
Your values become your destiny."
Be thoughtful of the words that come out of your mouth. They could become your destiny.
©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009
Liz Dennery Sanders wants you to build your buzz and be successful beyond your wildest dreams. As the CEO of Dennery Marks Inc., a brand development and celebrity outreach firm, she founded SheBrand, to help female entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners market themselves, attract more clients and position themselves as experts in their industries. You can reach Liz directly at liz@dennerymarks.com
Isn’t this great? This is just one example of the great things people send me to post on my blog to help us all out. Never mind, that she gave me the best hug Tuesday when I really needed one. Oh, along those lines there was another article in the NY Times this morning, Preoccupations, “In a Job Hunt, A Good Attitude Beats Bad Times”. I’ll include the link http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/jobs/01preoccupations.html?scp=1&sq=In%20a%20job%20Hunt&st=cse. Hopefully you’ll be able to access the article on line. The title says it all. Finally, I will end this with a link to a networking calendar that the same good friend who sent me the article above, also put together. She does this every month! She really is incredible. Here’s the link. I hope you all can access it. I apologize to those of you who don’t live in the NY metro area. I believe if you go to the linked websites you may find the events for areas close to you. http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pqI7XvIwKIe0BdMRD3OqtTA&inv
Good luck all of you! Remember always feed the positive wolf!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Maybe it’s Time to Dream….
You know, I’ve said before that to contain fear, it’s best to focus on the hour, the minute or whatever, just to gain back a sense of control. Well, I’ve been thinking this week that maybe I’ve been too focused on the here and now and not daring to dream. I know, this is totally contrary to what I wrote last week. Well hey, maybe some of us are in a different place. Maybe I really need to pull up my socks and get me to another place.
It started out on Monday, when I was talking to a friend and she said that her goal was to find a job by April so that she could go on a good vacation with her friends. My immediate reaction was oh God no! Not that it was a bad goal, but that I immediately focused in on “what if you don’t make the goal?” what then? I’ve been pretty darn disappointed too many times over the past year or so, but hey maybe I need to turn that around and not let it manage me. I’ve been thinking a lot about aspirations.
What do we aspire to? I think about this when I’m running on the tread mill or when I’m meditating; starting to try to formalize the process. Hello? Process Queen here! I am seriously thinking of running the NYC marathon…eeek. Well I did just start running over three miles a day after all. Not saying which year I’ll do it in. The other thing I’ve started back focusing on and formalizing through meditation (whether on my couch or at the gym) is “I am landing the job of my dreams; meaning working with creative intelligent people on challenging exciting projects..” Yup, today even put in there “I am getting an offer next week for the job of my dreams”. What I’m thinking is that this is along the lines of the stretch goal right? If we only think of what we will accomplish today and lose sight of what it is we want, we may end up in the wrong place.
So all I can say is dare to dream. What have you got to lose? It’s free and leads you to places that you want to be in.
Now for some practical advice; yes those job applications out there are ugly but fill them out completely. It’s their game. Please complete the EO information. I hear from someone in HR that they won’t even look at them if you don’t. Networking does work. I actually got a job lead from a friend at a fundraiser the other night. You all probably know by now that I’m not the best networker in the world. If I can do it, most of the rest of you will probably have excellent results. One of my friends suggested the other day to think of networking as an information exchange. That’s for those of us who feel we need to give something to get something. Finally another suggestion I heard, was to respond to articles in the paper or online. It not only gets you thinking but it also gets you involved and who knows what will happen. I would love to sit down and chat with Paul Krugman wouldn’t you? Or, how about corresponding with Bob Hebert or Tom Friedman, wouldn’t that be fun. I guess you all know what I’m going to be doing Sunday.
Enjoy your weekend everyone. Please do take some down time. You need it. Most of all keep dreaming.
It started out on Monday, when I was talking to a friend and she said that her goal was to find a job by April so that she could go on a good vacation with her friends. My immediate reaction was oh God no! Not that it was a bad goal, but that I immediately focused in on “what if you don’t make the goal?” what then? I’ve been pretty darn disappointed too many times over the past year or so, but hey maybe I need to turn that around and not let it manage me. I’ve been thinking a lot about aspirations.
What do we aspire to? I think about this when I’m running on the tread mill or when I’m meditating; starting to try to formalize the process. Hello? Process Queen here! I am seriously thinking of running the NYC marathon…eeek. Well I did just start running over three miles a day after all. Not saying which year I’ll do it in. The other thing I’ve started back focusing on and formalizing through meditation (whether on my couch or at the gym) is “I am landing the job of my dreams; meaning working with creative intelligent people on challenging exciting projects..” Yup, today even put in there “I am getting an offer next week for the job of my dreams”. What I’m thinking is that this is along the lines of the stretch goal right? If we only think of what we will accomplish today and lose sight of what it is we want, we may end up in the wrong place.
So all I can say is dare to dream. What have you got to lose? It’s free and leads you to places that you want to be in.
Now for some practical advice; yes those job applications out there are ugly but fill them out completely. It’s their game. Please complete the EO information. I hear from someone in HR that they won’t even look at them if you don’t. Networking does work. I actually got a job lead from a friend at a fundraiser the other night. You all probably know by now that I’m not the best networker in the world. If I can do it, most of the rest of you will probably have excellent results. One of my friends suggested the other day to think of networking as an information exchange. That’s for those of us who feel we need to give something to get something. Finally another suggestion I heard, was to respond to articles in the paper or online. It not only gets you thinking but it also gets you involved and who knows what will happen. I would love to sit down and chat with Paul Krugman wouldn’t you? Or, how about corresponding with Bob Hebert or Tom Friedman, wouldn’t that be fun. I guess you all know what I’m going to be doing Sunday.
Enjoy your weekend everyone. Please do take some down time. You need it. Most of all keep dreaming.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Some Pieces of Practical and Spiritual Advice
You know some people may refer to me as the Poster Child for a positive unemployed person. Every time someone says “I admire you for your positive attitude”, I’m thinking they either really mean “are you nuts?”, or “you’ve started in on the wine at noon haven’t you?”, or maybe even “I want some of what you’re taking.” The truth is, I’m always doing things to improve my state of mind. You know; like going to the gym, meditation, positive affirmations and so on. I consider it part of the process of finding the job where I will be happy to end my career. There is something to this.
Something in a conversation yesterday reminded me of why I started thinking this way. Years ago I managed a department of 148 people that the company had decided to outsource. You can imagine how fearful it was to those individuals whose lives were seemingly no longer within their control. Sound familiar? At that time, having weekly and sometimes daily, “one-on-ones” with my teamleaders, I asked them to focus on each week or if necessary, each daily or hourly accomplishment. The reason for this is because if you look out ahead, fear tends to take over, especially if you can’t make yourself see a good future, but if you can focus on what you can accomplish in the here and now, you will be able to actually craft that future to your liking. You know what I’m talking about. Those inner dialogues that go like; “I’m going to lose my apartment”, or “I’m going to have to pull the kids from private school and with this scar them forever?” I think it’s really hard for anyone, maybe not those people that meditate two or three times a day, (but hey what’s with that anyway), to not view the future that way. By focusing my teamleaders in this manner, we were able to prepare our people to move on to other roles or to new careers and to grab back a sense of control.
Folks this is why I have my daily “to do” list. Through the years I’ve found that breaking down future goals into daily or hourly increments really helps. It helps you gain a sense of control of your life. I used this at work, when you’re looking at that annual objective and thinking “no way Jose” am I gonna meet that number. When you break it down to increments of what you have to accomplish each week/month to get to that goal, it becomes very possible. Same goes for the rest of your life. Heck I used it to quit smoking, and breaking up from a poisonous relationship (oh I know you all know what I mean). I used to tell myself originally, if you want a cigarette in an hour you can have one. Then when I got to that hour, would do it again. Gradually worked my way up to if I want one tomorrow I can have one etc. till finally wasn’t thinking about it.
Of course it is time once again to update our resumes and re-post on the job boards. Think I’ll be doing mine on Sunday. I think the last time I did it was the beginning of January and I’ve had at least four companies call me unsolicited because of that. Woo Hoo! One more thing, please get yourself some business cards. You can go to http://www.vistaprint.com/ and get yourself some free business cards. You know all those networking meetings, or kids sporting events, or parties, or committee meetings you go to, doesn’t hurt to have a business card to hand out when you make those contacts.
Well that’s all for this week folks. I need to get back to the job boards and find that 10th job to apply to in order to meet my quota and check that off the list. Enjoy your week and hey if you want to think in the future to something good, hey summer’s coming!
Something in a conversation yesterday reminded me of why I started thinking this way. Years ago I managed a department of 148 people that the company had decided to outsource. You can imagine how fearful it was to those individuals whose lives were seemingly no longer within their control. Sound familiar? At that time, having weekly and sometimes daily, “one-on-ones” with my teamleaders, I asked them to focus on each week or if necessary, each daily or hourly accomplishment. The reason for this is because if you look out ahead, fear tends to take over, especially if you can’t make yourself see a good future, but if you can focus on what you can accomplish in the here and now, you will be able to actually craft that future to your liking. You know what I’m talking about. Those inner dialogues that go like; “I’m going to lose my apartment”, or “I’m going to have to pull the kids from private school and with this scar them forever?” I think it’s really hard for anyone, maybe not those people that meditate two or three times a day, (but hey what’s with that anyway), to not view the future that way. By focusing my teamleaders in this manner, we were able to prepare our people to move on to other roles or to new careers and to grab back a sense of control.
Folks this is why I have my daily “to do” list. Through the years I’ve found that breaking down future goals into daily or hourly increments really helps. It helps you gain a sense of control of your life. I used this at work, when you’re looking at that annual objective and thinking “no way Jose” am I gonna meet that number. When you break it down to increments of what you have to accomplish each week/month to get to that goal, it becomes very possible. Same goes for the rest of your life. Heck I used it to quit smoking, and breaking up from a poisonous relationship (oh I know you all know what I mean). I used to tell myself originally, if you want a cigarette in an hour you can have one. Then when I got to that hour, would do it again. Gradually worked my way up to if I want one tomorrow I can have one etc. till finally wasn’t thinking about it.
Two reasons for the “to do” list; 1 it allows me to accomplish something every day and 2. it moves me toward my goal. I have a goal of applying for 10 jobs a week and often times I add attending two networking sessions, updating my resume, posting in this blog or just paying bills. It keeps me moving forward and focused. And, you know, I’ve had a heck of a lot of interviews for some really cool jobs. I know I haven’t landed yet, but I firmly believe it’s because I still haven’t found that job that meets my aspirations.
Oh, before I move on, for those of you who are meditating and using positive affirmations, I found this statement in Creative Visualization, by Shakti Gawane;
This, or something Better,
Now manifests for me
In totally satisfying and harmonious ways,
For the highest good of all concerned.
This purpose behind this phrase is so that you put out there that even though you are focused on those goals/affirmations, there may be something better for you or others that hasn’t come into your conscientiousness yet but something you would be open to.
Now for some more practical advice from the people in my Campaign Management Team; some books you might want to read:
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
How to Wow by Sharon Cole Jones
The Big Moo by Seth Godin
Oh, before I move on, for those of you who are meditating and using positive affirmations, I found this statement in Creative Visualization, by Shakti Gawane;
This, or something Better,
Now manifests for me
In totally satisfying and harmonious ways,
For the highest good of all concerned.
This purpose behind this phrase is so that you put out there that even though you are focused on those goals/affirmations, there may be something better for you or others that hasn’t come into your conscientiousness yet but something you would be open to.
Now for some more practical advice from the people in my Campaign Management Team; some books you might want to read:
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
How to Wow by Sharon Cole Jones
The Big Moo by Seth Godin
Of course it is time once again to update our resumes and re-post on the job boards. Think I’ll be doing mine on Sunday. I think the last time I did it was the beginning of January and I’ve had at least four companies call me unsolicited because of that. Woo Hoo! One more thing, please get yourself some business cards. You can go to http://www.vistaprint.com/ and get yourself some free business cards. You know all those networking meetings, or kids sporting events, or parties, or committee meetings you go to, doesn’t hurt to have a business card to hand out when you make those contacts.
Well that’s all for this week folks. I need to get back to the job boards and find that 10th job to apply to in order to meet my quota and check that off the list. Enjoy your week and hey if you want to think in the future to something good, hey summer’s coming!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
A Very Magical Time…
It occurred to me this morning, while meditating, that this really is a very magical time. I know you are all probably thinking “that’s not parsley in her Jambalaya Stoup is it?” No really, look I’m facing all the same stuff that everyone else out of work does. My unemployment benefits ran out a couple of weeks ago and that’s after the two extensions. I have been going on interviews, true. However, I have continued to pursue all the activities we’ve been talking about. I change my resume and update my profile about once a month. (That reminds me, I guess it’s time to do it again.) I find and apply to at least 10 jobs a week. I attend networking sessions. I go to the gym, and I meditate. Finally, I’m sitting here wondering if I will get the chance to close this deal with this employer or not.
So why do I feel it’s a magical time? It’s sort of like, all rules are off. True the news is abysmal, but other than during the elections, when hasn’t it been that way? The other upside is that if you’re out of work, it’s not you that’s lame, it’s the economy. Heh heh.
Most importantly, this period gives us the opportunity to really pursue what it is that we want. There’s really not the possibility of just going along with the same routine that made you successful for the past ten years. Those days are gone. However if you’re anything like me, you kind of wanted them gone anyway. Dwelling on possibilities and potential for heading in the right direction does a lot more for your job search than anxiety and fear. Believe me I’m an expert on those two categories. Those are pure and simple negative energy producers and they will suck all the positive, hopeful energy right out of you.
Here let me put it this way; years ago I had to take a defensive driving class. (don’t ask, I got a speeding ticket). The one thing I remember from that class, besides the one thousand one counting thing between cars, is that if you go off the road, don’t look at the telephone poles. You know why? Because if you look at the telephone poles, you will hit that on which you are focused. Same goes for negative and positive thoughts. Plus negative thoughts and neurotic behaviors are very, very seductive. They really are. They don’t call that pity a party for nothing. So look it you’re worried about money for good cause, do take stock of you funds and make a budget. Look to calm that worry, if even for a day, but don’t dwell on it. Dwelling on it takes away from the energy you could use to fix the issue. Don’t think about “am I ever going to go back to work?” Instead, focus on today and what you will accomplish that leads to it. You will go back to work, but worrying about it won’t make it happen any faster. Doing something to get there will. Meditation helps here as well. It allows you to really focus not only on outcomes, but more importantly, what feel right to you.
Reward yourself. If you like making “to do” lists do it. Then reward yourself when you get through it. Yesterday, I had three items on my “to do” list; 1. Apply for 5 jobs, 2. Deposit check in bank, and 3. Pay bills (go figure). Once I checked off these items, I allowed myself to go sit in my sunny sun room and read a book. Ah bliss. Simple but affective.
While I was meditating, the thought occurred to me that what other people did, didn’t make me happy or sad. No it was how I viewed things that did that. So I choose to view things as positive. If this job is right for me, it will happen. Period! That goes for my personal life as well. This is why I say this is a magical time. The possibilities are so enormous. Remember, anything goes. The only thing really stopping us from being what we want to be or doing what we want to do is ourselves.
Enjoy your day!
So why do I feel it’s a magical time? It’s sort of like, all rules are off. True the news is abysmal, but other than during the elections, when hasn’t it been that way? The other upside is that if you’re out of work, it’s not you that’s lame, it’s the economy. Heh heh.
Most importantly, this period gives us the opportunity to really pursue what it is that we want. There’s really not the possibility of just going along with the same routine that made you successful for the past ten years. Those days are gone. However if you’re anything like me, you kind of wanted them gone anyway. Dwelling on possibilities and potential for heading in the right direction does a lot more for your job search than anxiety and fear. Believe me I’m an expert on those two categories. Those are pure and simple negative energy producers and they will suck all the positive, hopeful energy right out of you.
Here let me put it this way; years ago I had to take a defensive driving class. (don’t ask, I got a speeding ticket). The one thing I remember from that class, besides the one thousand one counting thing between cars, is that if you go off the road, don’t look at the telephone poles. You know why? Because if you look at the telephone poles, you will hit that on which you are focused. Same goes for negative and positive thoughts. Plus negative thoughts and neurotic behaviors are very, very seductive. They really are. They don’t call that pity a party for nothing. So look it you’re worried about money for good cause, do take stock of you funds and make a budget. Look to calm that worry, if even for a day, but don’t dwell on it. Dwelling on it takes away from the energy you could use to fix the issue. Don’t think about “am I ever going to go back to work?” Instead, focus on today and what you will accomplish that leads to it. You will go back to work, but worrying about it won’t make it happen any faster. Doing something to get there will. Meditation helps here as well. It allows you to really focus not only on outcomes, but more importantly, what feel right to you.
Reward yourself. If you like making “to do” lists do it. Then reward yourself when you get through it. Yesterday, I had three items on my “to do” list; 1. Apply for 5 jobs, 2. Deposit check in bank, and 3. Pay bills (go figure). Once I checked off these items, I allowed myself to go sit in my sunny sun room and read a book. Ah bliss. Simple but affective.
While I was meditating, the thought occurred to me that what other people did, didn’t make me happy or sad. No it was how I viewed things that did that. So I choose to view things as positive. If this job is right for me, it will happen. Period! That goes for my personal life as well. This is why I say this is a magical time. The possibilities are so enormous. Remember, anything goes. The only thing really stopping us from being what we want to be or doing what we want to do is ourselves.
Enjoy your day!
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