Constructive comments are welcome.
Let's begin with My Story ... we all have a story right?
Two years ago the company where I worked downsized and eliminated my fairly lucrative but personally unfulfilling job (sound familiar?). Whoa! Now what am I going to do? If you've ever been unemployed or are now experiencing this turn of events, you know unemployment is humiliating, demoralizing, depressing, and the fear of the unknown can be paralyzing. I allowed it to devour my confidence which sapped my energy and I turned into a negative, unpleasant person which only made matters worse. I unconsciously but systematically began to alienate myself from family, friends, and former business colleagues, the very people I needed most in my life, the people who really cared about me. Sound familiar?
After writing dozens of resumes, cover letters, searching the Internet job sites, applying to a host of employment agencies, attending scores of "how to reinvent yourself, how to get a high-paying job in today's environment and how to (you name it), reading mountains of personal development articles, books, and information posted by online "gurus" it became abundantly clear that I was going to have to stop sabotaging myself and get a grip on things or the rest of my life could end up in the dumper!
As if all this wasn't bad enough, I sustained a work-related injury at a spa during a stint as a nail technician (a job to try to make some money while I found my next dream job) to my shoulder which required surgery in January 2008. Shortly after that debacle ... my gallbladder went on strike and it was necessary to undergo more surgery in March 2008. The added stress combined with nasty side-effects from anesthesia and pain-killers just put me over the top.It was time to take ACTION ... time to quit feeling sorry for myself, blaming the economy, employment recruiters, age discrimination, lack of technical skills, too much experience or not enough experience. It was time to quit hoping the proverbial knight on a white horse would ride up to my door and hand me the dream job, I envisioned for myself, on a sliver platter.
I needed a GOAL ... ummmmm ... tough one ... let's see ... oh I know ... A JOB! Doing something I would enjoy, something I could feel passionate about, something where I could share the knowledge I already have with others to "pay it forward." Something with a limited commute, no boss looking over my shoulder, and of course, a great compensation plan. Whew! Sounds like a tall order doesn't it?
I felt desperate and I remembered what my mother and grandmother used to say, "necessity is the motherhood of invention" and my father used to say, "it's time to pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get moving". Great advice, but no one ever handed me a, "How to Pull Yourself up by Your Bootstraps Manual" which meant I was going to be responsible for creating a PLAN for my life. After all, with no plan in place how am I going to do all this?
First, I needed to BELIEVE in myself again, have a Vision about where I want to go and make a Decision on how I'm going to acquire the knowledge and skills to get to where I want to go.
Now bear with me, I'm getting to the point ...
As I said earlier, I want to be the captain of my own ship, control my own destiny so-to-speak without having to re-invent myself.
How can I do this?
What can I do using the knowledge and skills I already have?
I would like to live life as I was designed to live it ... healthy, happy, and with purpose.
Until next time, Be Well.
