By Jen the Catalyst
(c) April 2, 2010
In last week’s diary entry, I wrote about endings and departures.
Once I had identified my “Goodbyes,” my mind and heart synchronized and I was able to say out loud that “I wanted to leave my corporate job.”
What came next were waves of relief, freedom, positivity, excitement, anticipation and happiness. My work friends responded to that energy in kind, which made the high of leaving even better. My last three weeks of work were blissful, and I was at my peak. I didn’t feel the fear and the worry and the frustration that I had been struggling with for months.
JOY!
The world was new and shiny and different. Colors were brighter. Friends were friendlier. The house was homier. My husband was sexier. My appreciation of everything was… well, super awesomely appreciative.
(A word of unsolicited advice to readers who are contemplating taking the leap: CAPITALIZE on this transition high. It’s a great time to take gargantuan steps forward toward what you want in your life!)
I love people, and the people at my corporate jobs were no exception. I spent my last days at the company solidifying my relationships with my work friends. I connected with co-workers whom I had not previously met and received the gift of words of wisdom and encouragement—related to areas I was considering for my solo gig. I printed business cards with my contact information and made sure I always had a few in my back pocket to hand out to acquaintances and co-workers that I may not see again soon—or ever.
It was a great celebration and I enjoyed every moment.
What is making your glasses particularly rosy lately? Share the energy!
By Jenaissance
(c) March 22, 2010
One day last week, I had a small window of time between phone calls, so I thought I better walk over to our neighborhood library to return a few books whose due dates were quickly creeping up.
It was a relatively nice day, and I thought I could kill two birds with one stone by hitching the dog up to the leash and walking him to the library with me.
Our dog likes excitement—and it really doesn’t take much to qualify. He is delirious with happiness every time he hears any of the following, in no particular order:
“Do you want to…go potty?”
“Do you want to…go on a Field Trip?” (That’s our code word for a car ride.)
“Do you want to…have a treat?”
But today something interesting happened. I was about to ask, “Do you want to…go for a walk?” when I got interrupted and didn’t get to finish my sentence. All I said was, “Do you want to…?” (and then I paused to look at my BlackBerry), and yet the dog still nearly jumped out of his skin with enthusiasm.
It occurred to me that perhaps his excitement was in the prospect of something happening, not in the specific activity itself.
Those of us who are in career transition—either starting a new business venture or looking for that next job opportunity—often fall into this trap, too. How often do we find ourselves hinging all our hopes (and happiness) on the specifics of “what’s next” instead of on the “what’s now”? We tell ourselves we’ll be happy once we get that new job, make a certain amount of money, land that new client, achieve work/life balance, save enough to retire…you get the idea.
But instead, maybe we are robbing ourselves of the ability to enjoy the mystery and the joy of the here and now. By focusing on the outcomes we think we need, perhaps we are neglecting some powerful gifts that are here right now—including the ability to “live in the moment.”
Try it today. Set aside the doubts and nagging voice that insists that the future will be your savior, and try to enjoy today in all of its beautiful, mysterious unfolding.
Washington, D.C.
Appleton, WI
Minneapolis, MN
Appleton, WI
Washington, D.C.
Milwaukee, WI
DePere, WI
St. Paul, MN
Philadelphia, PA
St. Paul, MN
Minneapolis, MN
