Never give up; you never know until you try.
Tuesday afternoon I attended the funeral of a dear friend’s mother. Like many people on such occasions, I cried. I was sitting in the pew beside my own aging mother.
Afterward, as I talked with various members of the bereaved family, bits of several conversations reached my ears—typical things you hear at funerals: “It’s been so long since I saw you; don’t let it be so long next time,” and “I wish I’d gone to see her like I planned to do, but I’ve been so busy.”
I got another reminder that it’s super-important to “stop and smell the roses,” to visit, to call, to “mend fences,” to extend love, grace, and mercy--today. In short, it’s super-important to live like there’s no tomorrow, because one of these days, there won’t be. And even if there is a “tomorrow,” you or your loved one may be too sick to enjoy it.
So, dear readers, I implore us all to heed this reminder. Accept God’s grace and mercy today. Accept apologies today. Give apologies today. Live today.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A Work in Progress
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I've had an incredible week, trying to get things in order to start an internship next week. I'm still sorting out lots of things, including conflicting emotions. I'm so glad that God can make sense of things, because sometimes I certainly can't.
The title of this post means several things: as we all are, I'm a work in progress; my job situation is a work in progress; the post I had planned for this week is a work in progress. Since the planned post is still being hashed out and I didn't want to let another week go by without saying something to my readers, what I came up with is what you're reading now--an honest disclosure that I'm running around like the headless chicken. Again, I'm glad that God can make sense of things.
So my sage advice for now is: cut yourself some slack if you find yourself running crazed in a thousand directions, physically or emotionally. Know that even if you can't, God can make sense of it all.
I've had an incredible week, trying to get things in order to start an internship next week. I'm still sorting out lots of things, including conflicting emotions. I'm so glad that God can make sense of things, because sometimes I certainly can't.
The title of this post means several things: as we all are, I'm a work in progress; my job situation is a work in progress; the post I had planned for this week is a work in progress. Since the planned post is still being hashed out and I didn't want to let another week go by without saying something to my readers, what I came up with is what you're reading now--an honest disclosure that I'm running around like the headless chicken. Again, I'm glad that God can make sense of things.
So my sage advice for now is: cut yourself some slack if you find yourself running crazed in a thousand directions, physically or emotionally. Know that even if you can't, God can make sense of it all.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Seminar on Change
Never give up; you never know until you try.
I recently attended a seminar on dealing with change. It’s been said that the only sure things are death and taxes, and I’ve written before that I’d add to that list God’s unfailing love and that dreaded thing called change. (You know I don't mean pennies, either!)
Since most of us don’t like change, to put it mildly, I expected the seminar to be packed. I was surprised that it wasn’t, but on further reflection, it makes sense. Many people hate and dread change so much that they don’t even want to think about it—not even if thinking about it may help them deal with it more effectively and less painfully.
Change is scary, even if the change is a positive one. I’ve often thought about how even though I may despise a certain circumstance, at least I’ve developed a way of dealing with it if it has continued for any length of time. Unfortunately, not every coping mechanism is a positive one, serving me well, making my life better. That’s when I need to change my focus or actions—even both; lots of times, changing focus results in changing actions.
And that was really the gist of the seminar: change is a necessary, inevitable part of life. Sometimes we have to change because old ways aren’t serving us, and sometimes change is thrust on us by others, so we need to learn to deal with it in positive ways. It was an encouraging refresher course for me, so I’ll share a few tidbits that we covered.
Recognize that change happens. Don’t fight it; accept it. Don’t just bury your head in the sand. Don't refuse to face it (or, really, avoid facing it) by drinking, taking drugs, working too hard, etcetera. Ingesting substances or immersing yourself in work may seem to work in the short-term, but it doesn’t in the long-term.
Don’t beat yourself up because you resist change. We’re all wired to resist change. (The presenter covered some psychological research that proves it.)
Knowledge is power. Knowing how your personality type responds to change (or anything else) can help you cope better. I encourage everyone to invest the time to take a respected personality test, such as Myers-Briggs, to get to know yourself better. That way you can have a go-to plan to handle change when it arises.
Make sure that go-to plan moves your life in a positive direction. If not, change it, with outside help if necessary. (Yes, I’m aware that I used that dreaded “C” word there!)
Recognize that others have their own ways of dealing with change, which may be radically different than yours. Allow them that right.
That’s my take-away from the seminar. The program was a couple hours long, and the Serenity Prayer came to my mind several times. I still think it’s a great, helpful prayer that basically says to be calm, accept what you can’t change, change what you can, and know the difference between the two. As the speaker pointed out, it’s not in human nature to be calm when faced with change, so it seems only logical to me that I need to ask God for help. He made me, so He can and will help me if I just humble myself and ask.
I recently attended a seminar on dealing with change. It’s been said that the only sure things are death and taxes, and I’ve written before that I’d add to that list God’s unfailing love and that dreaded thing called change. (You know I don't mean pennies, either!)
Since most of us don’t like change, to put it mildly, I expected the seminar to be packed. I was surprised that it wasn’t, but on further reflection, it makes sense. Many people hate and dread change so much that they don’t even want to think about it—not even if thinking about it may help them deal with it more effectively and less painfully.
Change is scary, even if the change is a positive one. I’ve often thought about how even though I may despise a certain circumstance, at least I’ve developed a way of dealing with it if it has continued for any length of time. Unfortunately, not every coping mechanism is a positive one, serving me well, making my life better. That’s when I need to change my focus or actions—even both; lots of times, changing focus results in changing actions.
And that was really the gist of the seminar: change is a necessary, inevitable part of life. Sometimes we have to change because old ways aren’t serving us, and sometimes change is thrust on us by others, so we need to learn to deal with it in positive ways. It was an encouraging refresher course for me, so I’ll share a few tidbits that we covered.
Recognize that change happens. Don’t fight it; accept it. Don’t just bury your head in the sand. Don't refuse to face it (or, really, avoid facing it) by drinking, taking drugs, working too hard, etcetera. Ingesting substances or immersing yourself in work may seem to work in the short-term, but it doesn’t in the long-term.
Don’t beat yourself up because you resist change. We’re all wired to resist change. (The presenter covered some psychological research that proves it.)
Knowledge is power. Knowing how your personality type responds to change (or anything else) can help you cope better. I encourage everyone to invest the time to take a respected personality test, such as Myers-Briggs, to get to know yourself better. That way you can have a go-to plan to handle change when it arises.
Make sure that go-to plan moves your life in a positive direction. If not, change it, with outside help if necessary. (Yes, I’m aware that I used that dreaded “C” word there!)
Recognize that others have their own ways of dealing with change, which may be radically different than yours. Allow them that right.
That’s my take-away from the seminar. The program was a couple hours long, and the Serenity Prayer came to my mind several times. I still think it’s a great, helpful prayer that basically says to be calm, accept what you can’t change, change what you can, and know the difference between the two. As the speaker pointed out, it’s not in human nature to be calm when faced with change, so it seems only logical to me that I need to ask God for help. He made me, so He can and will help me if I just humble myself and ask.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Job Hunting: A Political Jab, Lessons in Phraseology, Etc.
Never give up; you never know until you try.
As I’ve written so much about this last year, I’ve been looking for a job. It’s an activity that can kill the strongest person, and I’ll freely admit that I’ve cried many tears of frustration and anger over the whole thing, because there don’t seem to be any rules. A + B is supposed to equal C. In the current economy, it doesn’t. There seems to be little that makes sense. Still, I’ve tried to keep my sense of humor, and that’s why I’ve been able to keep my sanity. I’ve seen some really strange job titles and descriptions and gleaned a little wisdom from interviews and things I’ve heard in passing. Here are a few. Maybe you'll find them as funny as I do:
Not too long ago, I came across an ad in an online job board for a “Pain Sales Specialist.” My curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked onto it and discovered that it was for a job with a pharmaceutical company, but the ad never came right out and said exactly what the job entailed—why it was called what it was. It sounded to me as if it could’ve involved working for the Marquis de Sade; or maybe it was a government job? Am I being redundant there?
I thought that one was odd—until I read the one for “Sales Representative—BS.” Clicking onto the ad, I learned that the job required a Bachelor's degree, but it didn’t specify whether it was Bachelor of Arts or Sciences. Since the “BS” didn’t refer to the educational requirement, does that mean that the salesperson would be selling “BS,” that oft-flung substance? Maybe that, too, was a government job.
Then there was one that started off “Can you sell the President?” Yes, it was a sales job calling for someone who was so good at sales that they could sell to someone really “important” or something. I’m guessing that one was aimed at people who, upset over the current economy, blame the President and would like very much to sell him to someone. Though to be fair, the President doesn’t create—or fix—disasters alone.
I could tell right away that the above-mentioned jobs weren’t for me. Sometimes the words in an ad are a dead giveaway that you don’t want to go there, but you can’t always tell. Sometimes everything reads right and sounds like something you might want to pursue. You apply and even get interviewed. That’s the time to keep your eyes and ears open, because there are verbal cues that let you know you really don’t want a job, unless you’re completely desperate, crazy, or something. I’ve had some most unwelcome surprises. Be on the lookout for things like:
“This isn’t really a job; it’s really a ministry.” I’ve heard this said of daycare workers and public school teachers, but it can apply anywhere. Translation: Your reward is NOT financial; you’ll be paid the bare minimum, probably with no benefits of any kind, and you’ll be doing the work of at least two people. You may receive heart-felt “thank-you’s” and little useless trinkets at Christmas.
“You must have a good work ethic and a positive attitude.” (This is often seen in job ads but they may omit it to sucker you in and hit you with it during the interview process.) This one is obvious—it means that you’ll work like a dog and be expected to smile and make nice even when you have irate customers or crazy supervisors yelling (possibly obscenities) at you. And you won't be paid squat.
My last observation is very similar. If you get to the office and there are posters everywhere reminding you to smile, or there is the same instruction in your employee manual or other paperwork, that’s a pretty good indication that you won’t feel like smiling if you work at that particular company. People who are happy don’t have to be reminded to smile.
I’m glad that God is still my source and not the "fat cats" who seem out to get everything for themselves. With that in mind, I can at least smile through my tears.
As I’ve written so much about this last year, I’ve been looking for a job. It’s an activity that can kill the strongest person, and I’ll freely admit that I’ve cried many tears of frustration and anger over the whole thing, because there don’t seem to be any rules. A + B is supposed to equal C. In the current economy, it doesn’t. There seems to be little that makes sense. Still, I’ve tried to keep my sense of humor, and that’s why I’ve been able to keep my sanity. I’ve seen some really strange job titles and descriptions and gleaned a little wisdom from interviews and things I’ve heard in passing. Here are a few. Maybe you'll find them as funny as I do:
Not too long ago, I came across an ad in an online job board for a “Pain Sales Specialist.” My curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked onto it and discovered that it was for a job with a pharmaceutical company, but the ad never came right out and said exactly what the job entailed—why it was called what it was. It sounded to me as if it could’ve involved working for the Marquis de Sade; or maybe it was a government job? Am I being redundant there?
I thought that one was odd—until I read the one for “Sales Representative—BS.” Clicking onto the ad, I learned that the job required a Bachelor's degree, but it didn’t specify whether it was Bachelor of Arts or Sciences. Since the “BS” didn’t refer to the educational requirement, does that mean that the salesperson would be selling “BS,” that oft-flung substance? Maybe that, too, was a government job.
Then there was one that started off “Can you sell the President?” Yes, it was a sales job calling for someone who was so good at sales that they could sell to someone really “important” or something. I’m guessing that one was aimed at people who, upset over the current economy, blame the President and would like very much to sell him to someone. Though to be fair, the President doesn’t create—or fix—disasters alone.
I could tell right away that the above-mentioned jobs weren’t for me. Sometimes the words in an ad are a dead giveaway that you don’t want to go there, but you can’t always tell. Sometimes everything reads right and sounds like something you might want to pursue. You apply and even get interviewed. That’s the time to keep your eyes and ears open, because there are verbal cues that let you know you really don’t want a job, unless you’re completely desperate, crazy, or something. I’ve had some most unwelcome surprises. Be on the lookout for things like:
“This isn’t really a job; it’s really a ministry.” I’ve heard this said of daycare workers and public school teachers, but it can apply anywhere. Translation: Your reward is NOT financial; you’ll be paid the bare minimum, probably with no benefits of any kind, and you’ll be doing the work of at least two people. You may receive heart-felt “thank-you’s” and little useless trinkets at Christmas.
“You must have a good work ethic and a positive attitude.” (This is often seen in job ads but they may omit it to sucker you in and hit you with it during the interview process.) This one is obvious—it means that you’ll work like a dog and be expected to smile and make nice even when you have irate customers or crazy supervisors yelling (possibly obscenities) at you. And you won't be paid squat.
My last observation is very similar. If you get to the office and there are posters everywhere reminding you to smile, or there is the same instruction in your employee manual or other paperwork, that’s a pretty good indication that you won’t feel like smiling if you work at that particular company. People who are happy don’t have to be reminded to smile.
I’m glad that God is still my source and not the "fat cats" who seem out to get everything for themselves. With that in mind, I can at least smile through my tears.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
To Thine Own Self Be True: A Reminder
Never give up; you never know until you try.
Be yourself. That’s one major refresher lesson I took away from the seminar I attended Tuesday night. My guess is that it’s probably something the speaker didn’t even think about as a take-away when she conceived or presented the seminar.
Be myself? Who else would I be? Who else would I want to be? The answer for me is, “No one.” For some people, though, the answer might be something like, “I want to be Julia Roberts.” Or Justin Bieber. While I can understand wanting to exhibit another person’s characteristics or wanting to have more money, I can honestly say that I don’t want to be anyone else. Jacline isn’t perfect, but God made Jacline for a special purpose. Please, feel free to put your name into that sentence and repeat it to yourself.
Scripture tells us that God made us different for a reason. (I Corinthians 12). I think that means that we should make the most of what we’re given and go about our business. Don’t be arrogant; but don’t apologize, either, for being who you feel God made you to be. (As long as what you feel God made you to be doesn't contradict Scripture.) You don’t necessarily have to explain yourself. You have certain preferences. Be flexible, willing to hear other views, but allow yourself to have your own preferences and don’t let anyone bully you into changing. Or even try to bully you into changing.
To illustrate, I’ll tell you something about the presenter Tuesday night. She’s “billed” with a first initial, a middle name, and a last name. Most of us are used to people using a first and last name and maybe a middle initial. Maybe the speaker from Tuesday’s seminar doesn’t like her first name, but for whatever reason, she never divulged her first name. When someone asked what the initial stood for, she simply said, “(It stands for) my first name.” No explanations. No apologies. I inwardly applauded her for not caving in to the expectation to provide her first name or the reason she uses only her first initial. In short, she was true to herself. I admire that, and I’m glad she gave me a little reminder to do the same, even if that wasn’t her intention.
Be yourself. That’s one major refresher lesson I took away from the seminar I attended Tuesday night. My guess is that it’s probably something the speaker didn’t even think about as a take-away when she conceived or presented the seminar.
Be myself? Who else would I be? Who else would I want to be? The answer for me is, “No one.” For some people, though, the answer might be something like, “I want to be Julia Roberts.” Or Justin Bieber. While I can understand wanting to exhibit another person’s characteristics or wanting to have more money, I can honestly say that I don’t want to be anyone else. Jacline isn’t perfect, but God made Jacline for a special purpose. Please, feel free to put your name into that sentence and repeat it to yourself.
Scripture tells us that God made us different for a reason. (I Corinthians 12). I think that means that we should make the most of what we’re given and go about our business. Don’t be arrogant; but don’t apologize, either, for being who you feel God made you to be. (As long as what you feel God made you to be doesn't contradict Scripture.) You don’t necessarily have to explain yourself. You have certain preferences. Be flexible, willing to hear other views, but allow yourself to have your own preferences and don’t let anyone bully you into changing. Or even try to bully you into changing.
To illustrate, I’ll tell you something about the presenter Tuesday night. She’s “billed” with a first initial, a middle name, and a last name. Most of us are used to people using a first and last name and maybe a middle initial. Maybe the speaker from Tuesday’s seminar doesn’t like her first name, but for whatever reason, she never divulged her first name. When someone asked what the initial stood for, she simply said, “(It stands for) my first name.” No explanations. No apologies. I inwardly applauded her for not caving in to the expectation to provide her first name or the reason she uses only her first initial. In short, she was true to herself. I admire that, and I’m glad she gave me a little reminder to do the same, even if that wasn’t her intention.
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