Tree Climbing

I tend to have the deepest thoughts at meal time, well when I’m actually eating with others. I’ve been trying to derive a focus for my job applying. I would still love to do almost anything to do with events (except catering, I’ve done that many times) but now I have two branches I’d like to investigate.

Branch One: Non-profit, I really believe that I would strive more and enjoy my work more; if I knew what I was doing was making a positive difference. I want to impact the people I’m working with and for in a positive manner. At the end of the day if I helped them learn something or set them on the path to  learn something, that would be all I would need to feel strong about myself.

Branch Two: (I’ve always wanted to build my own small town business, take an old building breathe new life into it…) I kind of thought I might like owning a bakery… The best way I figured I could decide if this was true was to work in one. So I’ve applied to a few. I would apply to more…but I want to work in one where the bread and cakes don’t come frozen, or prepackaged. I have working in a bakery before, with the frozen pre-made cookies and muffins, it was…unchallenging. I want to work, I want the challenge, I want to get a little messy, and I want to best quality possible to provide to consumers.

Guess I better work on my tree climbing.

Marathon Training Update: I’ve been training at my local Y, about every other day. I’m not yet as disciplined about the times of my routine as I once was, but I’m making progress. My main focus at the moment is being able to run for a half hour straight. I’ve made it to about 25 minutes, before I give in.

Basically right now my whole life is a work in progress.

Trying To Get It Right

It is difficult not to dwell on mistakes; therefore I’ve been in search for various types of distractions. Unfortunately that doesn’t really allow me to deal with the original problem. Upon reflection I’ve realized the wrong turns and unsteady steps that have brought me back to the job hunting field. Now I need to take my lessons, learn from them and face forward once again.

I must:

Slow down

Consider every angle

Follow up

Speak up

These lessons are intertwined and overlap. I’ve learned them all before, I now realize I haven’t learned how to fuse these steps into one useful habit. Practice makes perfect, here goes nothing.

Coaching and Teaching...New To Me

I started my training today for the marathon. I never thought it would be that difficult to run for a half hour straight, but I’m obviously not in the shape I think I am. I made it about twenty minutes before my body gave out on me. I just kept telling myself this is only the beginning, and I’ve got to keep going to reach the place I really want to be, to finish that half marathon.

I’ve also been job hunting. I found one I really like and I think I could really do well in. The only weak part on my experience for this position is that I’m not very familiar with their software, Microsoft Visio. So I did what anyone from my generation would do and “googled” it. I am now the proud owner of the 60 day trial version and I found some training videos on youtube. All this feels very similar to going to school, I like being a student again. Only this time I’m teaching myself.

Am I the Goalie?

I’m home. I’ve unpacked, I’ve even made dinner. I am once again on the hunt for that sought after life creating career. I am happy, because this change gives me the chance to get where I really want to be faster. I want to be near, around, overseeing, and behind events. (Please excuse the excess, I felt the need to practice my prepositions.)

I have often read that potential employers want to know what their potential employees have accomplished, NOT what they have done. Professionally, I would say I have accomplished an average amount of goals, but I would not like to settle for average, I want to excel. Perhaps because personally, I have done many things, and not accomplished as many goals I am less driven than I should be.

In the past personally, I’ve set two goals that I can recall striving for, one is to become healthier in my diet, regular work outs and even doctor visits. This particular goal will always be an ongoing challenge I think, and I relish the thought.  The other goal I set was to find a job before I finished a tube of toothpaste, which is actually the origin of this blog. I completed that goal, but now I cannot say if I did so successfully.

Therefore, I am setting two new goals. 
    ＊                        In the next year I want to be able to run a half marathon. 
    ＊     I want to work towards not only the life I want, but a job I can make a difference in.  (This time there will be no time limit, perhaps I rushed things last time. I will complete the task correctly no matter how long it takes.)

Here's to, Chears to

I haven’t been writing, I won't say I haven’t had time that’s a cop out. I have however been dealing with my choices and my feelings. These last few weeks at work I haven’t felt as though I was properly contributing to the company, so I discussed this with my other co-workers. They kindly encouraged me to keep on trucking and I would figure it out, or get more comfortable in my role. I would love to announce that is exactly what happened.

The truth is, my paper routes, school and other odd jobs did not prepare me for the combination of pressure this particular role provided. Not to say that in time or with more experience I could have excelled as the second in command at this particular position. My trial period was fast approaching its end. So when I had a meeting with my higher management today we agreed, I might be happier elsewhere. If nothing else in a different role, manager I can handle, the rest of it not so much. I won’t even discuss what “it” is; trust me you don’t want to know.

I will continue to follow my dreams although with a bit more caution. I jumped at an opportunity I was naïve enough to think I could handle without much practice. So here’s to practice, to learning, to focus, to dreaming, to living, to doing your best and having no regrets. To moving on and being okay with it.

New Haunts

Happy June!! So much is about to happen not only today but in the next three weeks it’s ridiculous. On my most recent day off, about two days ago, I decided to test my level of courage and took the midnight haunted tour on Mackinac Island. It proved it’s amazing-ness by handing out glow sticks right from the start. The first creepy story was actually about tied to the place I work. A true story even, a guest checkout of the Murray Hotel, at 9am (I don’t remember the year) she was walking to British Landing, when someone came from behind and hit her hard enough in the head to knock out her dental pallet, she was then left for dead. After one of the largest missing person’s hunt in Michigan, a boy scout found her dental pallet. Twenty feet away, they found her body…the killer was never found and could even still be on the island yet. 

Needless to say if you like being spooked, Haunts of Mackinac, is worth checking out.