blogging – Page 15 – Linda Nelson

Over six month ago I faced a life-changing event called unemployment. It was a terrible dilemma to face after working for the same company for almost ten years. The longer a person is employed by a corporation, the more they begin to focus on the little benefits they can take advantage of that is there for those who are dedicated to their work. But when that moment comes along and yanks those sought after benefits away, you begin to ask why?

Why did I stay so long if this was going to happen to me?

Did I just waste ten years of my life for nothing?

Image courtesy of creative commons license By: Eli Christman – CC BY 2.0 via flickr.com

I hate being pessimistic. I’m optimistic. So I took full advantage of the unemployment services and paid attention to those we were to report to once a month for that monthly meeting. When the employment counselor said that I had become unemployable, that hurt. I had all that experience and nothing to show for any of it. Were all those core competencies I had learned been in vain?

Apparently, I had obtained more skills than I knew. This I learned when I went back to school and was questioned what I wanted to do with my life. Here I am, six months later reflecting on what I have learned from my Career and Image class.

All those years, as George Martin quoted to Jon Snow, “You know nothing,” I learned that I know more than I thought I knew. All those things I took for granted as skills that everyone must have, but don’t.

My unemployment experience has made me make the decision to bridge the gap in my employment skills. This gap wasn’t as wide as I once thought it to be. My journey in education is exciting, more so than I had ever dreamed of it to be. I may not have the time I once had to do all the things I want to do, but this will change. I only need to give up about six years of my life to dedication to my education.

In the meantime, I can’t cut off my writing career. There appears to be a bridge between having enough time and no time. How odd.

The more time I had on my hands, the less I wanted to write. The less time available, the more I am dying to put words to white screen.

Journeys are nothing more than wandering paths of crossing rivers, streams, and mountaintops. I recently crossed that bridge and now I hope my path will lead me to the peak of Mount Works of Satisfaction. It will be a long hike to the top, but I know I can make it all the way with determination and discipline, and any encouragement I find along the way.

Everyone likes now, right?

Instant gratification. We all want this, every

one of us. Win the lottery and instantly become a millionaire. Everyone’s dream.

What is wrong with now?

When I was growing up, we worked for what we wanted. We waited and saved our pennies until we could afford that car or shoes we dreamed of buying. Today’s generation is different. They must fear missing an opportunity whatever that might be.

They have to party hard, now, or miss the opportunity to make themselves look foolish and feel sick in the morning.

They have to get high now or miss their chance to feel wasted. – Waste of money, not time.

They need to spend all their money as soon as they have it in hand.

When they were told to live in the now, I don’t think this is what was meant.

Image courtesy of creative commons license By: Iain Watson – CC BY 2.0via flickr.com

Living in the now means to stop and live in the now. What?

Stop what you are doing right now and listen very closely. Identify every sound around you. Focus on that sound. This could be the wind blowing outside, the rain hitting your tin roof, a dog barking off in the distance, or songbirds tweeting at your birdfeeder.

When you do this, it’s a form of living in the now. You will notice negative emotions and anxiety are calmed. Worries are lessened. The longer you stay in the now, the better you will feel. This is sort of like giving your emotions a reboot like you would if you were having trouble with your computer and restarted it to solve the problem.

Living in the now is not what the millenniums think it means. They should have been told to stop and meditate in the now to find peace and comfort from their daily lives.