Stories we tell the world about ourselves

Aha moment. I just read Brazen Careerist's old article Be memorable by telling good stories about yourself . It's a key part of what I've been missing in this job...the story of why I've bounced between two disparate disciples. It's core comes from this article Interview tip: Manage your image by telling good stories.

Some quotes that stand out for me:

• "if you can’t tell people why your prior path and your new path are part of one story, then you probably can’t see it yourself, and that leads to feelings of being confused, lost and insecure – all the feelings that are typical of an uncertain life but do not have to be."
• "A story gives us motivation to help us endure frustration, suffering and hard work”
  

What I've been lacking is my own story that makes a coherent narrative out of my career. Heck if I don't get it, no one else will either! And then, once I have my positive story, I need to believe it with all my heart and soul.

Dwell in the realm of the good

Great Advice from Rob Brezney of Free Will Astrology:

"... (if you) dwell on the good things you have already had the privilege to experience, you will expand your appreciation for their blessings, which in turn will amplify their beneficent impact on your life.

You will also magnetize yourself to receive further good things, making it more likely that they will be attracted into your sphere.

At the very least, you will get in the habit of enjoying yourself no matter what the outward circumstances are."

How often I forget how important it is to have gratitude!

Here's my gratitude list for today:

1. The California Supreme Court has declared that my partner and I are entitled to get married. Landmark decision. I am blessed.
   
2. My financial situation is very stable.
3. Right now, I like my hair, I have pants that fit and I love my glasses.
   
4. I just got a more powerful computer and a kick-ass flat screen monitor.
   
5. My new job will showcase my existing writing skills and help me develop long latent talents.
6. I get 21 hours of vacation a month...and I soon will be vacationing in Hawaii.
7. Tuesday night, I ate the best chicken I've had in my entire life...it was like a fowl religious experience.
   
8. I get to live with an artist and my walls and office are graced with original art.
9. I have a 12 minute commute to work and a dedicated parking space.
   
10. I live on top of a hill.
    

Mantra

Remember the rhyme that you forgot
Remember, remember
Remember the place that you first thought
Remember, remember
Ponder the time you felt you could
Wonder about when you thought you would
Be in that space you should of
Been in if you hadn’t stopped all good

Remember.

Best Kid Memories

I’m writing.  I’m in third grade and the substitute teacher tells us to write
whatever we want to write.  “Write from the heart,” she says.

I write about romantic, ecstatic love between two people…about how these two
people never want to be separated so deep is their passion.  I discover after
she reads it that most of my classmates have written about toy boats or
baseball.

“That’s nice”, she stutters handing it back to me.  I’m terribly embarrassed but
also secretly thrilled that I was more connected to my real feelings than the
other kids.

I’m in seventh grade and  another instructor tells us to write a Thanksgiving
Haiku.  I write about how I am thankful for different things (“music is the
elixir of life”) but mostly I write, I’m thankful for me…because without me,
there’d be nothing for me to be thankful about.

It’s not as conceited as it sounds!
I was trying to get at the existential aspect of being.  Saying that I was glad
to be conscious and alive.  This hyper awareness of life was quite thrilling.
Again, I shocked the teacher and the class who mainly turned in mundane
platitudes appropriate to the season.

So what does this say about me?
I love being different…being on a different wavelength than my contemporaries.

I love writing what is real and authentic without cover of appropriateness.

I love writing, love words and big ideas and finding out things about myself and
expressing them.  I love how my writing allows me to stop hiding behind a nice,
safe exterior and exposes my reality.

And not one inch of my life is like that right now.  And that’s why I keep
ending up so depressed.

Days ahead

It will be hot today...everyone has predicted it. I got up early and listened in the twilight to the bird song...if you get up early enough, it's louder than freeway sounds. Now at 6..., both sounds compete.

I've come to a place of peace with my job (mentioned frequently in my twitter) because of compassion, because where from where I sit there are far less unhappy people surrounding me.

It's funny...we work more here...which is to say, we work more diligently and seemingly get more done. It's not as labor intensive and it requires a much finer level of analysis. For this perhaps and for generally the more genteel atmosphere, it feels less brutal here...actually more feminine. Is this a good thing? Yes and no. It's a change and that's good...but I've been in enough 'girl fights' to know that aggression happens no matter what gender principle holds sway.

Bottom line, I am not in agony here...and this is a good thing.

My horoscope this week from Ralfee Finn

"If you keep the biggest possible picture in mind, you will have the best perspective on certain challenging situations. Remember, this isn’t the time for action, it’s the time for awareness."