Day 6 - Nostalgia

Needs, Wants, Values, Goals...Throughout this journey there have been little factors that have made a BIG impact on my life decisions.

I like to refer back to Maslow's Hierarchy often, being that I DO believe these basic needs serve as a backdrop for the .....scratch that!

Motivation.

What the Hell is it? Why is it so clear for some and so varying for others? How does it change? Why can it stop you from apologizing to your ex for keying his car...and yet lead you to your local homeless shelter every Thanksgiving to volunteer your time?  

There are diagrams galore and self-help seminars around every corner to help you understand the motivations of others and how to use them to your advantage. 

Now if we talk about motivation...we must talk about EMOTIONS. Why? Because the vast majority of our social and dare I say entrepreneurial decisions are made on impulse. Exhibit A: Fast food Chains.

When I was a little girl my grandfather used to meet my mom half-way between our city and where he lived and we ALWAYS met at the same McDonald's off the interstate. Every time we went I would beg my grandpa for a Strawberry Sundae. Mmmm...doesn't that just make you want one now?

To this day I love those stinkin' things. Why, certainly not because Mickey D's is a top notch rival in the soft serve business, and most assuredly not because I love ice cream that much because I don't even eat them anymore. But why...because it reminds me of my grandpa. Since he passed away in 1994 going to Mackie's and ordering a Strawberry Sundae will forever leave me nostalgic for the precious time we spent together as a young child. 

Case in point: Our decisions are based in strong emotions which are easily influenced by people, places, ideas and experience. 

Take some time to review your motivations today. Recognize what picks you up when you're down, what pushes you when you're ready to give up, what keeps you banging your head against that invisible wall called F.E.A.R. -

 WHAT IS IT?!

What would you do if you found out that the very thing you do to make money today could prevent you from making money in the future?

Day 5 - Other Peoples Opinions

I have a great, fun, and loving extended family, that is genuinely concerned with my well-being, present and future. I recently had a visit from one of my favorite uncles. We meet whenever he's in town and I usually update him on my latest project or idea, for sound advice and feedback. Today, we met for breakfast and I simply couldn't wait to spill the beans about my newest venture: Putting in my two-weeks notice at work.


The response did not come quite as expected. Here's what he sent me as a follow-up to our meeting:

Dear Niece,

Please read the article below. This is why I don't think that it's the wisest decision to quit your job now.

I know that you think it will be easy to find another job. So, did these folks.  And, non profits are especially having a hard time in this economy. God has blessed you and you need to pray that God wants you to make this move. Don't lean on your own understanding. Remember, there is a way that seems right to men...

Btw-What's your student loan balance? 

Love ya, 

Uncle  

Sent from my iPad

Now, from here I can assume one of two things.
1) He does not want me to default on my student loans.
2) He thinks I will not find another job.


or both.

Here's what he doesn't know:
1) I am already that 1 out of 2 graduate that is working in a job that does not use any of my graduate skills...


"I don't even know what I'm looking for," says Michael Bledsoe, who described months of fruitless job searches as he served customers at a Seattle coffeehouse. The 23-year-old graduated in 2010 with a creative writing degree."


2) The people mentioned in this article have no work experience... BA in creative writing? BA in biology? These degrees clearly require higher ed certification.  See link for article here.


After a short deliberation I turned to a readily available resource: My best friend. 

Here's what she rationalized:

"If not now, then when IS a good time to start over?

While this info is certainly true, I think it's a matter of generational difference that fuels the message that people should hold on to a job that they hate because it pays well. 

I think prayer is functional/vital in giving you clearheaded-ness and making a wise decision, but no matter if you understand God as a spirit living within you or an external presence shaping your path when it boils down to it, the "words" that the "voice" will "speak" originate in your heart and are pushed from your gut based on the beliefs that you have .

It seems that at least a portion of the Christian guidance that your uncle is pointing you towards is based in  honesty, and duty, and patience, and gratitude for the blessings that you have.

While patience and gratitude are invaluable virtues, resigning to familiarity for security's sake is a fault. 

Ultimately, he seems supportive, but very practical and by the book, and while those personality types often have great advice and insight to offer, they're never in full support of your decisions if they stray off the beaten path too much.

It's good to hear a perspective that differs from your own because it can help you consider things that you hadn't, and it can also make you feel more strongly about the reasons why you feel the way you do."

At the end of the day, this decision is something I will have to rationalize and find contentment with for myself. I appreciate everyone's suggestions and thoughts, however as I have once heard:

"Accept good advice gracefully as long as it doesn’t interfere with what you intended to do in the first place." - Gene Brown

Day 4 - Playin' Hookey

Monday is the beginning of the work week. On Sunday night everyone goes to bed early in great anticipation and excitement about the workload to come on Monday morning. Well, if that's you, good job. I, however was not feeling so inclined and this Monday I decided to play hookey.

Okay, so it's a bit rebellious this early in the game...but shucks...why not?

*Sidenote: If you have a long running history of abruptly calling off and being generally unreliable, this technique may not work in your favor. At the least, however, you may get some new ideas. :-)

Tip #1: Use your vacation.

At my job we are awarded 17 vacation days annually; this includes 10 actual vacation days and 7 of what they call "choicetime" days. These are expected to be used for emergencies and in lieu of sick days. They can be taken in half- or full day increments. I prefer to take all vacation days in full. I never get sick, rarely call off and felt a bit self righteous after what I considered to be too short of a weekend. So, I simply called off.

Now, at this step, your work will not suspect you will be leaving soon and will likely grant you the time off you need. My excuse: An unexpected allergic reaction. Yup. That's right. Puffy swollen eyes, bright red cheeks, with a touch of vomiting.

*This actually did happen on Sunday night, (the cause of which is still unknown and was actually kind of scary) but subsided a few hours later after treating my face with raw aloe vera, drinking plenty of water spritzed with lemon and resting.

You can use other excuses such as the following:
Bladder Infection
Cramps (female)
Diarrhea - by far the best! - (except when it's true)
Dizziness
Fainting
Fever/Cold/Sneezes
Upset stomach
Family emergencies
Food Poisoning...and so on.

The simpler the better and the more believable. Try it. (evil grin)

Or don't. But moral of the story, in preparation to leave your job, try to use as many of your vacation days as possible. You've worked hard to earn those days, that time, and ultimately money, so don't throw them away.

Day 3 - High-paying Hobbies

Good Afternoon World!~

So, I'll tell you why I love the weekends:

1) No rules. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want, for any length of duration as you see fit and pleasing.

2) Brunch. Who said vegetables are only for dinner and eggs for breakfast? One two-egg-white Swiss cheese, tomato and avocado omelette, with multi-grain pancakes and agave nectar on the side... coming right up! Yes.

3) Productivity. Somehow, when able to dictate my own timetable I find myself to be more productive. That is to say, in areas that I value such as cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, meditation and general preparation for the week...which leaves me with that much more time to do whatever pops into my free-flowing mind. Freedom.

- Day 3 of the 43-day journey to freedom and I am in full effect. I plan to set up my empire and stream multiple means of income: Way #1 - Yoga.

I have been a certified Yoga instructor on and off going on six years now. I have taught for universities, students, faculty, staff, volunteer programs, athletic programs, dance studios, children's yoga, yoga for the elderly and am currently studying on maternity yoga. *You have to look really close to find me in this picture ;-)

I enjoy it. I have fun. I would teach even if I wouldn't get paid to do so. It's a way to share my lifestyle with others in a safe and encouraging environment. No stress, no pressure and full acceptance however you come.

One concern: they say that when you love something you should keep it your hobby, and that when you switch it over to a source of income, your love for that hobby will decrease.

Now I don't know who THEY are, but if I had to guess, I would venture to say they also don't know what it feels like to actually LOVE what you do. Just saying. I'm at least willing to try it. Seems like a win-win to me. Never really thought of doing it full-time...but why not?

Now not to say I'm going to get rich off teaching yoga...granted, I am in no way seeking to be a millionaire...though the effects of that amount of wealth would leave me a vast means to help others and share knowledge, I AM open to the possibility. haha. Think about it though, what hobby do you have that you could turn into a full-time gig?

I have, however, decided it is high time to turn this hobby into a habit; one that I can count on to keep my lights running. :-)

You may take about 15 minutes today and do a little journaling.

Ask yourself...what would I do if I wouldn't get paid for it?

It may lead you to your next bill-paying hobby. 

Day 1 - Friday Morning Encouragement

I'm sure most of you have heard about Jack Canfield, the author of the Chicken Soup series and many other publishings. I stumbled across this excerpt on bragg.com, (a website where you can purchase Apple Cider Vinegar, that discusses many ailments that it can cure, more on that later) where he highlights multimillionaire John Demartini and his journey to freedom.

I decided to share this as inspiration to do something different and to remind you that your current situation does not define your life ambition. You have options. Enjoy!

- Jack Canfield Best-selling author

Jack Canfield relates how multi-millionaire Dr. John Demartini's life was changed by an encounter with Dr. Paul Bragg in his best-seller, The Success Principles, Chapter 15, pp. 123-124:

Multimillionaire Dr. John Demartini is a resounding success by anyone's standards. He's married to a beautiful and brilliant woman-Athena Starwoman, the world-famous astrologer who consults and writes for 24 well-known magazines, including Vogue. Together, they own several homes in Australia. And they spend over 60 days a year together circumnavigating the globe in their $3 million luxury apartment onboard the $550 million ocean liner World of ResidenSea—a residence they purchased after selling their Trump Tower apartment in New York City.

The author of 54 training programs and 13 books, John spends the year traveling the world speaking and conducting his courses on financial success and life mastery. But John didn't start out rich and successful. At age 7, he was found to have a learning disability and was told that he would never read, write, or communicate normally. At 14, he dropped out of school, left his Texas home and headed for the California coast. By 17 he had ended up in Hawaii, surfing the waves of Oahu's famed North Shore, where he almost died from strychnine poisoning. His road to recovery led him to Dr. Paul Bragg, a 93- year-old man who changed John's life by giving him one simple affirmation to repeat: "I am a genius and I apply my wisdom."

Inspired by Dr. Bragg, John went to college, earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Houston and later his doctoral degree from the Texas College of Chiropractic. When he opened his first chiropractic office in Houston, John started with just 970 square feet of space. Within 9 months, he'd more than doubled that and was offering free classes on healthy living. When attendance grew, John was ready to expand again. It was then he took a leap that changed his career forever. "It was Monday" John said. "The shoe store next door had vacated over the weekend." What a perfect lecture hall, John thought as he quickly phoned the leasing company. When no one called him back, John concluded they weren't going to rent the space soon, so he took a leap. "I called a locksmith to come out and open up the place," John said. "I thought the worst thing they would do was charge me rent."

He quickly transformed the space into a lecture hall and within days was holding free talks there on a nightly basis. Because the space was located right next to a movie theater, he added a loudspeaker so moviegoers could hear his lectures as they walked to their cars Hundreds began attending classes and eventually became patients.

John's practice grew rapidly. Yet nearly 6 months went by before the property manager came to investigate. "You've got a lot of courage," the manager said. "You remind me of me." In fact, he was so impressed with John's daring, he even gave John 6 months' free rent! "Anybody that has the courage to do what you did deserves it," he told him. The manager later invited John down to his office, where he offered him a quarter of a million dollars a year to come work for him. John turned it down because he had other plans, but it was a huge validation of his courage to act.

Taking a leap helped John build a thriving practice, which he later sold to begin consulting full time with other chiropractors. "Taking that leap opened up a doorway for me," John said. "If I'd held back ... if I had been cautious ... I wouldn't have made the breakthrough that gave me the life I live today."

Canfield, Jack. The Success Principles. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-06-059488-8 © 2005 Jack Canfield

Welcome

Ode to an Afterlife.

This blog is dedicated to the enchantment, wonder and mystery that lies beyond; that we all dream about every day. We sit in our cubicles, go to our weekly meetings, clock in and out mundanely and watch the world go by outside our window. Every once in a while, in a quiet space on our annual paid week of vacation, we delight in the freedom of our imagination and think "This is great. What if I could be on vacation ALL the time...? Nah, that's impossible." So down-trodden and desolate, we come back down to 'reality', retreat to our offices and begin responding to emails and approving time sheets once again.

This blog will serve as inspiration and motivation for the educated, hard-worker that wants more. What is life really like without the security of a steady paycheck every two weeks? How is a life of financial freedom possible? Where do you go when you step outside your comfortability into the unknown? Who's out there? How will you survive? How will you eat? Pay bills? Live? What will happen...nobody knows.

I plan to reveal the mystery.

I am embarking on a 43-day journey...to quit my job. Yes, that's right. I'm motha-f*****g quitting. Done. Out. Peace. See-ya.

This blog will chronicle my journey to release, to the unknown, to that invisible place of joy and enlightenment...to see what else there is out there. Join me. Or just read along.


*Disclaimer* Knowledge and awareness can only come from within. I am not responsible for any abrupt decisions or rash lapses of judgement as a result of reading these posts. Please understand everyone is at a different level of acceptance in their journey. If you believe freedom is not for you, then perhaps it is not. This is merely MY interpretation of what life can be like and I encourage you to find your place in the race: keep dreaming, be inspired and share with others, or join me as I make moves. Thanks!