An Interesting Turn of Events

Its kind of crazy how fast things can change and how quickly we are shaken back to reality. The job news wasn't so great. Still holding out hope for some good news soon, though. Keeping my fingers (and toes, and arms, and legs, and whatever else I can cross) crossed. In the meantime, I'm getting back on the horse and starting my search again. I'm GOING TO keep a positive attitude about it and KNOW that I will be starting my wonderful new job soon and it won't matter anymore.

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON!

And I'm going to keep saying this over and over and over again, and learn as much as I possibly can from the past and move forward. That's the only place to go, right? Here is to working on resumes, updating my social media blitz and hoping that wonderful potential employer finds me in the stack of the resumes....

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Patience is a Virtue

While I wait patiently for some news on the job front, I went back through the last few blogs and realized that I was on a good path with the inspirational quotes of the week! I follow a few different "inspiriational" twitters and really enjoying reading their snipits of wisdom each day.

And then other days, you already feel awesome and just have to show it! Tuesday has been a good day - a slow day without any escalations (thus far, knock on wood) and I'm loving it! Ready to hit the gym to burn off the chili I had for lunch and the possible 'make your own' frozen yogurt that I am currently craving!! And then to read my book club book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I just found this site http://henriettalacksfoundation.org/ too that I'll be passing along to the Lit Girls. Super interesting!

And now back to work, lunch break is over.

Lost, in a good way!

Hello!
Sorry for the long gap in posts... its been an exciting month to say the least! I didn't get one of the positions I was so positively sure I would get (until the 2nd interview). I didn't "bring my game," as the kids would say. Actually, I would wager to say that interview was an exhibition of WHAT NOT TO SAY OR DO on an interview. I really have no idea what my problem was that day, but I bombed it. Anyhoo!

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON and I have proof! My dream job asked me to come in for an interview a week later. And after a scheduled 3.5 hr interview turned into 4 hours last week, today they asked me for references. So this means that I at least made it to the final round. FINGERS AND TOES CROSSED, PEOPLE!

I think the best move I could have EVER made in my job search was contacting Harrison College's Career Services (as they offer this for LIFE to all alumni) and got a Career Coach! She is amazing! (I have actually had 2 so far, as the first one took another job at a different college, but they have both been amazing and henceforth will both be referred to just as "she/her.") She helped me, first of all, with my confidence in the interview stage. I think this is where I was losing it mostly - not being assure of myself enough to really project that outwardly. Next, was helping to keep my professionalism during the interview. Because I am such a people person and love talking to folks, I tend to let go of the uber-straight-laced persona and relax and let my hands do the talking. Not what I want to let "Interview Carly" do. And plus when the folks who are interviewing you are super nice and make you feel so comfortable, its difficult not to let your professionalism go. But I am much better at holding on to it in a setting that calls for it! Thanks to my Career Coach from Harrison College! She gave me some other helpful hints that I think made me stand out from the other candidates!

Even if things don't work out with this position, I have learned a LOT about myself, what to do to stand out, what not to do to stand out, and how to move on to the next interview. All are invaluable pieces of information that I will hold with me until this journey is over.

Dont want to jinx it

So I have been MIA the last week, as I have been focusing on the job hunt and preparing for interviews. Its been paying off, as I have had 2 first round face to face interviews and going back for second round interview this week! I cant wait! I want this job! Its perfect for me and I think I'm perfect for it as well! The company is amazing - from what I can tell from the website and the interview with the supervisor for the position. Its a company that you can be proud to work for - as they do direct marketing for fundraising for nonprofits. I mean, how could you not be supportive of that! And the ATL location just went to casual dress code - hello jeans year round! They also have half day summer Fridays - but are championing to go to half day Fridays year round - Heck yeah! I worked this schedule when I first started at CAIC, and it was awesome! But that was back in day of 8 hr working with hour lunches and 2 15 min breaks each day and no stress, no take home work. Ah, those were the days. I say that, but I'm actually excited at the potential to be in a fast paced work environment, and a little stress to keep my motivated and ambitious to show all that I have to offer!

This week is going to be about preparing for the second round interview - with 2 team members of the position and meeting with the VP of the team as well during a 2 hr interview. (I know that probably sounds very vague but I dont really want to go into more detail than that about the position and the company, no jinxing!). Also this week I'm going to do my best to stick to the healthy lifestyle all week long. See, I think if I can do good (ie eating fruits and veggies and no fried or processed foods and exercising at least 30 mins daily) Sunday through Thursday, then I give myself Friday and Saturday to let loose. I always think I'll still stay semi good, but no, I go totally crazy Friday and Saturday with burgers, fries, pizza, beer, and soda. Gotta work on that. And I will!

Here is to making this short week an awesome one!

Music is One of the Best Blessings

I love music!

It really does make me feel better, stronger, calmer, and just plan ole awesome! I have a pretty wide range of musical tastes - from 50's Motown to 70's Southern Rock, from 80's pop and hairbands to 90's grunge, not to mention the different genres of music like rock-n-roll, mellow, alternative rock, country, heavy metal, rap, hip hop, punk, poppy-punk, and blues.

But you can keep the country music classified as such after 2000 and also the Emo craze that swept through college campuses in early 2000's as well. The point being, I love so much music, that I am never left with the thought of "oh, what do I listen to next, now??" Because there is ALWAYS something to listen to!

Most recently, I have been loving the ladies of "ROCKINROLL" which is my term for it. They are rockin' it out, and I'm feelin' it! I have found that I need to have loud, rockin' music blaring in my car on the drive to and from work each day and blaring in my headphones at the gym. In the morning, this helps me to wake up and on the way home, it helps to keep me calm in the midst of all the stupid traffic in Atlanta. At the gym, this music MAKES me run, and run farther and harder. I just love the way it feels! I do also wish I could sing at the top of my lungs, but I'm not sure the fellow gym members would appreciate that... :)

The ladies of RockinRoll who I love the most right now, are The Donnas and their most recent CD Bitchin'. Its awesome! I don't know why this CD didn't get more recognition??

The boyfriend pointed out that they are definitely channeling RATT from the 80's on this one. I think I first fell in love with them when I was 21. They are pretty much my age and have been making music and recording and putting out "CDs" since they were 13 and 14. I have all of them! And you can definitely tell when the major studios came into play and they learned their instruments better and enhanced their singing voices. Overall, they were still kicking ass in 1994 with their first albums though. However, now its a more polished sound, and I love it just as much as I loved what sounded like what was recorded in their garage on the first few albums.

I do need to point out that my love of the Ladies of RockinRoll blossomed during my days as co-host of the GirlsGirlsGirls radio show on the USC college station WUSC-FM 90.5 with my BFF Jessie back in 2004-2005. As you can tell it was female focused - we only played songs from female vocalist fronted groups. And there are actually a TON out there, most of them are pretty obscure, so you have to hunt to find them. I found a LOT of (new to me) music through doing this radio show, which I am eternally grateful for! (ps: Thanks Jessie for talking me into doing it!)

Music can enhance so many areas of our lives, its unbelievable until you start thinking about it more. Its basically finding something that makes you happy and that influences EVERY part of your mind, body, personal life, professional life. I love it and know I need to embrace it more in my life, I'm working on it... You should too...find your love within the sound waves and focus on it, explore it, and grow with it!

Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.
Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents.-Ludwig van Beethoven

Without music, life would be a mistake. -Friedrich Nietzsche

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination, and life to everything.-Plato

Expectation vs. Disappointment

I think I need this Inspirational Quote more than anything today! I have a really hard time with "getting ideas in my head" (aka expectations) and then not dealing well with the disappointment that comes from the fail of the expectation. My uncle used to say "what leads to disappointment? Expectations." Simple enough, and that was his mantra repeated to his daughter throughout her life. I think we can all agree that this seems like an easy enough way of thinking to take us through life.

But its SO DIFFICULT not to expect that loving hand on your shoulder when you're having a bad day, or that job that you are SO PERFECTLY qualified for, or that recognition for bringing (what could have been a huge) issue to light, or that the dishwasher would be emptied and new dirty dishes replaced and the kitchen cleaned up because you cooked dinner the night before.

But no, you don't get it and then you're disappointed, because you had created in your mind all of the great and wonderful things that WERE going to come from those expectations.... And that's the harsh reality of it.

I think it is also fair to say that when we keep our expectations low, the disappointment is few and far between, but then we're faced with the question of - SO DO I SET HIGH GOALS FOR MYSELF? And then also, with keeping the bar low, are we settling for what is less than what we deserve? Its a tricky and hard road to travel.
I am kind of at a loss when it comes to those posed questions above. What is the best way to deal with it? To get over it? To not do it at all and still keep aspirations alive? If I figure it out, I'll let ya know!

Everything Happens for a Reason

If you know me, then you know this is my most infamous regurgitation of words: "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON." And most times, its followed by "we may not realize it today or tomorrow or even 5 years from now, but in the long run, this is what was meant to be."

There are a few things I have actually learned in life - as life lessons. The most important is - see above - the second is everything in life is a trade-off, and the third is to take ownership - of your work, your self, and your actions/reactions.

Example of trade-offs in the workplace: your resume keeps piling up experiences that can push you over the edge into multiple categories of positions now than just a year ago. BUT you are doing the work of three people, your days went from an easy 8 hours with an hour lunch break to a strenuous 10-12 hours without a lunch break, and you're not getting paid any higher for it. The trade-off is you are adding to your resume. You are proving to yourself what you can handle and what is not worth handling in the future. This is not a terrible balance.

Example of trade-offs in relationships: Your friend may date that guy who seems awesome, they cuddle in the corners at restaurants, he brings home flowers to her when she has a bad day, and he brings her breakfast in bed on the weekends. BUT he also yells at her for being uncultured, cheats on her when he's out of town, and frequently visits the strip club. Yeah, everything in life is a trade-off and nothing is perfect, as much as it may seem on the surface. (Disclosure: that was not one friend's experience with a significant other, but rather a mixture of friends' experiences.) The point being, you take the good with the bad - however much of the bad you can handle - and weigh it against the good. Often times its not as dramatic as what was described above, but sometimes it is. Its all about listening to yourself and what is important and what is not - what could you live with if it meant living without that person?

Example of taking ownership in the workplace. This is the hardest lesson for someone who is an overachiever, perfectionist, and stubborn to learn. Believe me. When I finally realized the importance of this lesson, it was mind blowing and eye opening. I would rank this as one of my strengths and my best professional qualities. I will admit a mistake, find a way to fix it, resolve the issues and move on. And laugh about it. Gotta laugh about it and keep that mistake as a point of reference for what not to do in the future!

Example of taking ownership in relationships: Sometimes I put my foot in my mouth. Gotta own up to it. Sometimes I say things that I dont want thrown back in my face at a later date and time during a disagreement. The significant other has gotta take ownership for that.

And of course this all ties into those fantastic four words: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON! There are no mistakes, just experiences to teach you not to do it that way again. There are no perfect relationships, just the perfect person for you.

Tuesday is upon us, so let's make it a great day! And one that is remembered for all of the great things we have to offer!