Sorry for the break
I apologize for the break – I have been working on several projects, and dropped the blogging for a bit. I’ve also been going through a bit of a rough time lately, and did not feel comfortable blogging about it.
Blogs are supposed to be positive, in my opinion, otherwise they turn into sad diary entries. The common perception of family and friends is that I have stayed very positive in the face of staggering adversity (in their words of course). Whatever the opinion is, I had a lot of external reasons to be sad. I like to have some sort of a message to pass on to others, and “I’m really sad, look at me” just does not cut it any more.
With that said, I am back, and have been applying for jobs. How about this economy? It seems that there are tons of jobs out there, but there are many more unemployed that are applying for these jobs, if one believes the nightly news. I am a bit worried about not having worked for the past year, but something is bound to turn up.
Maybe that should be my message for today. So here it goes – if you are unemployed and want to work for someone, keep applying. My personal goal is to apply for 100 jobs, and after that I feel fairly confident of gaining at least one contact for further information. Got it? 100 apps means 1 interview – so apply for as many jobs as possible. Also, do not be afraid to let close friends and family friends that you are currently applying and would love any tips regarding job openings.
Wondering what to do while you are looking and have free time? Organize your place further, pursue a hobby, learn a new language (I recommend the immersion-type Berlitz cd’s), volunteer, start or upgrade a blog, start a new social group (such as one focused on books, movies, entertaining, or all of the above), get in touch with every friend that you have, put together photo albums from digital photos, and so on.
Remember how it felt when you were working to have so many interests and no time to pursue them? Here’s your chance – so get to it!
Learning to access hidden parts of the brain
I am learning to draw. Correction – I am re-learning how to draw. My first attempt was not a success. It was a basic art class – and I usually ended up going to the teacher to correct my assignments. It was no surprise that I was not approved for Art 2.
This time around, I am learning on my own using a book “Drawing On the Left Side of the Brain”. The idea behind the theory is fabulous. The author states that “Drawing is not really very difficult. Seeing is the problem, or, to be more specific, shifting to a particular way of seeing.” Interesting, no? He goes on to say “You may feel that you are seeing things just fine and that it’s the drawing that is hard. But the opposite is true,” and by making a mental shift, one can “open access by conscious volition to the right side of your brain in order to experience a slightly altered mode of awareness. The key to learning to draw, therefore, is to set up conditions that cause you to make a mental shift to a different mode of information processing – the slightly altered state of consciousness – that enables you to see well.”
I’ve just started reading the book, and have yet to start the exercises, but the before/after results look promising!
Another book I’m reading “Embracing the Wide Sky”, covers the mysteries of the brain. I am all for the neuroplasticity theory regarding the brain (that the brain can be modified through different forms of learning) and have been trying a few exercises lately. Logic puzzles help me to become more left-brained (I can be hopelessly right-brained and scattered when organization and logical analysis are called for) so why not art classes.
In other news, we have had two meetings of the texas hold-em club, and those have gone well. I still hope to get better versed at craps. We just returned from a trip to Greece and Turkey, and I am currently getting back up to speed in prep for work again. So there are a lot of pots on the flame right now – let’s see how many entrees come to fruition! Wish me luck!
Amy
Gambling the right way
My current goal is to learn how to play craps, mah-jong, and Texas Hold-Em (the PROPER way). On that note, I found a great article at the art of manliness by a former professional gambler. Check it out:
http://artofmanliness.com/2009/06/19/an-introduction-to-the-art-of-gambling/
I’m working to start up a club or something that will keep me goal-oriented. Let’s see how that goes.
On that note, Carla, our friend at www.thesingingpatient.com, recommended the site www.goalsguy.com for help with setting and reaching goals.
I checked it out, and the book called “Ignite your reticular activating system” sounds interesting, among others in the catalog! Please check them both out if you are so inclined!
Amy
Feeling rich while saving money, and a tip on cutting back on expenses
I found this great article while surfing life remix on the web today:
The article is about feeling rich while living frugally. What are your requirements for feeling like you are not going without while you are? I can tell you my criteria: as long as my hair looks good, my clothes and shoes are decent, and I have a really nice purse, I feel fabulous – the amount of money that I can spend is immaterial. Of course, this requires money upfront for the nice purse and maintenance costs to keep up with current fashions and have your hair trimmed regularly, but it is so worth it to me. Yes, I’m appearance-oriented, aren’t you? Isn’t everyone, regardless of how much we are told that appearances don’t matter? Of course, you are a different person.
So what do you need in order to feel rich?
Whatever it is, do it! No matter what the requirements are for you, I recommend that you do your best to meet them. What reason do you have to stay away from this state of happiness? Restraining yourself? What good does that do except kept you from feeling your happiest?
In these tough economic and political times, it’s important for us to stay positive and continue to have fun every waking minute that we can! Cut back where you can, but spend your money where it counts, on what is important to you and your family. Set up a fun or happiness fund if you need to, and save up for your dreams while you cut back on what you can.
I recently watched an Oprah show that featured Suze Ormon, and one of the techniques that she recommended for cutting back on expenses was to try not eating food outside of the home for a month. This seems like a tough challenge, but then if you think about it, even spending money on some deli items to fill your refrigerator each week is cheaper than eating out regularly, even twice a week. My family and I are taking this challenge. I can’t promise that we will be successful, but we are trying. Of course, food is not the most important thing to each of us. If eating at restaurants is something that you must have in order to feel fulfilled, you might want to skimp on something else, such as your clothing, gas, or cable expenses. Whatever they are, find a corner that you can cut – even eliminating a $5 cable expense will make you feel stronger. Do it now!
Link to 100 fun things to do and update
Here’s a link to a great blog with 100 fun things to do:
http://www.productivity501.com/100-ways-to-enjoy-life/4469/
For those of you that are interested in an update on the gift, I returned the Kindle and got a purse that I had been eyeing. My sister wasn’t overjoyed that I returned the item that she had researched and really put a lot of thought into getting. I had to remind her that all four of us in our family are notoriously hard to buy for, and that each of us returns everything that we get. Cash just seems to work better – less time wasted.
Now I just need a matching wallet..
Recommendations for the expecting
I have recently overheard two recommendations for women who are either expecting or have newborns. The first is “Babyproofing your marriage” and the second is “The Happiest Baby on the Block” (this also comes as a 30-minute dvd). I have heard the second mentioned on Oprah, and she also had a speech expert who has been able to decode the baby sounds that they make from day 1 to day 30, before the new mom is accustomer to this new language. Check the Oprah website for more details – I have forgotten her name or the name of her dvd.
The Kindle
My sister got me the kindle for my birthday, and I’m currently in the process of returning it. I deliberated a lot over the decision to keep or return it, as it’s an exciting tool to unknown and use, but does it really fit into my lifestyle?
The books that I would buy are each $9.99, which is way more than I usually spend on books. I’m quite thrifty rght now, as I’m not currently working. I get my books from the library, and when possible, book sales for $5 or less.
If I buy something in the future, it would be Apple IPad, which also allows you to surf the web. The price tag is hefty, but I think it would be more worth my while.
Not that there aren’t plenty of free sites that offer kindle books. It just looks like too much trouble to deal with.
I’d welcome feedback from kindle 2 and dx users – I’m curious to hear what others think!
Let’s be more like Jane
I was watching the latest episode of “The Mentalist” last night, and something occurred to me. We can all learn a lesson from Thomas Jane, the bumbling and eccentric former pseudo-psychic on the show. The man is a wonder. There is no murder that he has been unable to solve. And he is able to resolve these puzzles because of his finely-developed attention to detail.
He often comments though, on nature, and asks questions about the plants in whatever neck of the woods the latest murder victim has been found.
We could all take a couple of pages from Jane, in terms of attention to details and an appreciation for the small decorative things in life. How many times have you missed a rainbow, or a full moon, or a tiny salamander darting across your path? We all do it, but why? Is it due to preoccupation with all of the things that occupy our minds, from work, to family, to dinner, to car issue, and so on?
When we take more time to notice the beautiful things as they pass us by, we open ourselves to noticing the little synchronicities that are out there. I’ve started really noticing the nature around me recently, after I started doing yoga regularly. There is so much out there to see!
We don’t have to become investigative detectives, but just incorporating a little Jane into our lives will make them richer. Then the next time a child asks you if you saw the rainbow that just passed by, you can say, in all honesty “I did!”.
The next thing we can emulate is his strict attention to detail. In one of the last few episodes, Jane was able to spot a con-man who was pretending to be a cripple. He noticed that although the man was in a wheelchair, the soles of his shoes were scuffed. He mentioned that he had checked for this millions of times, and that this was the first time he actually caught someone at this game.
Attention to detail is something that extroverts like myself can really improve upon. One way to do this is to just notice your surroundings more. Practice memorizing license plates in front of you, and just start noticing details such as car colors in a parking lot that you are walking through, or the spots on and leash color of a dog that passes with its owner. Pay attention to these details, and practice thinking like a detective every now and then.
I get a little bit add-ey after watching tv, what with the constantly changing images, and this trick helps to undo some of that for me. Just a quick tip for my fellow social butterflies..
Fabulous walk
We had a really great time at the walk today! I was impressed at how organized the Lupus Foundation was, and was so glad that we had a team shirt (red) and buttons with our team name. People really went all out with team shirts and messages! I just thought we would all show up in our t-shirts and work out pants and walk – I guess I’ve finally been initiated to my first walk.
We had about 30 of our close friends and family show up, which was fabulous, as we’ve only been planning for the last week or two to attend this event! We took them afterward to a brunch at Sweet Tomatoes, and had birthday cupcakes.
My sister made a surprise trip to town just to help out with the organization and attend the event, which I guess was a big deal in our family.
My request of the day, is to please get involved in the charity of your choice if you currently have the time and resources. It really means a lot to anyone that is affected, and any money raised goes to a good cause, which is way better than spending it on more stuff for yourself that you don’t need! I know that the current economic times are difficult, but it’s still possible – if necessary, just give a little less than you would otherwise.
We raised a decent amount of money for Lupus Research today, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank everyone that makes donations of time and money to causes.
Harry Potter is mesmerizing
What is it about Harry Potter that is so mesmerizing? I don’t know if it’s unique to me, but I can watch any Harry Potter movie at any time and become fully enthralled immediately. Does anyone else feel this way?
In other news, tomorrow is the Lupus Walk. It’s a fairly short distance – the main incentive is to raise money to fund further lupus research. Please wish us luck – we should have a fairly good turnout for our team!
Catching Amy 