Job Searching

I've been spending the past few weekends job searching...so as you can guess, the stress is getting to me. But there's a silver lining to this story. I'm getting better at breaking down big jobs into smaller tasks. For example, completing a whole online job application, plus resume, and detailed cover letter is a total pain. I dread doing it, and in the past I would have wasted time just hoping that some random person would walk up to me on the street and offer me a dream job. Alas, that hasn't happened yet. So here I am filling out the dreaded job applications. But I have a new strategy, break down the application into manageable parts. I make teeny tiny goals, so that I can get through the goal and keep my motivation high. For example, I make lists of possible references and contact them. Then I may write the first paragraph of a cover letter. Slowly but surely I get the task accomplished, and it doesn't feel like the big bad application that I thought it was!

Another good strategy is to switch tasks every 45 minutes, so that you don't get bored. I get lots of small projects accomplished (like writing a blog post in between job applications!) and I don't feel like I've been toiling away all day without being productive.

Acupuncture!

I had a great day today learning about acupuncture on the West Bank. Chris and Kathy showed me a behind the scenes glimpse of how they run their practice, and I even got to talk nutrition with one of their patients. The best part was reminiscing with Kathy about our favorite food trucks in Portland...Thai from a Vanagon and delicious pizza from a '70's camping trailer.

Hidden Stressors

The older I get, the more I realize that there are many things that I do not have control over...the weather, the traffic, whether Whole Foods is out of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I know that I cannot control the humidity and therefore I am able to stop complaining and just turn on the AC. It's not my job to control the weather, I just have to react to what it brings.

However, in between the things that I have control over and things that I don't have control over lurks a hidden stressor: things that you think you have control over when really you are helpless. This includes a wide variety of garden variety annoyances that crop up everyday and I'm forced to battle back against not only these unseen forces, but also my own attachment and need for control.

So the question for today is, 'What do you do when you've done your best to prepare for a certain outcome, but life still throws you a curveball that you didn't see coming?'

New Posts

Well it's been a while since I've written. I'm still trying to find my blogging voice I suppose. I'll just have to keep writing and see what happens!