Archive for June, 2009
Different Approach to Job Hunting
The last time I tried job-hunting the traditional way, I wasn’t able to find anything but McDonald’s. I didn’t have enough experience for a lot of the nicer jobs, or they just weren’t hiring. I did manage to get a better job, but it wasn’t until I changed my approach.
I had always just focused on getting a job. I used to just pick up the wanted ads and call everyone I could. I would hop on a bus, and apply to every group of buildings I saw. I filled out tons of applications, and the only job that helped me get was McDonald’s.
While at McDonald’s I figured that if I couldn’t get McDonald’s right than I was in trouble. So I did everything I could to really do everything I thought McDonald’s should do, and I did it by my standards. I didn’t use the quick sentences with our customers even when I was rushed because I knew that it made a bad impression. At first my manager was upset because this made me a little slower, but I eventually got faster, and customers kept on complimenting my customer service.
When I showed that I could do a good job, and that I did it consistently at a place where no one but the managers were expected to do a good job people started noticing. I didn’t know it than but my next job which was listed as one of the best places to work at would come out of that drive through window.
That was my first experience with networking to job hunt, and now I am at a point where I am going to be job hunting again, and while I have a lot to learn about networking I know that that is the approach I want to take. So here is what I’m doing this time. I’ll let you know how it goes on my blog, and if you have a better idea please leave a comment.
I’m going to be using meetup.com to start clubs, I’m going to be joining clubs, and I’m going to be volunteering. Anywhere that someone can see how I work is what I’m after. Most job hunts these days are done through networks, and I’m going to have to build a new one.
Here is a great post by Penelope Trunk that focuses on many of the points I’m going to be working on so that I can find a job.
Add comment June 30, 2009
Sir Ken Robinson TED talk
I missed posting this morning as the internet was down, and now I really can’t seem to focus enough to write. So instead I’m going to treat you to a great video, by a great author. Enjoy.
Add comment June 29, 2009
Bruce Lee Quotes
Forget his movies the mans life was absolutely amazing. Any insight that this man had is worth listening to. These are some of my favorite things that Bruce Lee said.
It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.
I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.
To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.
Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.
Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.
Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
Time means a lot to me because you see I am also a learner and am often lost in the joy of forever developing.
The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.
The meaning of life is that it is to be lived, and it is not to be traded and conceptualized and squeezed into a pattern of systems.
Art calls for complete mastery of techniques, developed by reflection within the soul.
Everything you do, if not in a relaxed state will be done at a lesser level than you are proficient. Thus the tensed expert marksman will aim at a level less than his/her student.
1 comment June 27, 2009
Justice and Mercy
I’m reading Plato’s Republic for an online class off of academic earth. In the book Socrates and his friends are challenging the old definitions of justice and looking for one that satisfies their reason. Everything else they talk about seems to branch off of this conversation about justice, the advantages/disadvantages of such, and what a just man looks like. While I enjoy reading Socrates I did not agree with all of the conclusions that he and his friends came too, and while I would of very much enjoyed having a discussion with Socrates on some of his ideas that is not the purpose of this post. I would like to talk about justice though.
When asked what law is most important Jesus famously answered with an answer that shows up in every religion, and every culture. To do unto others as you would have them do unto you. To judge others by the same standard that you wish to be judged by. I also believe that things normally work out this way. I’m not sure whether it is all in this world or the next, and I’m not sure how it works, but it is a point of faith for me, and its made me a more patient person.
When I started looking at justice this way, it made me really start getting conscious of my decisions on who was guilty, and than I started thinking that their are a lot of times when I would much prefer that I be judged with mercy. Through this point of view I started realizing that justice and mercy are not opposites, but in many situations, they are one and the same.
The biggest thing I’ve gotten out of this is that I had to ask myself when do I feel that I would deserve a punishment, and what punishment would that be. I than try to put myself in others shoes, and than judge accordingly. I know I’m not perfect at this, but I really do believe that one way or another I will be judged by the standard that I judge others. So justice will come through in the end.
Add comment June 26, 2009
Latent Super Powers
When I was little I really really wanted to be a superhero. I liked the idea of protecting people. I also liked how superhero stories usually had some good lessons like “with great power comes…” oh come on I don’t need to finish that one, and you know it. So I really dived into studying superheroes, and comic books in general. I even ran a comic book group at the Barnes and Noble I worked at for a while. While I was running said discussion group we had an evening that the answers ended up being particularly deep.
The night I went to focus on super powers I was expecting things to be cheesy and we were just going to have a good time. I got more than I expected and I was thrilled. The question I asked was if you could have one super power what would it be, and how does that fit you? The answers went right down to peoples core values, and self-image.
Than it was my turn to share, and I didn’t know what power would of been worth having. Super strength wouldn’t of helped me as I was clumsy, and I would be libel to accidentally hurt someone. Flight would probably end up with me in a laboratory being dissected. Hearing peoples thoughts would be not only a headache but I don’t want to take away that privacy, and than it hit me. Before I ask for more power, even if we were just goofing around, am I using all the powers I have as it is?
We were each born with unique talents, and the ability to add to those talents. But how many of us really know how to use them, or ever use them to their fullest. Honestly if we had extra powers all of the sudden how far would we take them? The answer goes individually, and it should be kept in mind that power is far easier to abuse than to use properly.
In the end I decided that the best power to have, may very well be in my grasp. The power of self mastery… to use all of the powers that I have to the fullest, and more importantly to use them appropriately. I’m trying to learn this power now, and sometimes I do better than other times. So far the powers that I have found so far that we each have are; the power to set limits on ourselves, the power to change those limits, we have the power to reinvent ourselves, and we all have the power to get better, and the power to learn from our mistakes thus turning even defeat into a form of victory. This is what I’ve started with, and its leading on an interesting journey.
May you tap all of your powers, and may this journey go well with you. I’ll keep posting the things that have made a difference for me, and hopefully this will help.
Add comment June 26, 2009
Is Work Blocking Your Life?
When it comes to priorities we may say that something is important to us, but our actions just don’t show it. A quick test to see what your priorities really are? take a look at what you make time for. For most of us it seems to come out to work and career takes precedent over family, over personal dreams, over taking care of health… and the list goes on.
See a problem here? We have only one life that we are absolutely guaranteed. It is limited, and could be over at any second. This does not mean that we should put work completely on the back burner. Making a living is important, having the money to feed ourselves and family is important. What it does mean is that it is much more common for us to ignore the things that we say are important to us in favor of a job that we started working so that we could provide not only for our needs but for the other things that are important to us as well.
If you are valuing work over your own health, than you are drastically hurting your ability to work. If you are racked with guilt all day while you are at work, because you are breaking your promises to your family so that you can work for a boss who will not always be in your life than you are hurting your productivity at work. If you are saying that you can never travel or write a book because you have to work, than when are you going to live your life?
Don’t get me wrong here. Work is not your enemy, doing something productive in trade for the resources necessary to achieve your needs and wants is honorable. Providing for yourself brings freedom, and your boss is not the one who is really stopping you from your goals. Your job is not the thing keeping you from doing the things that you say you really want to. It comes down to a question of what is important to you.
If it is important to you to go on vacation than you can schedule time off, this may mean working a little extra hard for a month so that things go smoothly, but if its important to you, you can make it happen. If your health is important to you, than you can make the time for a Doctors appointment. If your children are important to you, than you can set aside at least one day a weekend to spend with them. This comes down to time management. This comes down to realizing that someday will never come until someday has a calendar date. One of these days does not exist, until you put exactly what day that is and clear it out.
In order to do this you may have to sit down and do some soul-searching. Take a look at the things you have made your priority. Make a record of how you spend the time in your week. Make a list of the things you’ve been wanting to do someday, and either take them off the list, hire someone else to do it, or set a calendar date on it. And not just a calendar date, but get a partner to keep after you and make sure you keep that calendar. It may not be easy, but since when does life come in easy? Since it doesn’t you may find that your excuses for not going after the things that you say are important to you, often don’t hold much water, and when they do maybe there is some rearranging that can be done in your life to make it so that you can still take care of whats important. Again this is your life, and you are only guaranteed one shot at it. As Henry Ford said “You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”
Add comment June 24, 2009
It’s Never Too Late
Sir Ken Robinson Phd. wrote a great book called “The Element” on how successful people from all walks of life, found their calling, and how that impacted their lives. He focuses on the attitudes that these people have in common, and he attacks misconceptions about going after our passions. One of the ideas that he focuses on in this book, that really struck me was that it’s never too late. It is never too late to do something that works with your passion. It is never too late to find a new passion. It is never so late that their are no more opportunities.
We seem to have this idea that all of our opportunities are earlier in life, and that because of some tragic accident, or some wrong move all of our opportunities for moving forward are gone. They are never all gone, and even when old doors shut because that does happen, new doors open up. Its not just a cliche, there are people out their right now who live this as a reality daily.
Imagine how easy it would have been for Dr. Stephen Hawking to decide that he wasn’t going to be able to find success when he was told that he had a terminal illness. He had not yet written any of his books, and he wasn’t sure about what would happen with his career. His doctor and wife both encouraged him however to continue, and today if you follow science at all, than it is likely that you know who this man is.
Or what about people that didn’t make it big till well into their old age? There are successful photographers, writers, announcers, world record holders, and club starters that all fall under these categories.
The point is that if you let yourself believe that your opportunities are gone, than you are automatically blinding yourself to possible routes, that could really bring you forward in your career, in your passion, and in your life in general. You have to get rid of the notion that opportunity is a one time thing and that if you don’t get it while your young its gone forever. Its never gone, it reinvents itself constantly, but you have to look for it, and you have to make it a priority to find. Anything that is not a priority is not going to get done.
For Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk click here.
For Dr. Stephen Hawking’s personal account of life after his diagnosis click here.
Add comment June 23, 2009
Pushing Understanding
I like to read some heavy reading, and a lot of times it can be hard to understand. Like the first time I tried to read the Communist Manifesto I had to have a dictionary next to me, and I was looking up every other word. I still didn’t finish it the first time, I had to go back to it after I had read enough political writings that I understood the language usage better. Right now I’m reading Plato’s Republic, and while I’m understanding it much better than I initially understood Marx it is still pushing my mind to follow the conversations. I’ve got the gist and its getting easier as I go, but its still a challenge.
Recently I was scolded for answering a question to two young teenagers about why I had become a vegetarian. I told them that I watched a few documentaries and read some writers like Ghandi and it started bugging me, and since it bugged me I decided not to mess with it. I was scolded for confusing them. The kids I was talking to told me they were not confused, and said that they understood my answer, but the person scolding me seemed to feel that on the basis of their age that even if they did not understand that they would not be able to ask questions. Which was how the whole conversation was started to begin with, by asking questions.
What I’ve found is that even when I’m completely confused, as long as I can ask, “what does that mean?” or investigate an idea further, than I’ve been able to push myself to at least get a general idea of the subject. I’ve grown by diving into ideas that I did not understand, and asking as many questions as I thought of in order to try to understand them. When there was no one to ask questions I did searches for my answers. This has started to teach me, and I say started because I have a lot more to learn, the value of asking questions about things that I do not understand, even when I don’t understand the answers at first.
If someone asks you a question that you don’t think they’ll understand the answer to, the least you can do is try. The person may surprise you on how much they are able to understand, and even if they don’t understand it exposing people to new ideas is still good for them. I didn’t finish Marx the first time, but because I tried I understood references to Marx it made other things easier to understand.
Add comment June 22, 2009
Thoreau Quotes
Henry David Thoreau was a man who lived by example first. If he believed a law was wrong than he would rather be in jail than support an unjust law. He is one of America’s greatest writers, and his thoughts on the freedom of personal responsibility, political life, leading by example, and nature have been a strong influence on me. Please enjoy.
“If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. But do not care to convince him. Men will believe what they see.”
“Men are born to succeed, not to fail.”
“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.”
“However mean your life is, meet it and live it.”
“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away.”
“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
“There is no remedy for love, but to love more.”
“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”
“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”
“Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.”
“…be yourself- not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be.”
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
“One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something.”
“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island of opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land; there is no other life but this.”
“Not till we are completely lost or turned around… do we begin to find ourselves.”
“Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves.”
“Say what you have to say, not what you ought. Any truth is better than make-believe.”
“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”
“In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high.”
“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”
“We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal and then leap in the dark to our success.”
“If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.”
“public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. what a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.”
“The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend.”
“It is never too late to give up your prejudices”
“I can alter my life by altering my attitude. He who would have nothing to do with thorns must never attempt to gather flowers.”
“Age is no better, hardly so well, qualified for an instructor as youth, for it has not profited so much as it has lost.”
“But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.”
“Things do not change, we change.”
“Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.”
“We should impart our courage and not our despair.”
“A Friend is one who incessantly pays us the compliment of expecting from us all the virtues, and who can appreciate them in us.”
“It’s not worth our while to let our imperfections disturb us always.”
Add comment June 21, 2009
