Month: April 2012

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Saying Yes to Invitations

Why do we shy away from getting close to coworkers?  If you think about it those are the people we spend the most time with during the week.  Most people typically work a full time job which means anywhere from 40-55 hours a week.

Today at work I received an email from my boss around 10:30 A.M.  She asked me if I would be free to have lunch with her and another coworker.  At first I hesitated and thought, oh no – I would be uncomfortable doing that.  Than I reconsidered and thought how nice of her to pick me out.  I said yes, that would be great – and ended up having a good time.  

My boss is so much fun and witty and she has great stories that never end.  She also brought us to a great Sushi restaurant.  I absolutely love Sushi.  She is just that kind of person that knows what everybody likes and picks the best restaurants.   I am so thankful for such a nice work environment.

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Traveling Abroad

Today was an ordinary day although a lot of extraordinary things happened.  I met up with a friend I hadn’t seen in months.  We only live about 25 miles from each other, but we can never seem to find time to meet up.  It was so great to see her.  She filled me in on her job, her husband, and there upcoming vacation.  They normally go to the Caribbean or somewhere warm when they travel, but they decided to go overseas this year.  She said that they will be traveling to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, and a few more countries.  It sounded like an amazing trip.

People always say that once you travel overseas you never come back the same.  The adventure is so overwhelming; not to mention the culture and a foreign way of life is something you will never forget.  I’ve heard people say after traveling overseas that you also appreciate living in the United States so much more.  The opportunities and freedom that the United States offers you can’t find anywhere else.  As life changing as it may be, I can just imagine the knowledge she will gain.  Surrounded by a different language in a strange town will either frighten you or deepen your faith.  Depending on the type of person you are an adventure like this is not for the faint hearted.

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What do you Really Want?

Have you ever noticed that there is always a little good in every bad?  And vice versa  you can always find a little bad in every good as well.  The thought crossed my mind today when I was reading about a famous movie star who is struggling with depression.  My first thought of course was what does she have to be depressed about?  The obvious things that depress me she has not a care in the world about.  But then reading further down the article and catching a glimpse of her struggles and personality I recognized something.  I recognized the fact that as humans we really are all alike in many ways.  The same emotions run through all of us and fame and fortune may make certain parts of life easier yet it doesn’t make living any easier.  That was a quote I read by Bruce Springsteen that really hit home.

Since my brain was focused on this topic of success I began reading some quotes on the topic.  One in particular stood out to me which read something along the lines of…..Behind all the fortune and fame there is a deep, dark, emptiness.  I began to see the irony in what our imaginations tell us about the famous and what reality is really like for famous people.  My point is; much of us have been protected from such a life.  Although many believe they have been cheated out of a life of luxury.  Never forget that saying be careful what you wish for you just might get it.

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Life’s Struggles

I really love listening to the radio in my car.  I’m not talking about music, but about radio talk shows and sermons that come on while driving to and from work.  Don’t get me wrong I love listening to music as well but for some reason I have been pulled in a different direction lately.  Listening to sermons and the news has become more appealing.  The sermons in particular.  They capture my attention and the surrounding traffic congestion just seems to disappear.  I find them to be such a sweet distration.

I’m not sure where it all started but I now love my morning commute because of the 8:00 A.M. sermon.  It is funny how the topic seems to always be about something in particular that I am dealing with.  The topic lately has been about love.  Loving not only friends and family, but loving strangers as well.  Reminding yourself to show kindness at all times and to all people.  Basically the fruits of the spirit including patience, kindness, joy, peace, love, understanding, etc.  The things we need to survive in a harsh world.  I’m struggling with this topic so much and it keeps coming around and hitting me in the face.  I’m failing every test put in front of me which only means I will continue to be tested until I pass.  Life’s stuggles should be a topic I write about more often lord knows I sure have enough of them.

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Work

What is it about work that puts us in a mood of discontent?  The thought of work makes me wanted crawl under the covers and sleep all day.  The funny thing about it is the fact that work in itself isn’t all that bad. In fact, my job is pretty good. A little boring but isn’t that better than being completely overwhelmed? I was sitting at work yesterday with not a whole lot to do. I was able to read, get on the internet, and basically relax all day. But I was bored to death!
I wait all week for Saturday in order to do those same things. I love to read, relax at home, and use the internet. So what is it about work or being in a different location doing the same things you would be doing at home. The way we look at things is strange. It is all in our perspective I guess.

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Starting at a New Gym

I am so excited today to be heading over to a new gym to get a great work-out in.  I am so focused on becoming healthier that working out and eating right are the first things on my mind in the morning.  The gym is about 20 miles away which isn’t too bad.  It has everything I am looking for including a heated pool, a hot tub, a sauna, fitness equipment and classes.  I cannot wait to get there.

Among the other things I have to do today I think the gym will be my priority. Priorities do need to fall in order of importance.  The other errands like shopping and taking my cat to the vet will have to wait.  I’m a women on  a mission!

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Asking for What You Want

Today is the first day of my vacation.  I decided I needed a break from work and asked my boss for a few days off.  Why is it so hard to ask for what we need?  I really feel I needed this break since I’ve been suffering with headaches and feeling tired constantly.  Asking my boss was the most difficult part.  It sometimes makes you feel like you can’t handle life or working full-time when you need to ask for a break.

I’m just wondering why we as Americans are like this.  In other cultures and societies they spend a lot of time in leisure activities and far less time at work.  In some European countries their work days are stopped between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. for rest.  When we were in preschool we got a 3 hour nap after lunch.  Why as adults are we so inclined to go nonstop even on weekends?  I wonder how things will change in the upcoming years.  Since things are alwys changing I can only hope that the next generation is not overloaded with long work hours and fewer and fewer fun activities.

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Change is in the Air

Today was a good day overall. Nice, beautiful weather and a pretty easy day at work. But deep down I have a sense that something is about to change. It is about time though. I think a change would be pretty nice right about now. Things have been running smoothly but now I need some excitement in my life.

I can’t help feeling that with summer around the corner an indoor job is not going to cut it. I have always wanted to try something unique for work even if it is only for a few months. Last year I wanted a break from the bar scene and the south. This year I want a break from the office environment and the nine to five. In fact I would like a break from having a boss at all. I think that might be what the next change is going to be about. Self employment and running my own company. I get excited thinking about it. It makes me feel motivated. Time to get to work and start planning my new adventure.

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Easter Weekend

Why is it that some holidays seem to be more popular than others? Some are talked about for months or weeks before actually arriving and others are not talked about as much until the actual day arrives. It seems strange to me that holidays such as Halloween and Valentine’s Day make headlines in the news and others such as Easter and Good Friday are kept secret.

That is why I feel so blessed to have been brought up in a Catholic Church. Where all of the Christian holidays were celebrated and made into a big deal. As I was sitting in church listening to the sermon I realized how lucky I was to be brought up with the parents I had and the religious upbringing that has been part of my life ever since. My family had planted the seed and my faith and devotion has grown ever since. What a blessing it is to be part of a Christian community.

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Life is Strange

Life can be so strange at times.  One day you can be on top of the world and then the next thing you know, a news story or an event takes place and then you’re down and out.  I’m  bringing this up because it just happened to me.

Yesterday was a great day, filled with a lot of love and laughter.  Today, when I woke up, I felt that same happiness come over me.  I started driving to work, thinking about all of the things I needed to get done today. These included wishing my sister a Happy Birthday, paying a bill or two, and finishing up a couple of projects at work.

Then around 9:30 a.m. the news came.  A close relative told me that a friend of their’s had died.  This wasn’t just any friend, either.  This friend I had met over the holidays and had been at the same Christmas party with him, sat next to him while we ate dinner, and talked with him. This was a matter of just a couple of months ago.

The sad thing is it was an accident.  A motorcycle accident that killed a thirty year-old man with his whole life ahead of him.  I quickly forgot about my to-do list after reading the email.  Everything seemed different in my world.  The sun wasn’t shining as brightly.  The disbelieve and lack of understanding soon followed.  Such a horrible and strange thing accidents are.  The next time I’m on a motorcycle I will definitely be thinking about you, Fernando.