Michael

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. – Helen Keller

There is no security on this earth. Only opportunity. – Douglas MacArthur

I’m nearing the end of my term with the company I’m currently working for. Other doors are starting to open. Opportunities are beginning to reveal themselves for my review.

I don’t find this kind of change to be easy, but it appears to be a really good thing. The timing is right. Everything in my world is showing me that this is the best move.

Each week I become conscious of a new idea or group of ideas; translation – opportunities. I’m pursuing two or three now to see what happens. For the first time, I’m letting my heart make the decisions here and not my mind. It’s a completely different approach for me and it brings its own set of misgivings and anxiety. But, that’s okay. Life is just a big experiment, right? And you can’t get it wrong.

I’ll reveal the many opportunities that are flowing my way as the days pass, but it’s too early at this time. They are still in the process of germination and early growth.

For now, I’m practicing the art of faith and belief in myself. That’s all I can ask for.

Michael

It’s a good time to leave my career. I’ve been feeling that even more strongly as the days wind down. Emotionally, it’s been a bit like a roller coaster ride. Some days I’m okay with it and others I seem to be staring at an immense abyss. Clarity and relaxation come with acceptance.

I’ve told myself that I like adventure, but I’ve found that sometimes when you are face to face with the advent of an adventure, it can be uncomfortable. I’m relaxed about that now and look forward to what is about to happen.

My last day is Friday, June 13th. Now, most people would view this as a terrible time to leave and a bad omen. For me, though, it confirms the “beauty” of the timing of things. For my entire life, Friday the 13th days have turned out to be some of the best in my memory. The number 13 has not always been associated with bad things. It’s more of recent historical trend.

Regardless of your belief about Friday the 13th, I look at this day as a perfect ending and perfect beginning in my life. That’s all that really matters.

Have a great day!

Michael

Find something you love to do and you’ll never have to work a day in your life. – Harvey Mackay

The most important question to ask on the job is not ‘What am I getting?’ The most important question to ask on the job is ‘What am I becoming?’ – Jim Rohn

As I get closer and closer to the end of my current career chapter, I find some days are up and others are down. It’s the contrast between two internal voices. One is very positive, believes that I have no limitations and views the future as bright. The other is fearful and doesn’t understand how I will survive.

That’s quite a contrast. So, I’m practicing detachment from the myriad of feelings that are going on inside. It helps but I’m finding that I must be diligent and conscious about what is going on. Anytime we go through change or transformational times in our lives, it’s vital that we stay conscious. If we slip into repressing our feelings, it can cause much anxiety, stress and a negative outlook on life.

Tonight I examined my feelings of fear and the negative talk that is occurring in one part of mind. All I did was watch. I had no judgment. I did not fight with my feelings (see my post on May 15th, What you Resist, Persists ). A strange thing happened. My inner negative talk grew softer and quieter. Hmmmm. I might be on to something here.

Life is grand.

Have a great day!

Michael

Each man had only one genuine vocation — to find the way to himself… His task was to discover his own destiny — not an arbitrary one — and live it out wholly and resolutely within himself. Everything else was only a would be existence, an attempt at evasion, a flight back to the ideals of the masses, conformity, and fear of one’s own inwardness. – Hermann Hesse

It matters only that you manifest your genius; it doesn’t matter when. It’s never too late or too early. – Mark Victor Hansen

I believe a large number of people settle for a life that is less than they are capable of but also less than their destiny. We all have a particular gift, skill, knack, talent and etc. Many of us hold back and don’t pursue what we love to do. Pressure from friends, peers, society and our culture can create roadblocks to being who we truly are. Actually, I think that this pressure is only an excuse because it’s hard to take personal responsibility for our less than adequately fulfilled lives. It’s much easier to blame external sources.

The great news is that it is never too late to make a change. Never! Your genuine vocation exists and is just waiting for you to discover it. It may or may not be how you make your living, at least initially, but it could be. Don’t focus on that aspect only.

Trying several things out is good first step. Brainstorm ideas of things that you enjoy doing. Research them to figure out what you need to do to get involved.

Don’t forget to be patient with yourself and have fun with it. Exploration shouldn’t be a chore. Enjoy it.

Have a great day!

Michael

In the long run you will receive more from life doing the job you enjoy than you will ever earn in money from a job you loathe. – Terry L. Mayfield

I’ve worked at a job that I loathe. In fact I did it for many years. Once I changed careers, I said that I would never do that again. That was 1992 and I’ve loved what I do since then. I’m not saying that there weren’t some very challenging periods, but overall I enjoyed what I do.

That chapter is closing (I mentioned this on April 5th). In fact, it may be an entire book closing and not just a chapter. It’s actually a very exciting time for me. This major life change feels right. It feels good.

I’ve generated a long list of ideas including people to contact. At this point I’m not sure which one or ones will be how I make my living after June 13th. I do know it will be something I really enjoy or love doing. I’m not changing that condition now. It’s a simple concept. When you love your work, you don’t work anymore. It’s really true.

I arrived in London this morning. My driver was a very nice gentleman. We talked almost non-stop for an hour while making our way through morning rush hour traffic.

I asked him how long he had been a driver. He told me he had been driving since 1987. Wow! That’s a long time. It was obvious he loved what he did. You could see it in his face, his actions, his behavior and the way he drove. So, I asked him what he loved about his work. He responded by telling me how he loved being on the road and how he enjoyed the sense of freedom it gave him. He said that he simply loved meeting people and talking about various topics. It was a real pleasure to chat with him. What a great inspiration also. Even though I couldn’t see myself as a driver, I deeply respected that he was doing exactly what he loved to do. Fantastic!

Let that be a lesson for all of us. There is a job, career or work opportunity that we can enjoy or love to do and it’s different for everyone.

Don’t give up looking for it.

Michael

For me, change is in the air; probably big changes in the work/career part of my life. Sometimes that can be challenging especially for people that don’t like change. But a lot of times, well maybe all the time, change is good. Change is the fuel that makes your life take a turn that you may really need.

I fundamentally believe that change comes from within. In other words, shifts in thinking, beliefs, and thought processes create the external change in our lives. It really starts with us. This type of thinking has caused a fundamentally shift from a belief system that saw the world as an object that affected me to the belief that I affect the world. It has also created a sense of freedom and ultimately control over my life.

But, having that belief doesn’t always make big changes easier. So, sometimes I visualize the change as a wave. I associate ocean waves to fun, so I mentally pretend to “ride these waves.” It’s a much more relaxing feeling about the change. It allows events to naturally unfold and keeps me calmer.

Sometimes the stress level can get a little out of control, but when I use my visualization technique all becomes calmer.

I look forward to the future while I continue to ride the wave.

Have a great day!

Michael

Yesterday, I was told that I had to give a presentation to the most senior people at the company where I work. The discussion would be on the status of a number of projects under my responsibility. The meeting would take place on Friday at 2:00 p.m. I had never given a presentation to the meeting invitees, which included the new CEO, CTO and several senior vice presidents.

I had some anxiety because I had been focused in a very small but important area for the last several weeks which meant I needed to get up to speed quickly on the other projects. I talked to my boss and wrote a “cheat sheet” for my presentation.

To further help with the bit of anxiety I was experiencing, I chatted with Erica and Nat which made me feel much better by the evening time. But, fundamentally, I didn’t want to attend the meeting. I thought it would be much better to wait until next month after I had prepared for 2 or 3 weeks and become acquainted in more detail again with the other projects.

So, that night I had a clear thought and visualization that the meeting would be canceled by the CEO. I still continued to prepare myself for the presentation. I knew the material better and felt more confident. By the time I woke up this morning, I was positive the meeting would be canceled.

I arrived at work a few minutes before 9:00 and checked my email. Nothing was in my in-box about the meeting. At 9:05 a.m., the meeting cancellation came through. I quickly and excitedly clicked on the “Remove From Calendar” button. Excellent! My desire and wish had come true exactly as I had visualized it.

I love the “Remove From Calendar” button. It gives me such a sense of closure and a feeling of happiness. Another meeting removed. Now, “real work” could be done. My other favorite work phrase is “Request Denied.” I usually use that phrase in jest, but it is still fun to say.

Moral of the story: Desires and wishes can and do come true. They happen more than people take notice. The recipe is a dash of faith, a sprinkle of desire, a teaspoon of imagination, a dollop of belief and two quarts of patience.

Have a great day!

Michael

Following the major milestone met by my team on Friday, the final push to complete hundreds of tasks culminating from 12 months of work was at hand. It was like watching a symphony performing flawlessly after long hours of practicing.

This project was delivering a suite of complex systems involving hardware, communications, multiple software applications and operating systems. Thousands and thousands of hours later the final moment was upon us.

The team had given a countdown clock to our customer. We glanced periodically at it during meetings over the last year as it counted down from months to weeks, weeks to days and days to hours. And now, the clock showed 10 minutes to go. The air was heavy with anticipation but also of immense confidence in the work the team had completed.

As we watched the countdown to zero, it felt like the moments before a NASA sponsored rocket launch at Cape Canaveral, Florida. T-Minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1……..And it that second the first transaction coursed through the newly installed infrastructure, was processed by the virgin application and logged for all to see.

Lots of laughter, clapping, huge smiles and general exuberance filled the small data center room. It was almost anti-climatic. The new systems were performing as intended by the customer and built by my team. Excellent!

The project manager looked over at me shortly after everything went “live” and said, “It feels really surreal.” I nodded and smiled in understanding. After so many months of hard work, sweat and tears, your mind and emotions don’t quite understand that the project is complete. All you can do is just let the feeling flow. Nothing else is needed or necessary.

Not surprisingly (at least in my world view), the sun rose in a cloudless sky for the first time in over two weeks. Everyone noticed. It said a lot to me. I couldn’t have come up with a better summary or ending.

Michael

My on site project team accomplished a major milestone yesterday. The last few weeks have been quite difficult and the last few days have been very tense. Everyone was on edge working long hours to meet the major milestone for today.

The decision about whether we had met the milestone had been delayed twice which only added to the stress and tension within the team. Excellent leadership, perseverance and persistence were the keys to overcoming all obstacles. But, I have to say that hope was a vital ingredient. Not one person lost hope. It was a beautiful thing.

When we received the decision that the project had successfully met the milestone, you could literally feel the tension and stress immediately flow away. It was like a magic wand had been waved over the building. It was quite extraordinary to witness.

There are still 48 – 60 hours of work ahead but now the team is refreshed and has renewed vigor after reaching this milestone. I have every bit of confidence in the expertise and experience of the people on the ground to accomplish all necessary tasks.

I’m proud to be a witness and a part of this complex undertaking.

Michael

I made a discovery about myself today. It became clear to me that I have been creating undo stress in my body by not speaking my truth where work is concerned.

Many things have happened over the course of this year concerning my work/career. It’s not really necessary to elaborate. But situations arose where I felt that my values were being compromised.

For many reasons, I choose not to discuss them or express my feelings on any of the stressful topics. I’ve realized today that those were not the best choices for me.

I don’t think it is very positive to hold your thoughts and feelings inside when they concern your values, sense of self and state of happiness. We should always speak our truth regardless of whether we think changes will happen.

It is not healthy for the body, the emotions, the mind and our spirits to hold ourselves back. It restricts the flow of life and disconnects us from ourselves and ultimately from others.

I mistakenly thought I was not speaking because I believed that nothing would change. But, that’s not the point of speaking your truth. The point is to not compromise ourselves, but instead allowing who we are to flow at all times, no matter what.

Take it from me. Life is much more then knots in the back muscles, clenched jaws during sleep and not being who I truly am. I took the first steps to get back on track today.

Funny thing about all this is that I didn’t really understand how serious it had become as the majority of my life is fantastic. It just goes to show that we should not leave any stones unturned in our constant quest for happiness.

Have a great day!

Michael