Sometimes we just need reminders like these.
http://gawker.com/this-three-minute-commercial-puts-full-length-hollywood-1309506149
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Sometimes we just need reminders like these.
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Life is great. No, really. When I think about the different areas of my life, I feel decently well balanced overall. Here are some highlights: 1. My friends and family I have amazing friends--friends I can laugh with, cry with, eat with, dance with, hang with, exercise with, have random (piñata) adventures with, and just be myself with. And not just that--I keep meeting new friends that grow into people I can call true friends. We are all learning, growing human beings leaning on each other for personal development and a better understanding of the world around us. Life can get a little busy, but I always want to make sure that I take time to let the people who are important to me know that I'm thinking of them. Same goes for my family. My family visited a couple months ago, and it was great to be around them. When you only see them a couple times a year, it's important to spend as much time together as possible. 2. My work life and career choice When you choose a career path, you're simply a sponge when you start. You're there to learn from everyone else who has been doing the job for much longer and have so much knowledge to gain. You're young, you're naive, and have so much room to grow (the learning curve). Of course you will never stop learning about your field of work, but there's something incredibly satisfying when you can actually provide helpful advice to others based on your profession. I still feel as though I have so much to learn in the realm of HR, but I love what I do, and it's incredibly satisfying to know that I can help people in an area of their lives that is so important: their career. Whether it's helping someone understand the recruitment process a little bit better, connecting them with a new role, or helping them understand the Ps and Qs of employment--it's unbelievably satisfying when things just work out. And if they don't, no need to lose sleep over it--there's a world of opportunity out there for everyone. My work makes me happy--each day I come in, I'm excited by the different people I have the opportunity to interact with. People are appreciative and take the time to thank each other for a hard day of work. I respect my boss, who provides insight and offers his opinion then weighs them against the members of our HR business partner team. I feel like I'm being mentally engaged by my work, and by the people around me. I feel fortunate to be in a role that provides me with such high gratification and appreciation. 3. My body and my health (and reaching my goals/crossing things off my bucket list!) I feel healthy. Granted, I love sugary snacks (and Taco Bell) quite a bit more than I should, but overall, I do my best to get enough sleep each day, eat relatively healthy foods (no soda or french fries, minimal chips, candy bars, and fried foods), exercise regularly, drink enough water, and just try to take good care of my body. I wasn't going to announce it yet since it's not technically official until paperwork is signed, but this past Sunday I auditioned to teach Turbo Kick, and was verbally offered a job with 24 Hour Fitness. 4. My finances/travel fund/retirement plan I feel like I am in a place where I'm financially comfortable. I feel like I've managed to set up a system that gives me the freedom to save and splurge at the same time. I've made a commitment to myself to travel to a foreign country once every 2-4 years. I also have committed to exploring the US whenever possible, especially if I have the opportunity to travel with friends, or to reconnect with old ones. I just feel really good about my life right now, and I thought it was worth sharing. Things aren't always perfect in life, and in a world chalked full of negativity, it's important to celebrate the little victories. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog! This video describes the ailment of loneliness in today's society, sharing how technology and social media has shifted the focus from making conversation to making connection.
One of the most important takeaways is being able to be alone without being lonely. If we aren't able to spend time alone with our thoughts and feelings, and instead, spend all of our time connected via social media and technology, we will only know and understand loneliness. When you use social media, take a few minutes to think about why you use each platform. I love using Facebook to stay in touch with friends and family, but I take it a step further and usually try to connect with those same people offline as well. When I travel, I do whatever I can to get back in touch with people I haven't seen in a while. With my LinkedIn account, I use it to network, learn about different companies, and stay in touch with business contacts without having to keep track of business cards. I consider LinkedIn to be my professional Rolodex (do kids even know what a Rolodex is?) My Twitter account is primarily used for reading and disseminating news. Instagram to share photos with friends. Everyone has their own reasons as to why they engage in social media or choose to (or not to) post things online. Whatever you do, make sure you take the time to have conversations with people in your life--new and existing. Engage in conversation with a stranger once in a while. Learn something new about the people around you. As human beings, we are meant to nourish each other through conversation. Make those coffee dates (or Google Hangouts!) with people you haven't had a chance to chat with in a while. Pick up the phone and call someone important to you. Right now. More often than not, I find myself reflecting on what my life looks like, and I can't help but feel blessed. I'm fortunate to have a life I am living to the fullest. I love my work, I'm surrounded by amazing people, I am healthy, and most importantly, I am happy. I don't just make plans or dream my dreams--I execute them. I make it a point to carry out the things I want to do and accomplish in my life. How do you know what to do if you don't know what makes you happy? Explore. Curiosity is one of those personality traits that has served me well. I thirst for knowledge. I want to see the world. My curiosity drives my hunger for experiencing life and discovering what exactly lights my fire. I'm a firm believer that if you really want to make something happen, you'll make it happen. Prioritize, make plans, hell, make back up plans while you're at it. Either way, take action towards your dreams--otherwise they'll just stay that way--as dreams.
7 out of 10 employees in the US are disengaged from their jobs. Unfortunately, I knew this statistic all too well. The company itself is wonderful--I truly love what it stands for. However, if I wasn't happy in my role, I knew it was time to move on. The single most important life lesson older people feel young people need to know is: do not stay in a job you dislike. (http://lifehacker.com/the-most-important-life-lesson-older-people-want-younge-963838889) It's true. And with being an HR professional, it pains me to see people unhappy in their work. Life is too short to spend your waking moments dreading being at work. It was hard for me to step away from a company that I respect, and co-workers I loved seeing everyday. However, the culture was beyond lonely for my taste. Recently, I came across an article about work loneliness, and how it's important to grow higher quality connections in the workplace. I spend a lot of time thinking about the friendships I have in my life--hell, I work in HR. It shouldn't be surprising to anyone. I told a friend of mine that I dislike having acquaintances, and I could never fully explain why. However, I stumbled across an article that articulates four different ways we establish friendships. This article really spells out different types of friendship buckets people can fall into, as well as how different it is to have a social life versus a personal life.
I honestly believe a major source of my life happiness is that I have a life goal of sharing my happiness and the wonderful people I choose to surround myself with, with new people. What good is being happy if your friends and the people you choose to surround yourself with don't feel the same sense of joy? I would love to have as many true friendships as possible. Friends who, no matter how much time passes by, that I will always be 100% comfortable sharing my thoughts and feelings with because I will always do the same in return. Having a social life is fun--you know, friends you grab drinks with or go out with. You'll share a lot of fun times together, but at the end of the night, do they send you home in a cab by yourself, or do they take you and make sure you get home safely? Are they people you only go out with, or do you actually have common interests to discuss? I typically make an effort to include new people (agentic friends) when I spend time with my true friends, in hopes that there will always be new people entering my life who I share common goals with, but who also will not judge me for anything I do or say. These are my friends who help make me my best self--the ones who will call me out for my quirky habits, and who I can call out too, without anyone getting hurt. As the article says, introduce your friends to each other, as if each of them were "the shit" (pardon my French). Well, I have good news--my friends ARE the shit, and I'm proud to have you all in my life. Thanks for being you. (Hopefully you know who "you" are!) |
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