There are times in life when you question why. Times you can see a reality that you can't quite reach, where you keep holding on and giving it your all, even when you don't know what will happen. It's during these times of challenge that we grow, having to overcome our own mental battles with the will to carry on. These instances are nothing new to any of us, and they're something we all experience. But, when they come, it's easy to feel alone, as if you're the only one with a problem. One of the most common, yet one of the most daunting times when this happens is when you're in the midst of a job search. Through all of the applications, phone calls, networking, interviews, and everything else involved, there's one key character quality that can keep you going until you've reached your goal: perseverance.
The first step in persevering towards anything is having a goal worth persevering for. Of course, perseverance applies to many different situations, not just the job search that I mentioned above. Coming up with a worthwhile goal in itself is not a simple task and it seems these kinds of goals often arise unexpectedly. Something goes wrong or something is not the way you want it to be and you realize that it's going to take great effort to create the change you seek. But, these kinds of scenarios can also be exciting because they give you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and to give your best effort, even when the gratification is not the instantaneous kind that we frequently demand nowadays. It's important to remember that the goal you have may not always be a popular one or even one that anyone else thinks you can achieve. What matters is that you believe in it and that you are willing to do the hard work required to get it done.
One of the elements of persevering towards any goal is learning how to deal with the inevitable setbacks. There will always be factors beyond your control and things you would have done differently if you had known at the time. The good thing about setbacks is that they often humble you and make you re-evaluate where you're at. This reflection can allow you to refine your efforts, discover something new about where you're going, and strengthen your resolve. Setbacks also often force you to rely on others for support and remind you that while your goal may be your own, we need others in order to succeed in this world. It's not just people we look to though, as it seems the times we are quickest to run to God is when something goes wrong and we don't think anyone else can help us. Ultimately, without setbacks, perseverance wouldn't exist.
Focusing more on that whole God thing, before this latest job search, there had been one main life event life that I often referenced as the cornerstone upon which my faith was solidified. Well, after this experience I seem to have another. You can call it whatever you like regarding why things happened the way they did, but this is what I'm going with. I had the feeling of that I should head towards the non-profit sector for quite a while. However, when I was just about to start an Americorps program with a non-profit last fall, the organization I was matched with backed out, leaving me no option to be a part of the program. That set off a long job search process, which first involved me figuring out exactly what it was I wanted to do. Through various interviews, reviewing the results from the career counseling I took during my undergrad, talks with friends and mentors, and some prayer, I realized what my next step was. I tried various different methods but I finally landed on an opportunity through an online job board that I was truly excited about. This was just the beginning though, as the interview process wasn't easy.
First, I had to persevere in following up on the opportunity. If you ever get advice about following up on applications you submit to make sure you've reached the actual hiring manager, take that advice. That's what sparked the first actual phone conversation with my now manager. I went through three rounds over the course of a month and a half, where I answered a variety of questions from several different people. I had to patiently wait each time, never knowing when or if I was going to hear back. During all of this, my prayers grew stronger, as did my passion for the opportunity and my feeling that this was finally the one. I continued to say that no matter what happened, I was giving the end result to God because I knew I had given it my all. As I've discovered through other life events, God has a sense of humor. I kept hearing from others that I needed to give it 2 full years in my then current job before making the decision to move on. Well, I was given the new job offer and announced I was leaving on the day of my 2 year anniversary. The looks from my co-workers quickly changed from anniversary celebration to shock. But for me, all I could do was laugh. I knew that God had a purpose for things turning out the way they did, as He always does. He was testing my faith, as He said would happen in 1 Peter 1:7 where it states "7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
After all that, I ended up in a much better position than what I would have been in with the Americorps program. The mission I'm a part of now is a solid one that I feel truly connected to.To share what I'm now a part of, my new employer is US SIF and our mission is to "Rapidly shift investment practices towards sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts." I'm using my business background, my own investing interests, and my desire to create long term positive change through my work to make a real measurable impact on our society and the world. And God knew it would happen all along.
Overall, I believe that perserverance is one of the most important character traits we can have. It is through perseverance that we accomplish our goals, realize our dreams, and change the world. I've recently been reading the biography of Steve Jobs and I've seen how strongly he persevered in everything he did, despite having one person after another tell him that he was wrong or that something couldn't be done. It's his perseverance in doing what needed to be done and having that vision for the way things could be that impacts our lives every time we pick up our smartphones, sit at our computers, or enjoy the unending blockbusters that come from Pixar. In this world, nothing that's truly worth having or doing comes easily and it's up to each individual to determine how far they are willing to go. But as I have learned, yet again, it's only after you've chopped down the metaphorical tree that you can enjoy the fire and feel fully satisfied, knowing that none of it would have been possible had you not persevered.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Monday, January 25, 2016
2015: The Year of Reflection
As always, I'll start by sharing my #1 tune of the past year. This one was a big hit before it was remixed, but then it was taken to incredible new heights. With every possible element of a proper trance song that you could ask for including a perfect blend of melody, soothing vocals, a massive breakdown and buildup, and a constant driving beat, this is the Adam Ellis remix of Origami from Dimension. Have a listen and be amazed:
The start of another year. This period of January is always somewhat strange. You feel as though you just finished something by reaching the end of another year, only to find yourself having to start all over again with a simple rollover of the calendar. Getting to this point naturally lends itself to a bit of reflection, where you look back on the year gone by and try to make sense of what went right and what got lost in the chaos of life. As for myself, it seemed as though my period of reflection lasted throughout the entirety of 2015. From beginning to end, I spent the year trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, who I want to spend my time with, what I value, and what I want to do with my life. This led to me trying new things, going new places, meeting new people, and spending a lot of time in reflection. In this, my annual year in review blog post, I will share a glimpse into what I have learned.
The year started out calm, with another lovely winter. As I've shared before on this blog, winter is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons. It was my time spent indoors hiding out from the cold that started my reflection. I realized that I was only getting further away from college, further away from my old life, and further along in realizing that I need to do what I feel is best for my life since I'm the one living it. The start of 2015 also marked one year of living with Matthew, Alyssa, and the lil' squeaker Helen. We learned a lot from each other and about each other in the first year, but I knew there were many more great times ahead. One of the most fascinating parts of the first year with them was watching Helen grow incredibly rapidly. There were days where she would wake up doing something new that she hadn't been able to do the day before. Watching a baby grow is quite the experience, especially if you're just the uncle who gets to have all of the fun without the responsibility.
As far as work goes, I worked my way past the one year mark at Coastal Sunbelt in April. Things got wilder as the year went along and I fully learned that every day is different in the produce business and that if something can go wrong, it probably will. The scale of the whole produce industry never ceases to amaze me though, as I can pick up the phone on any given day and ask for thousands of pounds of top quality produce to be at my door that night. In February and then again in May I learned first hand how crazy things get in the food service get on major holidays like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. The working life of a 9-5 kind of job can slip by you quickly though as if you don't stop to think about whether you're doing what you want to be doing, then months fly by before you know it.
As for my faith, it continued to grow as I became more involved with my church and wrapped up one study group and joined another with some of my fellow Nav 20s members. The main thing I wrestled with all year and continue to today is asking why we're still here on Earth. Now, I believe that God has a master plan and that we won't know when Jesus is returning, but I can't figure out what he's waiting for. While this is a deeper topic that could be the subject of my next posting, that has been a part of my thought process and my actions this past year.
Those who know me well know that I have an insatiable love for trance music. This passion continued to grow in 2015 and I finally put into words, via another blog post, just how incredible trance music is and what it means to me. If you haven't read it yet, I invite you to take a few minutes and check it out (http://asickle.blogspot.com/2015/08/trance.html). I also focused on doing new things with my radio show, For the Soul, as I had a classics only show to celebrate the landmark episode 20 a few months ago. Overall, the craft of putting the shows together has become more refined as I've realized what does and doesn't work in terms of transitioning from one song to the next. In 2016, I hope to work more on being able to do live DJing, either through working on my own or with the help of a mentor. Really though, I love that I've been able to keep my show going for a solid 2 years now. If you haven't listened to any of the episodes yet, I invite you to at least try one, starting with my top tracks of 2015 episode that I just released at the end of the year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv5AT1VI52U).
Another area of reflection in my life was with my friendships. Some of them grew stronger, such as the friendships I have with my fellow church members as MCF. Through being essentially a co-leader of ultimate frisbee with them, along with becoming more involved in the church through volunteer work, I have built a core group of friends who I can rely on being able to spend my whole Sunday with. Challenges came with older friendships, as it seems my thinking that true friendships can endure whatever comes along is not shared by all. One of my main friendships, the one I have with former roomie Tyler, continued right along despite the long distance between us now. In 2015, he and I finally did what we had said we should do by establishing a weekly online game night, where we update each other on ours lives and battle back and forth for dominance in a variety of games. One of my main events of the year was getting to travel with him down to Orlando for my first trip to Disney World. The whole experience was incredible, as Disney is a master of providing anything and everything you could need without having to leave their bubble. The weather was perfect, the crowds were light, and we did everything we had planned to do and more. We've already started planning our next adventure for 2016, and this time we're thinking of taking things abroad.
As the final months of 2015 came, the need for reflection grew as the need for change became more apparent. With Matthew and Alyssa having announced earlier in the year that kid #2 was on the way, it was time for me to look for a new place to live. As is usual for me, I pushed things right to the end, as I moved right at the deadline of year's end. The place I'm in now is temporary until hopefully another opportunity arises. The other changes I'm working on don't seem to have as firm of a deadline, other than what I've self-imposed. It's taking longer than expected for some, but I know that I need to face the challenges head on if I want to take my life in the direction I currently believe I want it to go. Reflection is a big part of all of this though, as I always seem to be second guessing myself and re-considering what direction that is.
That just about does it for 2015, a year without anything too major happening as it steadily rolled along. A main internal battle for me throughout the year came from me riding the line between wanting to help while working with others and my disdain for others fueling my desire to see this broken world end. I've was told a few different times throughout the year that I'm different from most people that others seem to interact with. I've stood out so much in the office that I acquired the nick-name of 'Amish Adam', due to my lack of stories about times I've gotten drunk, being unwilling to swear, and my recoiled reactions when other describe their broken families and relationships that are going against the original design. I know that this struggle will continue into 2016, but the unknown is how it will shape me, my actions, and my interactions with others.
As we look ahead into the new year, the paths we will all individually take have not yet been laid out. Although the calendar may have started anew, the process of reflection and self-discovery has not been completed for me. There are certain things I want to accomplish and areas where I know that change will come, one way or another. Looking back on my post from this time last year when I wrapped up 2014, I see that I mentioned then something that's still true today. That is, that planning can be a challenge. But, it's something that more times than not leads to us getting to where we want to be and without it, who knows where we may end up. The good news for me is that I have further learned in this past year that planning is something I enjoy, whether it be for a vacation or perhaps as an occupation that will lead to my career path. All I need is the right motivation, the opportunity to see all of the pieces in play, and the understanding of what I'm aiming for. Remember though, that while the end result often gets the glory and attention, it all has to start somewhere, which is usually with Just a Thought.
The start of another year. This period of January is always somewhat strange. You feel as though you just finished something by reaching the end of another year, only to find yourself having to start all over again with a simple rollover of the calendar. Getting to this point naturally lends itself to a bit of reflection, where you look back on the year gone by and try to make sense of what went right and what got lost in the chaos of life. As for myself, it seemed as though my period of reflection lasted throughout the entirety of 2015. From beginning to end, I spent the year trying to figure out who I am, who I want to be, who I want to spend my time with, what I value, and what I want to do with my life. This led to me trying new things, going new places, meeting new people, and spending a lot of time in reflection. In this, my annual year in review blog post, I will share a glimpse into what I have learned.
The year started out calm, with another lovely winter. As I've shared before on this blog, winter is my favorite season for a multitude of reasons. It was my time spent indoors hiding out from the cold that started my reflection. I realized that I was only getting further away from college, further away from my old life, and further along in realizing that I need to do what I feel is best for my life since I'm the one living it. The start of 2015 also marked one year of living with Matthew, Alyssa, and the lil' squeaker Helen. We learned a lot from each other and about each other in the first year, but I knew there were many more great times ahead. One of the most fascinating parts of the first year with them was watching Helen grow incredibly rapidly. There were days where she would wake up doing something new that she hadn't been able to do the day before. Watching a baby grow is quite the experience, especially if you're just the uncle who gets to have all of the fun without the responsibility.
As far as work goes, I worked my way past the one year mark at Coastal Sunbelt in April. Things got wilder as the year went along and I fully learned that every day is different in the produce business and that if something can go wrong, it probably will. The scale of the whole produce industry never ceases to amaze me though, as I can pick up the phone on any given day and ask for thousands of pounds of top quality produce to be at my door that night. In February and then again in May I learned first hand how crazy things get in the food service get on major holidays like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. The working life of a 9-5 kind of job can slip by you quickly though as if you don't stop to think about whether you're doing what you want to be doing, then months fly by before you know it.
As for my faith, it continued to grow as I became more involved with my church and wrapped up one study group and joined another with some of my fellow Nav 20s members. The main thing I wrestled with all year and continue to today is asking why we're still here on Earth. Now, I believe that God has a master plan and that we won't know when Jesus is returning, but I can't figure out what he's waiting for. While this is a deeper topic that could be the subject of my next posting, that has been a part of my thought process and my actions this past year.
Those who know me well know that I have an insatiable love for trance music. This passion continued to grow in 2015 and I finally put into words, via another blog post, just how incredible trance music is and what it means to me. If you haven't read it yet, I invite you to take a few minutes and check it out (http://asickle.blogspot.com/2015/08/trance.html). I also focused on doing new things with my radio show, For the Soul, as I had a classics only show to celebrate the landmark episode 20 a few months ago. Overall, the craft of putting the shows together has become more refined as I've realized what does and doesn't work in terms of transitioning from one song to the next. In 2016, I hope to work more on being able to do live DJing, either through working on my own or with the help of a mentor. Really though, I love that I've been able to keep my show going for a solid 2 years now. If you haven't listened to any of the episodes yet, I invite you to at least try one, starting with my top tracks of 2015 episode that I just released at the end of the year (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv5AT1VI52U).
Another area of reflection in my life was with my friendships. Some of them grew stronger, such as the friendships I have with my fellow church members as MCF. Through being essentially a co-leader of ultimate frisbee with them, along with becoming more involved in the church through volunteer work, I have built a core group of friends who I can rely on being able to spend my whole Sunday with. Challenges came with older friendships, as it seems my thinking that true friendships can endure whatever comes along is not shared by all. One of my main friendships, the one I have with former roomie Tyler, continued right along despite the long distance between us now. In 2015, he and I finally did what we had said we should do by establishing a weekly online game night, where we update each other on ours lives and battle back and forth for dominance in a variety of games. One of my main events of the year was getting to travel with him down to Orlando for my first trip to Disney World. The whole experience was incredible, as Disney is a master of providing anything and everything you could need without having to leave their bubble. The weather was perfect, the crowds were light, and we did everything we had planned to do and more. We've already started planning our next adventure for 2016, and this time we're thinking of taking things abroad.
As the final months of 2015 came, the need for reflection grew as the need for change became more apparent. With Matthew and Alyssa having announced earlier in the year that kid #2 was on the way, it was time for me to look for a new place to live. As is usual for me, I pushed things right to the end, as I moved right at the deadline of year's end. The place I'm in now is temporary until hopefully another opportunity arises. The other changes I'm working on don't seem to have as firm of a deadline, other than what I've self-imposed. It's taking longer than expected for some, but I know that I need to face the challenges head on if I want to take my life in the direction I currently believe I want it to go. Reflection is a big part of all of this though, as I always seem to be second guessing myself and re-considering what direction that is.
That just about does it for 2015, a year without anything too major happening as it steadily rolled along. A main internal battle for me throughout the year came from me riding the line between wanting to help while working with others and my disdain for others fueling my desire to see this broken world end. I've was told a few different times throughout the year that I'm different from most people that others seem to interact with. I've stood out so much in the office that I acquired the nick-name of 'Amish Adam', due to my lack of stories about times I've gotten drunk, being unwilling to swear, and my recoiled reactions when other describe their broken families and relationships that are going against the original design. I know that this struggle will continue into 2016, but the unknown is how it will shape me, my actions, and my interactions with others.
As we look ahead into the new year, the paths we will all individually take have not yet been laid out. Although the calendar may have started anew, the process of reflection and self-discovery has not been completed for me. There are certain things I want to accomplish and areas where I know that change will come, one way or another. Looking back on my post from this time last year when I wrapped up 2014, I see that I mentioned then something that's still true today. That is, that planning can be a challenge. But, it's something that more times than not leads to us getting to where we want to be and without it, who knows where we may end up. The good news for me is that I have further learned in this past year that planning is something I enjoy, whether it be for a vacation or perhaps as an occupation that will lead to my career path. All I need is the right motivation, the opportunity to see all of the pieces in play, and the understanding of what I'm aiming for. Remember though, that while the end result often gets the glory and attention, it all has to start somewhere, which is usually with Just a Thought.
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