Today's Happiness Practice - Feeling the job

Today I had a job interview, and the interviewer asked an excellent question - remembering a "best day" at work... what did you do? (Which meant, what helped make it feel like a best day?)

And for me, it wasn't just a day, but a month. A month where I worked at the things I loved, felt like I accomplished things, and succeeded at the goals I had given myself. And the "best-ness" was compounded as I did this every day; each day was better than the last because I was having a successful, productive day AGAIN.

Now, I don't know if I'm the best candidate for the job I interviewed for today. We could be a good fit, this job and I; or we could be like two violins playing in different keys.

There are enough possibilities that I am going to be open to the job, and curious to see if I'm hired.

But I am not going to visualize myself in this job.

Instead, I am going to "In-vision" (Meanderings - I can see clearly) myself having a job that results in a lot of best days. I am going to feel the success, the happiness, the hard work paying off, the giddy enjoyment of fulfilling goals.

Because, as my best friend just reminded me, if I can let go of what I think I want (from the limited perspective of what I can see) the Universe will provide me with what I really need.

Today, I am not going to feel myself in a specific job. I am going to feel myself doing work that brings me happiness.

I hope you're having a great day!
-Lila

If you're like me... your brain is an AWESOME thing.

If you're like me, a job search is about more than a large enough salary, and do I have the right skills?.

If you're like me, one of the most frustrating parts of searching for a job is not the interviewing and applying process, it's the journey you go through and the attitude you start to give yourself.

You come across an open position that is intriguing. You like the description - it involves things you know, and things you don't. You redo your resume to reflect your strengths and you apply.

If you're like me, you then spend hours thinking about it, enthusing about it, imagining yourself doing that work, what you can learn, what you would behave like. What you would wear. How you would feel when you tell friends and family that this was "what I do". How your schedule would juggle, could juggle. Driving in the snow for it. Making it your life.

And then "The position has already been filled." And you are devastated, because you had resigned yourself to some aspects and rejoiced in others.

So you find a new position in a new field, and you become enamored of a new thing. And you start a new life. Cosmetics, banking, libraries, coaching, writing, metaphysical, accounting, human resources... You name it, you've probably tried it on in your head.

And if you're like me, you've started to become really annoyed with yourself.

What am I, wishy-washy? Do I have no convictions? No real desires? Where is the truth? Where is MY truth? What do I want? Can't I just make up my mind?!!!!

And the answer, if you're like me, is, we are making up our minds.

Applying for a position puts out an interest, a connection. It allows us to open up to the possibilities of the field.

Because if you're like me, you know yourself pretty well (whether you admit it or not.) So you know how you feel about driving "over there" in the middle of blizzard, or wearing "that" uniform, or communicating with "those kind" of clients. And so the daydream, the mental "When I'm a bartender, I'll be doing this right now" is a way of figuring out if would bring happiness.

As frustrating as it feels to feel like we're making no progress, we are actually living those careers without having to put years of our life into them.

So, if you're like me, you're going to keep trying. You're going to listen to what your daydreams tell you about the daily grind of the Nursery Manager, and the education needs of the Credit Union CEO. You're going to accept the long view and the short view accomplishments of each possibility.

And, if you're like me, you're going to believe that you and the Universe are doing what you need to do to be ready when the possibility becomes a reality.

Because when the daydream is manifested, it's going to be the best one.

I hope you have a great day!

-Lila

Today's Happiness Practice - What works for me?

Today I am going to search for what works for me.

I am currently (still!) in the process of finding another job - a job that uses my brain, uses my skills, and still provides opportunity for me to learn something. I have been fretting over how long it's taking, and over how there are so many cool sounding jobs for which I am not qualified - not enough experience, not enough education, not enough... not enough... not enough...

And when submitting resumes and cover letters; when driving through the town staring at possibilities; when sitting up at night looking toward the future; I have been thinking, who wants me? What do I have to be to fit into your place? What parts of my experience are worthy of working for you?

And that thinking is totally against all of my happiness practice.

What my experience tells me is there are many opportunities out there that fit into MY criteria for a great possible future.

What my experience tells me is that any job that I try to reshape myself for, is going to be a job I soon begin to hate.

What my experience tells me is, the questions I need to ask are: Who do I want? Does your place fit my style and my needs? What places are out there who can best utilize my experience and help in my growth?

Who is worthy of me?

And who, what, will be able to fulfill and accommodate all these swirling, barely articulated possibilities?

Yes, I want more income. Yes, I am looking for another job. Yes, it's a big search through thousands of possibilities. Yes, sometimes I am frustrated and scared.

But today, I am going to practice believing in my Universe, believing in my happiness. And I am going to search, not for how I can fit into somebody else's mold, but for the molds that are made just for me.

Today, and hopefully for the rest of this process, I am going to search for the work that works for me.

I hope you have a great day!

-Lila