A study in careernomics

I love my "Polaroid option on my Android phone :)

Know what I am doing RIGHT NOW??? I am eating a candy bar, why? Why would I be eating a 200 calorie peanut butter filled candy bar? Because it makes me happy!!!! (and because i haven't had one in weeks)

I like doing stuff that makes me happy, I am all about being positive, especially this year. My job...it's just a job, it's easy, I go to work , I come home I get paid(sort of) But of course like everyone else I dream of a dream career, so many people I know are doing what they love!

Such as Sarah Kraus of http://www.poshportraits.com/ , she takes pinup pictures of people for a living, she just started doing it out of her home one day! I had her do a spread of me back in 06 that I gave to my hubby for our engagement present. As she was snapping away I asked her about her business, and how she got into it, and it was right then that I had an epiphany a "wow" moment, here was this women stuck in a job she didn't like and she turned it around, no formal degree non of the non sense, she had an idea and ran with it!!!! how great, I thought, to get up each morning and know your doing what you love! it was form that moment exactly that I knew I NEEDED to find my niche, and soon.

Fast forward to last year when I also found the wonderfully witty blogs of http://www.galadarling.com/ and http://www.dooce.com/ . These two women blogged, that WAS their career, they were so happy and so positive, and had so much advice to give! Dooce and Gala are two of my favorite daily hits, for positive goodness, you might also want to check out http://www.kandeethemakeupartist.blogspot.com/ for beautiful inspiration. Reading these blogs were like surrounding myself with good people,they were LIVING proof,that you can do what you want in this life and make a career out of it!

I often think about what other jobs I could do, what I am good at, what would I not consider (work)I have been out of work more times to count, and granted, while I am grateful for the job I have now,and well stuck for awhile, there is really no room for growth or creativity, even my managers have said it, (which is why I have no problem writing it here. i use the job as strictly a form of income and that ok, there is nothing wrong with that, it gives me time to explore other outlets for my creativity.

I thought the other day "what am I good at?

-Photography

-Fashion

-Makeup and hair

-Crafts

-Baking

Granted, most of the jobs that go with these are not considered "lucrative" but look what "lucrative" got me,( four years of college for a degree I don't even USE and a salary range I can't break free of , which doesn't help me to pay the 35 grand for the degree I don't use) why not go after a dream? not worry about the money part, if you do what you love, the money will follow, this year, I feel even more willing and inspired to go after my dreams.

Why not; Work in a cake decorating bakery? Work at Sephora doing make-up? Star up a craft blog? Go to beauty school?

Granted I may not accomplish these things head on this year, but possibly many years down the road, I am still young and determined as HELL! if you can find something that you love to do,do it! Everything else will fall into place. i need to quit being so scared and realize that if something isn't working for me, that maybe that's because it's not were I am supposed to be.

It seems at 31, things are becoming clearer to me, I see things more easily, I think being a mom helps also. I am more patient, less frantic.more willing to take a risk and way more fearless. Not to mention my self confidence SKYROCKETED in my thirties. be it know I have a plan, and it may not be a quick plan, but someday I will do what I love. And enjoy every minute of it.!!!!

You are fabulous

xoxoxo Heather

Influences

The other day the baby was sitting quietly in his swing, Bill had him turned toward the TV watching fox news.. I came into the room, saw this and turned him away from the TV. "what did you do that for" Said Bill. "I don't want him watching this crap" I said. "He is a baby heather he probably doesn't even know whats going on" said Bill. But maybe he DOES know whats going on,at such a young age, I don't want his little mind exposed to the violence, politics, cheating ,lies and stealing that we see on the news, ESPECIALLY fox news, the republican soap box as it were which often times scares the bejesus out of me! That night we went to a birthday party, and over Manhattans discussed politics with our hosts,who brought up the fact, that maybe political parties shouldn't exists because often times you are taught to hate one or the other without ever knowing what each party really contributes.

For example, i was raised a devout democrat, my father, the union man drilled it into my head that republicans were all greedy rich business owners who were against pro-choice and basically who were war mongers.
So i grew up resenting republicans........but I wasn't really sure why....
What I would love to know is, what influences us? What influences and sources, drive us to make the decisions that we make? and if there were no influences and we were left to our own wills, would we make those same decisions?

It's something to really think about....

I want my son to make his own decisions, I will not tell him that one party is more evil than the other because they are BOTH evil, which is why I recently switched from democrat to the independent party, because I WANT to make my OWN decisions and don't want to be tied down to any one entity.

But it goes beyond politics, what about racism? Bill was raised in a very conservative, not racial but...well....lets say closed minded family. Even though he grew up in a predominately racially mixed part of Cleveland. I on the other hand grew up in a predominately black community, and was taught to love all people. But I am not a bleeding heart liberal, I still have my boundaries, I have this open mindedness because my parents never pushed me one way or the other, they let me decide for myself. My mother had lots of gay friends, black Friends, I had puerto rican, Spanish, and black friends. I loved surrounding my self with different cultures(still do), I even spent thanksgiving with my black neighbors one year just so I could see how different it was from our thanksgiving.And Passover with my Jewish Boyfriend, went to church with my puerto rican neighbors, My parents wanted me to be exposed to all those new things.

Bills parents.....not so much. I don't hold it against my husband, it was the way he was raised, but I often wonder if he wasn't influenced by his parents, would he feel the same way?

Would I feel the same way if I was raised by HIS parents?

I don't want to push Hudson into one field or the other, I want him to make his own choices. But the media and government have alot of pull in what children see and what they are told. So the best thing that I can do is to raise him to be wary of that and to search to find the answers within himself.

This also applies to every other aspect of our lives, we are influenced in some way in every decision that we make, influences can be good, they can provide us with more information when were are not sure what way that we need to go, but they can also stifle us, or pressure us into the wrong decision.
So next time you have a tough decision to make, or even if its whether or not you want the Twix or the snickers in the vending machine, think about this, think about WHY your making the decision that you are, and more importantly seek out what your heart really wants, because with that you can't go wrong!

The year gone by........

So long 2008 eight.......it surely HASN'T been great.....but I did learn alot about my self, and really came into my own. Here are a list of my accomplishments for 2008 ( in no particular order)
1.I let go of the past, and in doing so, freed up my heart. I realized where mulling about what didn't happen hampered what could happen.

2. Got rid of toxic people, be it friends or ungrateful family, I finally cut apron strings with those I was tired of either fighting with or over.

3. I planted a garden and it LIVED!!!! it was my first attempt at creating "life" which leads me the to number 4.....

4. I made a baby! (well it's still baking but I did it!)

5. I emotionally supported my husband after his accident and my mother during her breast cancer treatment, and from that, learned just how much of a powerful force I could be in someones life.

6. I began to worry (just a weee little tad) less about my health, it was to the point of craziness and really getting out of hand. However I do still worry about the ones I love.

7. I kicked my sugar cravings......blame pregnancy...but I was headed down a diabetic road I was so bad ( see theres that health worry popping up again lol)

8. I made myself known at work. I made sure this year to put myself on the map and really get noticed, made friendships and deepened relationships with top people in my company, and even if it never gets me that window office, at least they know my name and know I went down fighting!

9. I got in touch with old friends, and some family I have hardly spoke to before <" Ashley: I am so glad that we connected finally, you are a swell gal and it saddens me that I never knew how cool you really were :) luv you cuz!" as for everyone else, Michelle, Kristal, Tori,Sarah, Mary and anyone whom I have forgotten, it is great to have you all within talking distance again!

10. I turned thirty.....and in the process figured out what really mattered to me all these years.

I don't make resolutions for the new year,they tend not to stick, instead I set private goals. This next year should prove even more changes, and hopefully I will grow even more.

Now if you will excuse me I am going to go dive face first into a rootbeer float that I have been wanting since Sunday lol.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!! May everyone have a great 09!!!

Have you smiled at someone today?

Photo by Sick Little Monkey

I have had a real nasty day thus far, my day started off with me getting into two altercations with customers, one of which landed me in my managers office going through cantankerous emails and defending myself until I was blue in the face.

Then once that calmed down, I had a customer who thought it was his duty to let all of his political aggression and frustration out on me in the form of screaming at me for not having and answer for him.

After that fun jaunt, I got a letter from management stating that we may have to work the holidays (great like I don’t hate this place enough sometimes, just take away my right to be with my family to REALLY boost my morale!!)

After my customer altercation, i had a coworker who saw me in the bosses office text message me on the computer asking what had happened I wrote back “oh just some dumb ass customer trying to get me in trouble” the problem??? I didn’t send it to my friend I sent it on accident to management…..GREAT!!!!!!! Who replied “please do not talk to anyone until you have calmed down”

So I thought I would get out for lunch, so I head out to Panera Bread, I walk into the door and….OMG!! people ALL over the place, granted the service was fast but very rushed and no one was very personable, so finally I get my tasty lunch (orchard harvest salad and chicken soup) sit down and try to replenish my mind, choosing not to listen to the thoughts in my head, but rather to the guy behind me talking about some interesting real estate options to another customer. After I was done, I stopped by the café for steamed soy milk with whip cream. So I stand there at the counter…..and stand there……..aaaaaaaaaaaand stand there. Finally a girl moseys on over and looks at my request like I just asked her for the whole world. She enters it, I pay. And then it happened……A manager comes over to the counter and tells her he will make the drink for me. So as he is steaming my millk, (that sounds kind of dirty) he smiles at me! And says, “so how is your day today?” I smile and say “well it’s been trying” he finishes my milk and hands me a medium sized cup of steamed milk with whip cream. “OH” I said, “I paid for a small”. He goes “I know, but I figured you could use a treat”…….and I swear, that guy smiling at me and doing that for me, made the whole rest of my afternoon, POOF!! Went my bad mood. And I swear to you, as I walked out the door, (which BTW a nice gentleman held open for me) the sun came out!!!!

So I ask you to smile at somebody today, it may just be that little thing that makes their day better. We need a lot more people like that in the world.

Here is a song by Ani Difranco that I LOVE that came to mind after this all occurred:

PIXIE by Ani Difrancoi'm a pixiei'm a paperdolli'm a cartooni'm a chipper cheerful free for alland i light up a roomi'm the color me happy girlmiss live and let liveand when they're out for bloodi always givethe man behind the counter looks like he's gota half a dozen places he'd rather beand furthermore it looks like he's preparedto take it all out on mebuddy, i don't really care what your problem isjust don't make it minecome on kids, let's all hold handsand pretend we're having a good timemaybe you don't like your jobmaybe you didn't get enough sleepwell, nobody likes their jobnobody got enough sleepmaybe you just hadthe worst day of your lifebut, you know, there's no escapeand there's no excuseso just suck up and be niceall the privileged white kids on tvplaying at deathbrandishing their cold cutswith their ghostly makeupand their heroin breathand all the little fishes are flapping wildlyon their hookswhile all the top critics find great meaningin the telephone bookthe little emperor he has no clothesso he can't come out to playand besides which life is sufferingand he likes it that wayand the little guy is not so friendlybut you know life has been cruelso wipe that smile off your face babyand try to be coolyeah, i would like to perfect the artof being studiously alooflike life is just a boring choreand i am living proofi could join forces with an armyof ornery hipstersbut then i guess i'd be out of a jobso i guess that's out of the picture

Insipring words

Picture by Ashley Forrette

Ok,so in case you have lived under a rock lately, shits been depressing here in the states, with the election debates under way,the crappy economy and the fact that I and many other people may be getting laid off soon, BUT!!! Cheer up babies!! Although we cannot choose our destiny we CAN choose our attitudes and the way we see things in these hard times.And since this blog is about the "joy of life", here are some inspiring words that I read recently that struck a chord.

From Stefanie LaRue Author of "Daring to date again, finding love with cancer"
A woman living with Metastatic breast cancer.
"As I see it, we all have a choice: you can wake up pissed off , or you can focus on everything that you are grateful for. You have to open your mind and you heart and accept everything that is happening to you, good and bad. Right now I am the happiest that I have ever been, i am living a no-bullshit kind of life. Just waking up every day is an orgasm-an emotional orgasm. I know there are more ahead of me, I live for that."

And from Crazy Sexy Cancers , Kris Carr

1. Telling people you love them even though there is so much poison that you think you hate them. Once you say it you burst open with white joy and then you miss the time lost in the negative.

2. Doing things that make you really scared but really exhilarated.

3. Muting the voice in your head that is always worried, always tentative, always keeping you in the land of stuck. "Fuck it". "Just do it". GO.

4. Saying no to people who only take.

5. Saying yes to people who give you as much as you give them.

6. Opening your heart so wide that you touch a space that is unknown, uncomfortable and exposed. Staying in that space. Holding it. Holding it. Ahhhh.

7. Turning addictions into accomplishments. Nothing has you in it's grips. You are the grips.

8. Service to God/Goddess. Everything else will fall into place.

9. Sacred sweat, lots of it. Dance till you bleed. Laughing so loud someone complains.

10. Forgiving the world and then making it better.

Now I do realize that both of these woman have cancer, that is just by coincidence, October is national breast cancer month, and I have been doing alot of reading, my mother recently kicked Breast Cancer so I feel the need to be as informed as possible to keep myself healthy, but also these women are INCREDIBLY inspiring. And we can learn a ton from them.

Enjoy your weekend to the fullest!!

Favorite quotes to live by

Quotes that I love:

“Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness , negativity, pain….to feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to be able to make mistakes and choices…today I choose to feel life not to deny my humanity, but to embrace it –Kevyn Aucoin


“One of my aims is to feel good about myself, which is all mental, all about attitude. It has nothing to do with size. You just have to let go of perfectionism and keep focusing on the next moment because if you don’t, you’re going to miss out on something. You have to stay present every second.” – Elle DeGeneres

”what is going to happen will, and no one is immune from it”- anonymous

“Be happy so long as breath is in you” – Yogi Brahma

“Your head must bow to your heart”- Yogi Brahma

“By honoring your words, you are honored” –Yogi Brahma