Positive Vibe

If these signs said, "I am looking for an opportunity to change your life and I have the ability to do just that" I think things would have turned out different on that day.

I have had some true life altering experiences. Some that I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to be a part of. These are the memories that hold that special spot and you remember how happy you were and you tell yourself "how lucky am I".  I cherish each one of these. Then there are the times when all seems lost. Sitting in a situation that you never dreamed you would experience. These are also special and I have found, very beneficial to building stronger character if you have a positive vibe. Both of these types of  life's lessons are what makes me who I am. It's not what happens, but how I maneuver and pilot through each one.

Well, I am here to tell you, that a positive vibe will get you much farther than the defeated attitude. In times of distress and new challenges, you will receive exactly the vibe you put out. That has been my experience and I am continually reminded of it each day. I did lose my job and had never been out of work my entire life, not a single day. This was new territory for me, exactly what do you do when you get up each morning? How do you navigate the waters of unemployment? It's your choice, so do you stand on the side and skim rocks on the surface or do you build yourself one bad ass recovery boat? You can try to swim it, but it can be a long crossing and your instinct is going to be to keep looking backwards, and stress about how far out you are, then turn ahead and panic that you see no land in sight. Plus, you are going to find that their is no lifeguard on duty. 

I decided to build a recovery boat, one big bad boat that could handle a category 5 storm if I needed it to. It wasn't going to happen overnight, but I would be floating in no time. I immediately started my own full time business. This was going to keep my head above water and I have found that this fits my situation. And it is true, it is much more fun to be a pirate than join the Navy. I have learned to discipline myself and get up each morning and do all I can do. Take the time to teach myself new and exciting things. I need to keep sharp so I started this blog to work on my writing skills and hope that they improve. I have built a website for my business and if you would have asked me six months ago if I had that capability, I would have told you no, I do not. What I see now is land ahead, and that staying in one position too long keeps you from really exploring and challenging yourself, and that when you think you know all there is to know about something, you should move on. 

From the minute I walked out of my old office, I was determined not to look back, this is an opportunity to grow, to better myself and see just what I am made of.  It has been 8 months since that day. I now realize that I was never really unemployed, I kept on working and continued building upon what I had started 3 years ago with my home design business. I have a freelance stylist business that I love and am grateful for the work that I have received and I am charmed to have more on my calendar. I cherish the people that I work with and each new job is an opportunity to progress my skills. I had forgotten how much fun and rewarding it was to be challenged each day and given the opportunity to explore and experience new facets of life. I feel better about myself, taking the helm and traveling at 100 nautical miles an hour on a boat I built myself. I get up each morning and apply for the dream job but I am not going to jump on any old ship that passes by. I love my life as I have steered it and the positive vibe keeps me going at speeds I did not know I could reach. I pinch myself each day just to make sure that it's all real.  I am looking forward...and I see only paradise just a few nautical miles ahead.

This song gets me going each morning and reminds me of how best to navigate my daily journey.

Jo Ann