The Beauty of ‘Pear-shaped’

As I said in my previous post, I had an interview last Friday and the reason why I didn’t write an update yet is because I had to let it all sink in. The interview was supposed to take an hour but it took two instead. If I look back at all the interviews that I’ve had so far this was the most relaxed one in years and definitely the best one. I had the opportunity to ask all sorts of questions and because of my enthusiasm and the other person’s passion for his work we easily could’ve talked for another hour.

I think this is the biggest company I’ve applied with ever since I started my ‘career’. People often think about where their careers take them. I never had to, because I turned my hobby into a job and I was very much enjoying each and every opportunity that I got. Halfway I did change into a different direction though but I was still linked to the job that I love so much. But over the last three years I was forced to have a good look at my life and where I was heading since things went pear-shaped.

I ended up in a situation that I had been trying to avoid all my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. Au contraire: what I’ve learned over the last couple of years is priceless. Yes things have been scary and yes I’ve seen the bottom but I’m climbing because that’s what Goats are meant to do. So I can only be grateful that I can have my own dreams again. Dreams that others might take for granted, like having my own place to live, being able to unpack the boxes and redecorate my ‘home’…

This might have been the toughest period in my life but I’ve gained so much having to deal with this emotional whirlpool. It forced me to have a good look at myself and where I was heading. I’m not there yet but I am taking tiny steps to find my balance again. Part of that has been looking for the confident ‘me’ that I’d lost along the way. I’ve found her and I’m enjoying her presence whenever she is there smiling at me, telling me it’s going to be alright. She was there last Friday at the interview.

She smiled and she felt like nothing could stop her from reaching that goal. And it was good, it was perfect the way it was… The other person told me that he wanted me on his team and become part of a company of 3500 people. So I went home, high on sheer happiness. I was on the train for an hour and half smiling… I didn’t care that I had to change twice because of delays. I didn’t notice that everything around me was chaos… I was just sitting there smiling and enjoying that very moment.

I was also aware of the fact that I wasn’t there yet. You see… I need to pass a test first. An IQ test which is not just the regular kind of test but a more complicated one. This morning I received a phone call from the company’s HR department to schedule this test. There’s only three people that I’ve told about it because I don’t want to be pressured by others telling me ‘I can do it’. I would like to be realistic and positive at the same time, there’s a 50% chance of success so I will try the best I can.

After all, that is all I can do, try the best I can and live ‘now’… not in the past, not in the future but in the present. That’s what I did that Friday, make the most of that moment and it worked out just fine. So I’ll be doing the same next week when I’ll have to take the test and it’s no point speculating about the actual result. It’s a win-win situation because no one could ever take away that moment of perfection during the interview and after. There is a bigger plan for me and I have no clue what it is just yet.

I just have to accept it and embrace it… {to be continued}

‘You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.’ ~Henry David Thoreau

© (?) – Can you find the elephant?

Warped Perception

The only time where I actually feel alive is when I dare to take risks, embrace the real me and stand out in the crowd, and be the strong woman that I am!

~Zesty Gal

I wrote this ten days ago… I’m in deep thinker’s mode again and didn’t feel like writing a post at all: I just had/have too much on my mind and I needed quiet and peace. There’s a lot going on lately but it feels kinda negative in a way -although I know it isn’t- but I’m not sure if I’d like to write about it. Perhaps it’s just my own perception of things, I don’t know. And so I needed to write down the above to remind me of my quest and the core of me, Zesty Gal…

In another post I wrote that I don’t know where I’m heading, that I have no idea what I want with my life. But I do know what I want actually and in order to get there I need to take certain steps because what I want is going to take time to accomplish. It’s a long-term plan that needs nurturing each day which is the fun part because it doesn’t need to be much; an hour a day or perhaps two would be sufficient; more would be brilliant and speed things up.

I’ve been taking notes, did lots of research online, read and collected info. And the more I read, the more time I spend on this project, the more enthusiastic I feel. I’ve only told three people of my plan: their reactions were extremely positive. A few heard the non-detailed general version of the plan and immediately some attempt to slag me off and discourage me. But the harder they try the more convinced I am that this project is what I should be doing!

So I’ve set up a frame for a business plan: if I do things in a clever way I should be able to finance it all myself and wouldn’t have to apply for a loan but I still have to balance all the figures and write it down to get an overview. This is what I’m currently working on while I’m also looking for ways to have the designs produced on a small scale and keep an eye on the costs at the same time. But… like I said earlier, this is a long-term plan evolving over time…

The short-term plan however is something completely different: I’ve met up with a career coach who suggested that I should take a so-called competency test to figure out what my strong points are. I can hear you think but it’s something I like to do to: I don’t see myself sitting at a desk typing letters all day or be extremely nice to people while instead I really feel the urge to tell them to you-know-what… Although I wouldn’t say no to the job if I have to.

Truth is I need some kind of job although I have no idea what I would like to do but it should be something creative and constructive. So I haven’t put all my eggs in one basket: my approach is one from many angles with many possibilities. China is still in the picture but a dormant possibility until I hear from them again and so are other options I’ve been working on lately. October 1st, I will attend an event involving more job opportunities.

There are things in the pipeline but it all is extremely time-consuming. In the meantime I also nurse an 80 year old mother who had a malignant tumor removed last Tuesday. That involves: a complete household, cooking, cleaning, groceries plus visits to hospitals and looking after her… Not something I had in mind but I guess it’s what the Universe wants me to pay attention to until the moment things start to fall into place for me.

And I really hope that moment will come soon, patience is a trait that not many Capricorns have unfortunately…