Redefined Quest

Gee, there is so much going on in my life that I have no idea where to start and what to write. Lately I’ve been thinking about the purpose of this blog which has changed several times over the last years. It should’ve since it’s been almost ten years when I wrote the first post. I have been reluctant to write though because I feel that ever since I moved back this blog has lost its purpose. This is not true. What happened is that I have changed focus over time and I’m in the midst of a self-improvement process forcing me to have a good look at all angles of my life, not just one.

So what I’m saying is, that the quest is still there, it just changed. I have changed, I still am changing. And I guess that in order for me to keep this journal updated I should redefine its purpose and start from there. I’ve noticed that I feel like reading lots of the same neuro-linguistic programming stuff, mostly ebooks about self-help and self-improvement. I have been listening to ebooks/mp3’s as well and not just once but over and over again. Each and every aspect is covered several times and I keep coming to the same conclusions. Stuff that I’ve already written about in older posts.

It’s good though but I think I’ll have to start rearranging these thoughts and ideas to create order because it seems utterly chaotic lately. Perhaps it will help clear my mind as well. Don’t get me wrong this is not about relaxation, this is about creating clarity for me so I can get rid of the clutter in my head thus avoid over-thinking of things. Thinking too much or worrying is a way of procrastinating and so I figured that if I’d use this journal to keep track of goals -thus give it a new purpose- I could benefit in more than one way. I would have a solid reason to keep writing updates.

I would be motivated to write plus it would be a great way to keep track of any progress, to analyse myself and learn from behaviour and/or mistakes. So what is keeping me? Well mostly the things I wrote about in my previous email. I am seriously taking into consideration the fact that what happened to my business blog/website could easily happen with this website as well. I’m still dealing with these dark subjects after almost two months, it’s under control but it doesn’t take away a serious problem. One I luckily managed to avoid so far on here but that is lurking around the corner.

Plus if I was to change the subject I would also like to move this website to the main url instead of hiding it in a subdirectory and keeping it visible only to a few people. I could move it to the root of my domain and install WordPress instead of the current CMS that I’m using which is an accident waiting to happen. So why am I reluctant to do so? First of all it is going to be a lot -and I mean A lot!- of work to set up a completely new website. It means I would have to redesign the look and feel and time is the only thing that I don’t have right now because I need to focus on more important stuff…

The positive side would be the fact that I could easily protect certain posts from being read, or keep the whole website protected from lurkers if I wanted to. That is a major plus! To be honest, I think I’m having a hard time letting go of this so familiar CMS that I have been using for such a long long time. Perhaps it’s time to move away and move on, perhaps I’m not ready to see or face this. What is best for me? To move on… It seems to be the topic of everything that is currently going on in my life, the need for change, the need for progress and the need for knowledge and improvement.

I am working on a lot of things at the moment and I know I would make it a lot easier for myself if I had a checklist (read posts) so I could keep an eye on progress and lessons that I’ve learned so far. It would still be a place to vent at times but also a place where I could keep track of how I reinvent myself, letting go of the past and things that I no longer need and focus on the ‘now’ instead of a future or a past. This is why I had to write this post today, it felt like the right time. Now all I’d like to do is make a decision whether to keep this CMS or move on to another option along with the consequences.

I’m in recess to think this over and make a decision…

(perhaps when you check back you will noticed a/the change ;) )

Note to oneself: if you focus on one thing at a time you get it done much easier and faster than you’d imagine. I have been postponing writing a post for a long time and I wrote this in less than 15 minutes because I was determined to get it done. Lesson learnt: don’t waste time making things look more difficult than they really are. You can easily do it when you set your mind to it! :)

Stunned

Something is going on lately and I can’t tell what it is… perhaps one of those tidal waves again? Or is it still the same journey? Or the fact that I can finally let go and move on after all this time? There are strange vibes in the air especially today. I’m not ignoring them but trying to figure out why they’re there bothering me… I feel sad but I don’t understand why because I have no reasons at all to feel like this, it’s ridiculous…

In fact I should be extremely and I mean extremely happy! I’ve passed the engineering and IQ tests last Wednesday while I really wasn’t expecting it. It was an hour and half of constant pressure. Pressure to deliver results within time limits of 20 to 60 seconds depending on the level of difficulty. Twenty-five questions for each of the four tests… do the math. No wonder I ended up with a freakin headache.

But there was no time to have a headache since I had to discuss the result right after with the future manager and someone from HR during a second interview. The HR person asked me how the tests went. All I could answer was that I’d never done anything like it and how tough it was. I really needed a moment to clear my head but then -to my utter surprise- he congratulated me for passing the tests.

You see, they would’ve stopped the procedure if I didn’t pass the test. Since I needed this job so badly I’d put pressure on myself, knowing that I had to deliver. The moment I had to take the tests I said to myself that I could only try my best. And failure was not going to stop me from reaching my goal. If I wouldn’t pass then it wasn’t meant to be, it’s as simple as that. I would’ve continued to look for other options.

But I don’t have to because I have this job for 99.9%… All I need to do is have a third interview with a web designer this week. Then after they will give me an offer that we’ll need to discuss and then it’s probably only a matter of waiting and signing all the papers so I can start as soon as possible. I’ve just launched myself into a career change and many future options of education and possibilities…

So then why is it that I feel sad today? Is it because I no longer have certain worries? Am I sad because I now realise what I’ve had to deal with all this time and I can let go of the tough girl? I no longer have reasons to feel ashamed, weak, trapped, stupid for making yet another mistake, for trusting the wrong kind of man again and ending up in a situation that I could’ve prevented by ‘simply’ trusting my gut feeling…

I honestly can’t tell, perhaps I’m saying goodbye to the old me… because lots and lots of changes are going on: not just job-wise but also on a personal level. It’s me that’s changing while others around me are now the ones that are stuck. I’ve called the ex the other day, he sounded depressed in a way and I realised nothing nor he had changed, he was still feeling miserable while I was moving on on all levels.

So maybe that’s what I’m feeling… the fact that some are not and are showing jealousy or indifference instead. Yes it hurts at times, therefore I have to leave old things behind: people, situations, places and memories. Leave them behind to make room for new ones, better ones, different ones. The caterpillar has shed from its skins, made a chrysalis and will now continue to grow into a beautiful butterfly…

© NASA/ESA – Nebula Butterfly