Surviving Life Changing Event's: One Woman's Story

We all have life changing events happen to us, and they must happen to help us grow, but we don't always know how to handle them.  Sometimes we have multiple life changing events and other times one major life changing event, and certainly everyone deals with different situations in their own special way.  This is not meant to be a step by step how to, but rather a tale filled with examples, and hopefully inspiration.  

I have had several people ask me to write more on my personal experience, and today I found myself thinking heavily on the last year and the many life changing experiences that I not only survived, but learned how to thrive in spite of.  Perhaps, my brief summary of the last year will help someone else. 

At the beginning of last year I was working at a company that I had been with for three years, it was frustrating and stressful, but it was stable.  I planned a trip out to Ireland, a place that will always feel like home to my heart, I had wanted to take this trip for many, many years.  Finally a friend and I, just did it.  When it comes to things like taking trips you always dreamed I believe you do have to “just do it.”  Too often people wait, they say someday, or when I have enough money, or maybe they just don’t think they can.  What are you waiting for?  There may not be a someday, you can always buy your tickets with your tax refund, a bonus check, or a loan against your retirement.  

Before I left on my trip I had sent my resume in for job that was in my career field, and I had gone on an interview.  On my way to the train station I received an email for screening, I was able to reroute my trip and make a pit stop at the clinic they provided before getting on the train.  While on my way to Ireland I received the job offer, it was for the same amount of pay, it was farther away, and it was a big change.  My traveling companion and good friend encouraged me to take it, she knew I was unhappy where I was, stagnate, and looking to get into my career field.  So I accepted the job.  It was fighting, leaving something stable for the unknown, but I had to take the chance.  I was unhappy a while at my current position, and I could make a move, or suffer in silence.

I came back from one of the best vacation trips ever, and to be honest it was the first true vacation trips I had ever had, and I submitted my two week notice.  I was upset to leave, I gave my notice and I cried, I can see where people might be confused when leaving a job, no matter how frustrated or troubled they are.  When you work someplace, you are there a large portion of your time, as frustration as my job could be, I still felt like my coworkers were like a family, a dysfunctional family but a family nonetheless.  It can be misleading to have these feelings, you start to think, maybe it isn’t that bad, maybe I shouldn’t leave.  You combine that with your fear of the unknown, the fear of losing stability, and the ever present fear of change, and it can make the move to a new job feel like it is a bad idea.  You start to think of staying in a place that deep down you know you wouldn’t be happy, and you cannot, you must move forward, you must confront your fears for what they are, and take that chance.

While I was here with my new position in this new place within the first month I lost my Cat, she had been with me for as long as I could remember, longer than any single family member.  I was shuttled from family to family as a child and lost my parents in different ways, and to different degrees, so the people consistently in my life were very few.  My cat was my baby, she was my family, losing her was terrible, I was beside myself with grief.  Before you trivialize the loss of a pet, consider this, owning a pet reduces your blood pressure, and lessen anxiety, they boost immunity.  I look at it this way my cats love me unconditionally, they come to me when I am sad or angry and nuzzle me, they know when I am not well, they are a constant, and they are family.  To deal with the loss of a pet you have to be open to how important they really were for you, and you have to realize that you are dealing with a loss, just like a loss of a family member.

My precious kitty wasn’t my only loss during the last year, I lost a friend of mine, a friend whom I thought we would have a great much more time.  She was young and vibrant, eccentric and quirky and I saw a lot of me in her and vice versa.  She was one of the most kind people I knew and it was very unexpected.  I did not handle it well, and why should I, I was already dealing with the loss of my old job, the fears of doing well and getting to know people at the new one, and the loss of my kitty, now this, it was as if some took my world out of their pocket and just kept shaking it to see what would fall out. I find the key with any loss is to forgive, and not just yourself, you have to forgive both the person you lost as well as yourself.  It’s normal to feel angry, frightened, depressed, and sometimes when people tell you “do you thing they would want you to feel that way”  you may want to cause them bodily harm, because you know they would want you to be happy, but you also know if they were there and you were upset they would hold onto you and possibly even cry with you.  However, they certainly wouldn’t want you to stop your life, to be unable to live.  And you yourself must find the strength to move forward even when you just want to curl up in a deep slumber.  Forgive yourself for not spending enough time, we all feel that way, and I believe we would feel that way regardless of how much time we spent with someone, it never feels like enough.  All you can do now is hold onto that and remember it is not always the amount of time, but the quality of time with those we care for.     

About four months after I settled into my new job, I went from the typical bachelor’s life to a single parent overnight.  I was working one day, feeling like everything was finally feeling comfortable, this place was my new family, and I was finally completing my assignments with more ease, finally I felt like everything was settling down. Things in my personal life were going good, I finally had my house set up and completed just the way I wanted to.  Then the phone call came, and I found myself taking in children for an undetermined amount of time, but it certainly sounded to be more long term than short.  Shortly after I was asked to pursue custody, and I didn’t miss a step, I moved my house around, it was now back in complete disarray.  I was fortunate to have wonderful friends who contributed and helped me get all the things I needed for the children, I maxed out my credit cards, put requests out to Facebook, and I slowly got them situated.  They came to me with nothing, and ended up with full rooms, toys and lots of clothes.  It happened so fast I didn’t have time to think, I only had time to react.

Within a month of taking the kids, I was offered a position with a new firm, a position that allowed me to learn a new skill set to add to the tool belt.  I knew it was risky, I knew they had let go of most other employees with exception of the core.  Yet, it was working from the house, and I could be there for the children, it was the same pay, plus ancillaries, it was what I was looking for, and it was perfect for the situation at the time.  I was still nervous, it was a small company, the person training me had let go of anyone else, I had serious misgivings, but once again I did not let my fear’s dictate my decision.  I took the new job.

It was a stressful four months, so many things to learn, so much pressure to learn them.  I was afraid for my position even though it was a trainee position, I was afraid I wouldn’t learn fast enough, and afraid to be let go.  This fear of losing my job had been with me for the last three places, and it did serious damage.  I didn’t speak up for myself, I suffered in silence, and because of this I was increasingly unhappy.  I was the equivalent of a people please, if only as it pertained to my employment, I was afraid to loss my job, so I was afraid to rock the boat, to speak out, and so I only spoke out when I was about to break, when I was desperate.  Unfortunately, I didn’t realize this until my next major life change.  If I could do it again, I would speak up more often, I would put my foot down, I would not pick up other people’s work to find myself drowning.  Most importantly I would not be a doormat for the company and subsequently I would be happier.  I can’t tell you why I suddenly became a doormat, I certainly didn’t used to be.  It could be I saw too many back door deals, I saw people plotting to demote or get rid of employees while the employee was completely unaware, and I did not want to get blindsided.

Four months after I took the newest position my next life change took place, I felt it coming.  The company was struggling from what I could see, my perception was that since I was a trainee and the newest member I would be the first to be let go, but I certainly thought  I would have more time to prove myself.  I got the call just after the holiday’s, thankfully, as it was I handled it poorly.  I was still shocked, I cried, I panicked, and I got angry, all in a cycle that seemed to repeat at various stages.  I felt like it was all my fault, what could I have done differently, I have kids, what am I going to do, I can’t be out of work, I’ve never been out of work, I’ve never lost a job before.  Despite the reassurances “It’s not you it’s us” I felt like a failure, and I was never accustomed to that feeling.  I had been going to college since I got out of high school, my last position I learned a complete new skill set within 6 months with half the hardship as this new company.  I could learn, I could do it, so why, why was this happening.  Then you realize, it doesn’t matter, did you do your best, if the answer is yes then you did everything you could.  After some time passed I was able to reflect more objectively and I realized it truly was not me, it really was the company and those that were assigned to “train” me.  I still deal with the raw emotions, the betrayal, the hurt, the disappointment and the anger but I had made some important decisions.

Job Loss is very difficult, and I did write a blog and article about handling it, I will leave it to you to read if you would like more insight.  The most important thing for me when moving forward, after losing my job, was to decide what to do next, and I decided that I didn’t want to work for a company or a person that would not make me happy, I don’t want a job I am unhappy at, or stressed to the point of breakouts, and breakdowns.  No, I decided that now was the time to look at what makes me happy, now was the time to get back into my own, and really look into ways to make that happen.  Losing my job could have been the worst thing or the best thing to happen to me, and I decided it was going to be the best thing.  I decided I was going to find ways to make a living doing what I love.  I had no delusions that it would be easy, I knew it would be hard work, and I knew it would take a time, but within three weeks I started pulling in a very small about all while doing things that I love.  Once I have more success I will be sure to write an e-book sharing how I did it, for all of you who may want to make a living doing what you love, working for yourself.             

If you like the author's in this blog check out the site www.writingliberty.com and feel free to check out the author's other books;

Belief and Society

I grew up a catholic girl going to catholic school, and singing in the church choir, I had a precious moment’s bible, and my mom collected precious moment’s status.  My grandmother worked at the church that we went to and I looked forward to running through the pews scraping the candle wax off of the wood.  I never questioned my faith as a young child. 

I got older and hit my pre-teen years, my nana and papa passed away, and then my mom and dad separated.  I started to think twice about this faith I had.  Then I was sent away to a different family when my mother was ill, after she died, I didn’t believe in anything specific.  I knew that since I had been involved in things that should have killed me, there were trauma’s that I shouldn’t have survived, so I was in effect agnostic.  I believed that there was something more out there but I no longer associated with any religion. 

One day as a teenage girl, I met a woman who introduced me to mythology, and older faiths.  I started to study them; at 17 I had studied Celtic beliefs, Wicca, Shamanism, Witchcraft, and Buddhism.  I looked into meditation and a variety of martial arts.  A close friend of mine practiced a spiritual belief centered around Quan Yin, so I was thirsty to know more.  I had studied Reiki and Tai Chi, and I was curious about their application of energy, it was so similar to Celtic magic, and even shamanism. 

The more I learned the more I saw the similarities between all of the beliefs.  I finally found faith again, only it wasn’t in one particular system, it was in all of them.  I went into college and I started to study sciences and I was afraid they would take away from the magic that I was experiencing, form the faith I had found.  Instead I found science enhanced it, it was very nice to have scientific explanations, but the knowledge is limited, and the mystery is still so overwhelming and I found that my faith was still intact.  

  

Someone recently told me that superstition and beliefs should have no place in society and indicated that anyone who thinks otherwise is moronic.  This was a backlash statement, its origin was from the fox News cause that went around, demanding an apology from Fox News (See the Response to Fox News in this blog).  I certainly give people a lot of room for their belief’s regardless of what they happen to be.  I myself occasionally go to a Baptist church and study a variety of other energy based belief systems.  I know people that are atheist, agnostic, wiccan, catholic, unorthodox Jews, Christians, and so on, and I would never try to steer them from their faith.  I believe that whatever faith feels right to you, and whatever speaks to your heart, is the right belief for you.  After all, the one thing all beliefs have in common is faith, and all of them seem to have some focus or another on energy, they just call things by different names.  So for someone to condescendingly indicate to me that I am less intelligent than they are because I have faith in something they do not is absurd.  Further, it is not the belief itself that causes issues in society, it is the person that insists that everyone else is wrong, or that their belief (or lack thereof)is the only one.  This is another issue of accountability, it is not the religion or belief system that is responsible for violence it is the people who conduct the violence, and the society that would rather blame a religion than hold an individual accountable.  It is the fault of society for not promoting education before judgment, for not promoting peace, for not facilitating good behavior.  Instead society breeds violence, and encourages ignorance.  So no, I don’t agree that belief’s should have no place in society, because belief’s help people get through things, they explain the unexplainable, and they offer a code of conduct and honor to abide by, a code of conduct and honor that is deteriorated in society.     

If you like the author's in this blog check out the site www.writingliberty.com and feel free to check out the author's other books;

Responding to Fox News Attack on Wiccans/Pagans

I have heard the rumors that various news media networks are biased and provide skewed information.  It is outrageous to think that the media that was once looked to for unbiased information and truths is now nothing more than a pawn.  Recently I was forced to see the truth of this bias when a cause, circulated on Facebook, highlighted a ridiculous video riddled with misunderstanding and inaccuracies targeting wiccans and pagans.   There are so many inaccurate and bigoted statements in this video I’m not quite sure where to start! 

The Video In Question

These three Fox News representatives cajole cavalierly while poking fun at a nationally recognized religion.  To make matters worse their attitude and facts are severely lacking.  This already seriously misunderstood religion makes for an easy target for Fox News who apparently felt the population of pagans/Wiccan was so insignificant that they could be insulting without consequence.

The video starts with the statement “The PC Police are at it again”, Yet this video continues to bash Wiccan/pagans, and the only other mention of a PC issue is when the woman in the video states “and somehow if you are Christian in this country you can’t say merry Christmas to someone or else you are trying to push your Christian faith on other people.”  I’m not sure what, if anything, this has to do with Wiccans/pagans.  As far as I can see there is more bitterness about not being able to say “Merry Christmas” and honor their Christian belief’s then there is any truth or validity to the slams against Wicca and paganism.
      

Starting this video with the statement that “The PC Police are at it again” is absolute ridiculous, Wicca/Paganism is a nationally recognized religion, so why shouldn’t they have at least their main Sabbats recognized, along with the others we already observer.  Furthermore I cannot see how an entity deciding to acknowledge Wiccan and pagan holidays warrants an attack on the religion itself, particularly an attack that is largely misrepresentative of the religion and the people who follow it.      

Fox News scoffed at the Wiccan and pagan population, they gleefully say they don’t make up a large portion of the population when in fact, I maintain, they can’t verify that.  Many wiccans and pagans keep to themselves and keep their religion under wraps for fear of misunderstanding or even persecution.  They keep to themselves because they know the rest of the world is willingly ignorant, much like these three in this video.  In fact a New York Times article from 2007 cited Wicca as the country’s fastest-growing religion, despite observers of the religion feeling as though they have to hide in the proverbial broom closet.  In another article from the New York Times in 2009, a sociologist doing research on Pagan demography said she believe that the more accurate number would be between 500,000 and one million practitioners. 

       

One man states “The bad side of Wiccanism is that it is obviously a form of witchcraft, but the upside you get a ton of holidays.”  There is simply no way not find this statement offensive regardless of your religion.  They later make the statement “But you get 20 days so I guess if you are going to go with one that is the one you go with” which is equally offensive because it once again suggests that a person will select their faith, not on heritage, not on spirit, not on heart, but on how many holiday’s they receive.   Anyone of any faith would be offended at the suggestion that they choose their belief based on the number of holidays.  These statements are offensive not only to Wiccans/Pagans but to any other religion.  I submit that the statement “The bad side of Wiccanism is that it is obviously a form of witchcraft” is completely unprofessional, offensive, judgmental and shows a complete lack of knowledge on the subject as a whole.   

Tammy Bruce mentions that “It’s not about elevating anyone else”, yet how do you explain not recognizing a nationally accepted religion, or worse, slamming a national accepted religion and taking the stance they shouldn’t have their celebrated holidays.   She states that pagan and wiccans are being used to further a political agenda, to downgrade what is important to majority of Americans, I thought freedom of religion was important to the majority of Americans.  How is allowing a nationally accepted religion holiday’s, downgrading what is important to the majority of Americans, and can you back this statement up with facts?  She starts to say that pagans and wiccans should be angry about being used and you can hear a chuckle from one of the men, the outright disrespect and demeaning attitude of this man is appalling.  I don’t expect people to agree with everything but I do expect media personalities to be as neutral as possible and set aside their own personal belief’s when reporting, to do anything less compromises your integrity.

Another statement “tradition in this country is what allows people to be pagans and wiccans to enjoy their their lives freely, good luck doing that in any other country” is equally lacking.  Are these people actually saying that Wiccans and pagans are fortunate enough to be allowed their belief so they should be happy with that and not request their holiday’s be observed?  Did they bother to check that Druidry was accepted in Britain as a religion, that in many other countries there are old religions that are accepted, so really what was the factual base for this statement.  Are you saying it’s enough that we tolerate you as a pagan, so just sit down and shut up, because that is how this comes across? 

Next  we will attempt to address the ludicrous statement that “every wiccan I know is a compulsive dungeons and dragons player or a middle age twice divorced older woman living in a rural area who works as a midwife” and as the other fellow adds “and likes a lot of incense.“  I’m not sure what people these guys associate with but I can assure you that the majority of pagans and wiccans I know are highly intelligent, carry on successful lives, and often have prominent careers.  I know of several wiccans that work in the computer field as programmers or technicians, several others that work in high management positions, one who works for GE and others who are highly motivated and self-employed.    Almost of them have 4 year degrees or Master’s degrees, and almost all own their own house and live in well-populated areas, although I suspect many of them would like more land since they are usually of the Earth and for the Earth.  Furthermore it is exactly these stereotypes , that a New York Times article found, was responsible for people not coming forward and expressing their religion.

One of these guys states that he has interviewed wiccans and the majority said “we are the most peaceful people, we don’t practice crazy things, we are just of the earth”, so why then would you attack a peaceful people and speak so offensively about their belief, why would you downgrade their right to celebrate their holidays?   

Possibly one of the most ignorant statements made was “Except any religion whose most sacred day is Halloween, I just can’t take seriously,” Carlson added. “I mean, call me a bigot. And I’m not, you know, not offering an editorial against Wiccanism.”  Well, I won’t say Carlson here is a bigot, but he is certainly misguided, uneducated, and speaking out of turn.  Check your facts, Halloween was established long after this day was sacred to the Celtic and Shaman belief’s that make up the modern practice of Wicca.  Perhaps you need a history lesson the Celtic faith and Native American faith, that founded Wicca, were established long before Christianity.  

For your information Fox News, There are eight (8) major Sabbat’s; Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltain, Litha, Lughnasadh, and Mabon.    

Samhain is the time of rebirth as it heralds a new year, it has long since been celebrated as the time when the veil between the living and dead is the thinnest and subsequently communications with ancestors is prevalent.   

Yule takes place on December 21 and was a pagan holiday long before Christianity’s Christmas, and is where the tradition of having a Yule log and mistletoe was derived.   This was when the Goddess gave birth to the God, sound familiar. 

Imbolc on February 2nd is considered Brigit’s Day so named after the revered Celtic goddess Brighid who was known for peace and love. 

Ostara March 21 signifies the rebirth of life, this was when the Goddess and God began their courtship, and I might remind you once again these are traditions that were around in their respective territories LONG before Christianity.

Beltain a period of consummation, a time for new beginnings, also known for the Maypole.

Litha the summer solstice or midsummers eve, the celebration of fertility of the gods and goddess. 

Lughnasadh,  August 1^st A festival of the dead, a time to harvest. 

Mabon September 21 is a time of thanks for what has been harvested.

References;

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/us/16wiccan.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/31/us/31religion.html

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/04/britain-recognizes-druidry-as-religion/

If you like the author's in this blog check out the site www.writingliberty.com and feel free to check out the author's other books;

Gratitude: The key to keeping your life moving forward positively

by Michol Mae

My grandmother was a spiritual woman, she was Blackfoot Sioux, and believed in a mix of traditional Native American beliefs and Christianity. One day she told me “Think positive and positive things will come.” I didn’t think much of it at the time, I was a teenager who was sent to a family she never knew and lost her mother and the family she had always known, I thought my world was in a tailspin that would never end. I walked a line in my teenage years, struggling to find myself, struggling to find my path, and struggling to move forward.





It was not an easy path but I made my way through it with no small number of scars to show for it, and I made it into college. I was working at the library in the college one day when my Grandmother passed, and I realized I had been so caught up in myself I missed out on getting to know her better, getting to know our heritage, and getting to know more about this family that I had become a part of. Little to I know that she had already given me the knowledge I needed, she already planted the seeds, and she already gave me enough to seek out answers to many of my questions.

I decided to start an experiment; I decided I would try her advice; I would think positive and keep a log. I selected the dates for which the experiment was to take place, I set the parameters and began. I kept a detailed journal, and there were many small blessings that would likely have not been considered if I hadn’t been doing the experiment, but that was part of what Grandmother was teaching me. I was retraining my brain. I was looking at even the small positives, and those small positives, that would have once passed unacknowledged, were now acknowledge as blessings. So the experiment continued and as I moved forward I noticed a difference in how I was thinking, but it is easy to be positive when there is now major adversity.

My life at the time consisted of going to a community college full time and working three jobs, two part time and one full time, and even still I was living pay check to paycheck. It was great to start thinking more positive but would I be able to think more positive if something major went wrong? It happened that a few major things did happen to go wrong, one of which was my car breaking down. Now, living pay check to pay check that was a big deal, and while I loved working on my car, I didn’t feel comfortable with this repair. Now here is where I really noticed a difference, instead of getting completely hysterical, and screaming to the heavens “WHY ME!?” I made myself think positive. So here I am retraining my brain to think positive and even in the face of adversity I was able to focus on my experiment and stick to the parameters. That same day my neighbor came over and let me know that he was a mechanic, it seems he saw me out at the car and saw that I was having trouble and he offered to help out, it was a wonderful affirmation that positive things do come if you can think positive.

I continued on this experiment, not allowing myself to slip into negative feels, keeping clear of the despair that I had become so well acquainted with after my mother passed away, and slowly finding my way back into the light. This experiment was a complete success for me, I was able to quantify what my grandmother said not just from a spiritual positions but from a proven experiment that I could explain to anyone, but could I explain it?

For years I had studied Shamanism, Celtic Magic, Witchcraft, Wicca, Buddhism, and of course growing up Catholic I had some knowledge of that already and all of them had a great many similarities. I came across The Secret a book that focuses on thinking positive to cultivate a successful and positive future, the book introduces the reader to the laws of attraction, stipulating that the universe doesn’t see negatives, so the more you think about a negative item, the more of that negative you get. One example given is if you think of bills, because you have so many and you are drowning, the universe hears bills, bills, bills, it does not hear you say no or I do not want the bills, so to get the results you want you have to change how you think.

The universal law that is present in The Secret gives you more of what you put out, so like Grandmother said, “If you think positive, positive things will come.” Well I knew by this time that it was true, it didn’t matter if I believed in some universal law, I had seen what changing your way of thinking could do for you first hand. By consciously making the decision to see the positive in every situation you are naturally a happier person. So I decided to give this book a try, I knew thinking positive helped me see things more positively, but could it draw things to me like this book claimed? Of course it can, and here is why, you actively retrain your brain to see the positive and then you train your brain to accept that things can happen for you, all the while you are growing your confidence in yourself and that is a major key to success.

Shortly after watching The Secret repeatedly (available on Netflix!) and reading the book I picked up a book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, by page 8 I knew I had to write this piece because it all came together. My Grandmother’s teaching the studies that I had done in my early college years and the readings of a number of self-help books including The Four Agreements to The Secret and The Magic.

The Magic focuses in on Gratitude, showing a common connection among the main religions, “The major religions of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Hinduism all have gratitude at their core.” In many pagan cultures there is a belief that everything you do will return to you 3 fold, some believe it is 7 fold, but the general rule of thumb is that everything returns to you, so if you are positive, do positive things and think positive you will receive positive, and if you are negative, well you get the idea. Even science proves that every action has an equal or greater reaction, so wouldn’t you want to perform actions that are positive so that the reaction is positive? The book offers specific quotes that make it clear gratitude was always important to a happy positive life.

“Gratitude for the abundance you’ve received is the best insurance that the abundance will continue” - Muhammad

 “You have no cause for anything but gratitude and joy” - Buddha

“If you rejoice in the way things are the whole world will belong to you” - Lao Tzu

“Whatever he is offered he accepts with joy” – Krishna

Beyond the specific quotes that are obviously advocating the use of gratitude the book mentions that Jesus himself said thank you before his miracles and King David spoke of giving thanks to the whole world for everything between the heavens and the Earth. The proof is not only in religious figures Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton were also known to give thanks and be grateful every day, and the very author of The Magic changed her life by practicing gratitude. In fact when I did my experiment I was not focused on gratitude, but in retrospect it was a natural byproduct of positive thinking, I was naturally grateful for the good things, no matter how small or large.

Ultimately, you determine how you will think and respond to every little thing every day, and there are millions of choices in a day, and within every choice is an opportunity for you to think positively and gratefully. If you are skeptical try setting your own parameters (for a minimum of one month) and conducting your own experiment, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It’s not an easy task to retrain the brain, you have to make a conscious effort to turn a negative thought into a positive thought, and make an effort to be grateful, although being grateful is often a byproduct of thinking positive, you cannot be too grateful. I am naturally grateful every time someone shows me support, and I am grateful when people make time for me, and the more grateful and positive I am the more opportunities I seem to find, that is my affirmation, my validation, that Grandmother taught me the most valuable life lesson.

If you like the author's in this blog check out the site www.writingliberty.com and feel free to check out the author's other books;

While The Music Industry Was Sleeping

While The Music Industry Was Sleeping

by Michol Mae
October 24, 2011

Music has and always will be significant to the people of this world. It affects cultures and impacts society in ways never foreseen by our ancestors. The impact of music and technology has been felt around the globe and continues to raise questions for the listener, the artist and the professionals in the industry. I took a strong interest in this topic because of my background in classical music, my love of music of all cultures and my side projects as a solo artist. My interest and love for both technology and music drove me to start seeking solutions to many issues.

Music has and always will be significant to the people of this world. It affects cultures and impacts society in ways never foreseen by our ancestors. The impact of music and technology has been felt around the globe and continues to raise questions for the listener, the artist and the professionals in the industry. I took a strong interest in this topic because of my background in classical music, my love of music of all cultures and my side projects as a solo artist. My interest and love for both technology and music drove me to start seeking solutions to many issues.

When Thomas Edison recorded the first voice in 1877 and received a patent for his new technology, the music industry was born. Recording could be made and distributed for use from the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Radio came on the scene in the early 1900's and many feared the worst, concerned that recording would become obsolete. While there was a steep decline with the introduction of the radio (and also the Great Depression) eventually the radio helped record sales by offering more exposure to new artists and types of music. There is a tendency today to use this justification as it pertains to the internet. While the exposure is certainly greater with the internet the radio was not a format that could be instantly downloaded and copied or played on demand.

The music industry fell asleep and stayed slumbering contently, it was not 9/11, Enron or the Dot-Com bust that caused this sleeping giant to miss the triple convergence, it was arrogance or stubborn refusal to accept change. In an industry where technological advances drove profits it is a shocking conundrum. According to the NY Times in 1992 a federal law passes to allow consumers the right to use audio tape players to copy music for person and noncommercial use only. This law was designed to deal with Cassette tapes, CD players, digital recorders and other emerging technology's excluding internet file sharing. Considering the fact that the audio cassette was popular from the 1970's to the 1990's and the CD was released in 1982 there is at least a 10 year gap in which many people were already copying music for personal use before the industry took action. In December 6th 1999 A&M records and 17 other record companies filed suit against Napster charging that more than 20 million users of the Napster system were engaged in copyright infringement, in addition they charged Napster with “contributory” and “vicarious” copyright infringement because it was aware of the users piracy and encouraged it. Napster tried to use the 1992 law in it's defense claiming it extended to computer hard drives, however, this interpretation is overly broad. The copyright law that states that that copying digital audio files for personal and non-commercial use only even extending this to the hard drives does not constitute the right to share the files with others. 

The music industry countered with the example that it would be considered illegal to make a copy of a CD and give it to a friend and copying an MP3 from the internet, servers and hard-drives is the same premise. Once again the industry reacted too late, the MP3 was out of the hat in 1998, Napster had over 20 million users before the industry took action. At the very least the industry should have been aware and actively investigating the possibilities this new format would unlock. At the very least they should not have waited until 20 million users were on the Napster system before taking action, they should have made themselves more educated and aware of all emerging technologies.

The music industry has fallen behind technology since the first digital format was made public. By the time the industry woke up and saw the effects of the technology they were too late to implement any pro-active methods and became engaged in a game of catch up and cops and robbers. They have relied on archaic lawful systems to uphold their business without a look toward the future. They were ill prepared for door that Napster opened and have struggled ever since to regain some sort of control over their domain. The industry seems to focus all of it's collective energy attacking systems as they threaten the industries bottom line instead of looking forward and implementing more pro-active approaches. One thing is certain the music industry will never be the same, in fact it will continue to change, and if the industry can not look ahead and embrace technology they will be replaced with a new industry of pioneers that have learned the value technology has to offer.

References;
Bargfrede, Allen, and Cecily Mak. Music Law In The Digital Age. Berklee Pr Pubns, 2009.
Litman, Jessica. Digital Copyright. Prometheus Books, 2006.
Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat, A Brief History Of The Twenty-First Century. 3.0. Douglas McIntyre Ltd., 2009. 3-232.
Baldauf, Kenneth J., and Ralph M. Stair. Succeeding With Technology. 3rd. Cengage Learning, 2009.
Harman, Amy. "Powerful Music Software Has Industry Worried ." New york Times 01 Mar 2000. n. pag. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .
Clausing, Jeri. "Online Music Industry Tells Congress to Leave It Alone." New York Times 25 Mar 2000. n. pag. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .
Pfanner, Eric. "Music Industry Braces for the Unthinkable." New York Times 23 Jan 2011. n. pag. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .
"A Question on Music Piracy." New York Times 22 Sep 2000. n. pag. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

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The First Amendment: Security vs. Freedom

The First Amendment: Security vs. Freedom

by Michol Mae
March 26, 2012


You have the right to say anything you would like, as long as you are willing to suffer the consequences. The right of free speech and press rights with the internet and social media is available to those who wish to access it. With free internet access at many locations and free computer and internet use available at places such as libraries, anyone who desires access to the internet and social media is granted access. Once on the internet and various social media’s anyone can say what is on their mind, post in their social networks opinions, and use the internet to find sources to back up their position. The social media’s alluring nature gives many users a false sense of freedom that is constantly in flux and can often be little more than an illusion.





Throughout history the United States has fallen victim to panic and hysteria during times of war and drastically amended the constitutional rights in the name of patriotism and national security. A country founded on freedom, founded as “for the people, by the people”, has demonstrated very little faith in it citizens to support its’ government. According to Etzioni trade-offs where privacy has been sacrificed are now so common that, for all practical purposes, privacy no longer exists.


Throughout the years and with each passing war citizens have lost more and more privacy. According to Moynihan with what has become known as the “Hindoo conspiracy” the U.S government indicated 105 persons were arrested under the suspicion of espionage, of these 29 were found guilty, 15 “Indians” and 14 German Americans or Germans. Just over a quarter of the people arrested were convicted, and approximately 75% innocent, leaving a large percentage of innocent people to be traumatized simply because of the origin, heritage or personal views. Further Moynihan cites historians when he speaks of a premium placed on patriotism as well as the penalties the German culture paid, books were withdrawn from the library, a conductor was stripped of his baton, and some universities revoked degrees they had conferred on distinguished Germans. At this time even conversations over the phone and in public places were mandated to be only in the English Language. The United States was becoming the very thing they were fighting.

There were many slights against the first amendment: “In 1912, feminist Margaret Sanger was arrested for giving a lecture on birth control. Trade union meetings were banned and courts routinely granted injunctions prohibiting strikes and other labor protests.” (ACLU, 2005) During World War I a person could be jailed simply handing out anti-war leaflets, peacefully protesting the war, or displaying red or black flags. “A labor leader Eugene V. Debs was sentenced to 10 years in prison under the Espionage Act for telling a rally of peaceful workers to realize they were "fit for something better than slavery and cannon fodder."“ (ACLU, 2005) Even reading the First Amendment resulted in an arrest as was the case for Sinclair at a union rally. Come the time of the Vietnam war, although flag burning was still banned, public school students were allowed to wear armbands in protest of the war. (ACLU, 2005) Although progress is being made at the hands of organizations such as the ACLU the fear and hysteria of war or the possibility war often gives political refuge to those that wish to sidestep the first amendment.

In the entire history of the United States the national government has never attempted to punish opposition to government policies, except in times of war.” However, “it restricts obscenity, prohibits false advertising, limits the size of billboards, and regulates campaign contributions” (Stone 2004). A concerning issue is this trend where the government changes its policies in war time. Increases in technology have lead to many different data collection methods. Social media lures citizens into a false sense of privacy, when in fact everything a person posts carries the risk, the risk that somewhere this information is being compiled, stored, and used against them. With the alarming trend of governmental policy change during wartime, should citizens be worried that if a country they previously praised goes to war that they will end up on an agency watch list? If a war breaks out between Iran and the U.S then will everyone from Iran(or of Iranian decent), or even “sympathizers” of Iran be targeted. What if it were Ireland, France, China or Japan? You have the right to say anything you would like, as long as you are willing to risk possible present and future consequences.

According to Donner “At a time when the FBI sought to reduce criticism, it admittedly targeted no less than 1100 organizations suspected of being Communist-infiltrated, Communist-dominated, Communist fronts and so on” Donner also points out that no results need be found as the FBI can insist that clues to a bigger secretive plot have been found, failure to comply and divulge information sought can be “proof” enough for further investigation. Considering the increasing access to personal information with today’s technologies and social media, more information is available to be compiled against innocent citizens. Policies are easily side stepped or bypassed in the name of national security, counter-terrorism, and anti-espionage.

James Angelton stated it would be “Inconceivable that a secret intelligence arm of the government has to comply with all the overt orders of the government.” Who then should they answer too? Certainly policy prevents agencies from policing their own agency, how then is it determined when an agency needs policing? Martin Luther King Jr. was wire tapped by the Bureau because of alleged associations with a “communist agent” no evidence of the associates membership could be found. (Donner, 1980) A historical icon of peace who spoke in favor of non-violence was the target of an investigation.

According to American Civil Liberties Union article on Free Speech - Freedom of speech, of the press, of association, of assembly and petition this set of guarantees, protected by the First Amendment, comprises what we refer to as freedom of expression. The Supreme Court has written that this freedom is "the matrix, the indispensable condition of nearly every other form of freedom." Without it other fundamental rights like the right to vote would wither and die. (ACLU, 2011)

There are associations fighting to keep our freedoms such as the ACLU who focuses on protecting and expanding our freedoms of expression, association and inquiry. The ACLU is also focused on expanding the right to privacy and increasing the control that individuals have over their personal information with today’s ever growing technology and advancement. The project is currently working on a variety of issues, including political protest, freedom of expression online, privacy of electronic information, journalists’ rights, scientific freedom, and openness in the courts. The ACLU states that if they do not “come to the defense of the free speech rights of the most unpopular among us, even if their views are anti-ethical to the very freedom that the First Amendment stands for then no one’s liberty will be secure.” ("ACLU," 2011)

According to the article “Spying on First Amendment Activity - State-by-State” (2011 map): Law enforcement agencies across America continue to monitor and harass groups and individuals for doing little more than peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights. As the previous examples have shown many agencies from the FBI to local police, U.S. law enforcement agencies have a long history of spying on American citizens and infiltrating or otherwise obstructing political activist groups. ("Aclu: Spying on," 2011)

Articles such as Senators Call for Investigation into Employer Demands for Facebook Passwords, Director of National Intelligence Gains New Powers, Expands Datamining of US Citizens, Facebook Policy Changes Raises Questions About Compliance with 2011 Consent Order, EPIC Urges Court to Uphold Location Privacy in Cell Phone Tracking Case, show the unique concerns that new technologies present to policy and the first amendment. Investigations have been launched into employer’s using Facebook information to determine if applicants are eligible, a possible violation of the civil Rights Act and other federal laws. “National Counterterrorism Center, the intelligence agency officials will be able to profile and track American citizens, suspected of no crime, for up to five years,” “The FTC found that Facebook had misled users about the extent to which their personal information would be made available” In the case, In re US for Historical Cell-Site Data, the lower court held that the disclosure of historical cell phone location records without a warrant would violate the Fourth Amendment. EPIC argued that this opinion should be upheld in light of the Supreme Court's recent decision in United States v. Jones, because cell phone location records are collected without the knowledge or consent of users. The records in this case, EPIC argued, create a "comprehensive map of an individual’s movements, activities, and relationships, precisely the type of information that individuals reasonably and justifiably believe will remain private."

This country has gone through many changes and amendments since its’ founding. The spirit of this country strives to stay alive, and with that spirit is our freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of expression and many other freedoms that many citizens take for granted. Society must adapt to the changing technologies of the world, these changes pose many challenges in the world of policy and law. How much freedom is one willing to give up to feel secure? How many citizens are aware of the challenges and possible pitfalls that await them within the new social media technologies. There are those that fight for freedom of expression and speech, however, historically in a time of war the government has been able to effectively side step the freedoms that are given to every citizen. This trend, that has showed itself throughout the history of the United States, shows that you are free to say what you would like, but if the political nature of the country changes, these things may be held against you. Social media stores and house more data then ever historically available on one person, what you say on the World Wide Web may be stored forever, to be brought up whenever, and possibly used to detain or bring charges against an otherwise innocent person. Just because you disagree with your country does not mean that you wish to overthrow your country, free thinking, innovation, and independence are some of the cornor stones this country was founded on. Regardless of the policies made, the agencies can easily claim national security and brush them aside, and claim some insight for a possible future threat that they cannot yet reveal. I would rather not trade my freedom for security, and in today’s technological day and age, it seems we have little choice in the matter.
References;


Donner, F. J. (1980). The age of surveillance: the aims and methods: The aims and methods of america's political intelligence system. (pp. 3-29). New York, NY:

Etzioni , (2000) The limits of privacy: Contemporary conception of privacy. (183-269) –

ACLU: Spying on first amendment activity - state-by-state. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aclu.org/maps/spying-first-amendment-activity-state-state

ACLU: Protecting civil liberties in the digital age, free speech. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aclu.org/

ACLU: Freedom of Expression. (2005 Oct 31). Retrieved from http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/freedom-expression

Stone, G. R. (2004). Perilous times: free speech in waretime from the sedition act of 178 to the war on terrorism. (1 ed.). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company Inc.

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The Future with Artificial Intelligence

The Future with Artificial Intelligence

by Michol Mae
November 14, 2011

According to an article in the NY Times, An Artificial Intelligence course is being offered from Stanford to some 58,000 students around the world Via web. This course, based on an Amazon cloud drive, accepts any background and has the goal to “change the world by bringing education to places that can’t be reached today.” Students receive a certificate of completion and are graded against other students using extensive technology. The immense interest in the A.I. course at Stanford shows the growing interest in the future of A.I. technology. (Markoff, 2011)





With the economy in trouble and jobs being outsourced many are in fear of the changes the US has seen. It’s not surprising when you mention A.I. technology concerning robots many are afraid their jobs will be taken over by soulless machines that require no sleep or food and perform more accurately than people. In an article by Jeff Burnstein in Business Week Titled “Robots can create jobs, Too” Burnsteirn acknowledges the devastation he has seen in Michigan where factories and plants have closed down and unemployment has soared. He acknowledges the fear and instead suggests people should fear companies that do not embrace robots or automated systems. The reason seems so logical it’s a wonder people have not latched on to it in a race to the top. Embracing the A.I. technology that performs tasks accurately and with less error can help push a company to be global, or into a stronger global presence. Instead of being focused on the US, US companies can focus on being global and entering the “flat world.” He points out that often the jobs robots are conscripted to do are more dangerous or boring, and that people can then be moved into more challenging, higher skilled and higher paid positions. General Motors had the first industrial robot worldwide in 1961, now years later the use of 1,1000 robots has allowed GM to hire back workers that were laid off. Robots are not the enemy they can help create more revenue, reduce costs, facilitate learning new skill sets, and create higher paying jobs. (Burnstein, 2010) Ultimately, embracing A.I. will allow the US to create a stronger Global presence and become a competitor in the increasingly flat world.

Language software has come a long way , voice recognition makes much more possible today. Gone are the days were you played a cassette tape and hoped you were pronouncing the words correctly, now there are applications such as Rosetta Stone that offer real time results. Programs like Rosetta stone have voice recognition software that identifies your voice the inflictions and pronunciation and allow you to correct yourself. More over this software grades you, tracks your progress and has conversations with you. The online enhancements offer a network to communicate with. With all of these options available anyone can learn to speak another language if they have the drive and desire. This ability has the potential to eliminate the barriers between different cultures, with applications such as these you can plan to learn a language before a business trip (or personal trip). You hold your future in your hands, if more and more people are speaking a language and you want to understand it, you can search out free software or pay for software applications that will teach you by immersing you in that culture. There is no substitute for face to face interaction but this software application offers a great alternative.

A.I. is progressing and as with all things will continue to grow. It is a critical mistake to fight growing technologies; instead it is best to embrace the possibilities. The field of A.I. does not look for one discipline, it looks for sociological and psychological students, I.T. students, Math and engineering students, it seeks to work cross departments to enhance every aspect of its capabilities. Technology often levels the playing field and encourages Freidman’s flattening of the world. With 58,000 students from all over the world on a class in A.I., the divide is greatly reduced opportunities are equal among all 58,000 students regardless of location or background. The induction of robots into an industry means growth for individual employees and encourages the US to move its employees into higher paying, more challenging and technologically based positions.

References:

Markoff, J. (2011, Aug 15). Virtual and artificial, but 58,000 want course. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/science/16stanford.html?_r=1&ref=artificialintelligence

Burnstein, J. (2010, June 01). Robots can create jobs, too: Industrial robots can help companies compete by boosting quality and productivity. that's ultimately a benefit for american labor . Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2010/tc20100526_198981.htm

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The Decline of Personal and Societal Accountability

by Michol Mae

The blame game, something that is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society, slowly eroding our honor and our accountability.  This is a controversial topic, particularly with tragedies plastered all over the television, a television that we find ourselves increasingly reliant on.  We turn to news media expecting the truth, but we should be learned enough to know there are many sides to the truth.  We know there are at least two sides to every story, so why do we blindly follow the media, because it is easier.  We follow the media and we don’t have to do the research, we don’t have to look any further, and social media makes it even easier for people to access a plethora of information.         

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The societal need to blame the victim is well known through the sociology and psychology.  It is often easier for society to blame the victim because it requires less work.  This is especially true for victims of sexual assault whose attackers are people they know.  Society blames the way a person dresses, or carries themselves, the same society turns around and promotes the skimpy clothes the victim might wear.  Regardless of the clothing, how a person walks, where they chose to hang out, or even how promiscuous they may be, they can still be the victim.  Yet, blaming the victim of a sexual assault is not the last stop on train to the decline of personal and societal accountability, it is one of the first, with many more to follow. 

Every few years music gets a major overhaul, some new sound, new look, and new controversy arises in the music industry.  With these changes comes the next stop on our travels through the decline.  That’s right, we as society began to blame music, we blames it for violence, sex, and drugs.  It is easier to blame the music than to take a hard look at what we as person or society could be doing wrong.  Parents united against the music industry, convinced that it could not be their children acting this way on their own, not once looking at their own household as the possible issue.  Why?, because it is easier to blame the music, and so much harder to look at ourselves.   But this crazy train of unaccountability does not stop here.

Now we blame food and soft drinks for our obesity problem and allow the government to implement restrictions on what we can buy.  Has anyone stopped to consider that the increase in technology might be more to blame than the soft drinks and fast food?  Has any considered that technology has led to an increasingly sedentary life?  Wait, now that I have brought it up, will they look to restrict our access to technology?  Before we go blaming the soft drinks, fast food, and technology, let’s once again take a look at ourselves and society.  We know enough to know we need to be active even employers are starting to identify the need to let their more sedentary employees be active throughout the work day.  As an individual and as a society we should be able to find ways to incorporate being active once again, if not, we should know enough to adjust our own diet.  However, if we don’t choose to adjust our diet or our workout schedule, isn’t it our choice?

All aboard! We have arrived at the last stop, and perhaps the most controversial stop.  In light of the recent tragedies advocates and oppressors of guns have rallied together to create a male storm of media.  Who was responsible for any shooting?  Was it the Gun?  No! It was the person, it was the crazed manic, the mentally ill, the depressed, the psychopath, the sociopath, or perhaps it was someone who believed what they were doing was not wrong, regardless, the blame is on the person.  It is quite possible that the blame could bleed out onto society, but that very idea just made many of you reading this article cringe.  Society has facilitated this steady decline in accountability and everyone including society itself looks for someone or something to blame.  Individuals and society are guilty of facilitating this decline, because it is easier.  It is easier to say ban the guns than to face the fear that another person could create such an act, it is easier to say ban the guns than to face the fact that our mental health system fails and flounders hopelessly because we cannot begin to clearly define and treat mental illness, and it is easier to assuage those fears by swift knee jerk reactions.  This article is not to advocate or oppose any gun issues, it is to show the lack of accountability, it is show how individuals and society contribute to that decline in accountability. 

Benjamin Frankin once said “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety, if we allow our liberty to be taken away because we don’t want to be held accountable, or because we are afraid to face our fears, is it not the same principle.  Our liberties are being taken away, eroded a little day by day, and if we do not look at ourselves and hold ourselves accountable we will find ourselves, as Ben says, without liberty of safety and we will have ourselves to blame, not the clothes, food, soft drinks, technology, video games, or guns.  Instead the decline of personal and society accountability will have robbed us of our freedom and our security. 

         

          

               

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Fighting the Downward Spiral

Fighting the Downward Spiral
by Michol Mae

Have you ever had one of those day’s where you want to shout “If one more thing goes wrong…” ? Of course you have, we all have those days. Those are the days can lead to the dreaded and dangerous downward spiral. You start your day out stressed from work, home life, school, friends, or a lack of these things. Slowly it seems like everything is going wrong, even the smallest things make you feel like you could break. This negative chain of events and thoughts can spiral out of control, it can rob you of your happiness, facilitate depression, and if allowed to reign free, it can alter your path to a much darker end.





Yet, when you are in the middle of the downward spiral it can seem impossible to break out, it can suffocate you, blind you, alienate you, and push you further down, it wants to keep you. So what can you do to get out of this spiral? You fight it. Start by knowing yourself, loving yourself, and being aware of yourself. Next, try to forgive yourself. The more positive a person you are the easier it is to beat yourself up for these moments of darkness, so forgive yourself. Remember it takes more energy to be angry than happy, so holding on to anger and depression will rob you of energy. The universe is much more forgiving then we are, the universe does not weigh negativity as heavily as positively, so by actively combating the negative feelings you are shaping a more positive future.
Once you forgive yourself, you have begun the fight out of the spiral, you have stopped yourself from sinking further down. Another very helpful technique is to write down what issues prompted this spiral, then burn or throw them away. A meditative technique could be to visualize the item and then visualize it going into the trash. I often visualize my mind as a computer, where I can drag and drop items, and then I can file things away into the recycling bin, or into separate folders. This technique helps tell your brain what is important and what is not important. Smile. That’s right just smile, the act of smiling alone can elevate your mood and help battle negativity and depression. Among other things that elevate your mood are exercise and chocolate, yes that’s right, you now have an excuse to reach for those dark chocolate morsels. Studies have shown that exercise and chocolate can increase the serotonin levels in your brain, this chemical is responsible for making us feel better.
Are you breathing? Don’t forget to breathe, take deep breaths. You might find the more stressed you are the more shallow your breathing will be, remember, the more shallow the breath the easier to stress. Take a deep breath and fill your belly, most people make the mistake of breathing through their chest, you get a more full breath breathing from your belly. Breath into your belly, feel your breath fill your belly, hold your breath for a moment, then slowly exhale. You will notice that your body naturally responds to deep breathing by relaxing. Still not out of the spiral, find an outlet. Every person has a passion, an interest, or a hobby that they enjoy, engage in your outlet, as soon as you are able. Once you have engaged in your hobby you will find your spirits lifting and you will be closer to defeating the downward spiral. Do something fun or relaxing, only you know what will make you happy.
In the end, it is up to you, only you can know what will and won’t work for you, and it may take time to figure out what will work, don’t give up and don’t give in, fight for your happiness. Every time you defeat the downward spiral you are adding days of happiness to your future, you are reclaiming your right to happiness. You are taking steps to be a positive person with a positive future. If you find this article helpful, bookmark it and come back to it again whenever you need it.

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Handling Job Loss

Throughout the years I have successfully dodged the job loss bullet.  I was fortunate enough to leave from one job to another, on occasion just before lay-off, successfully staying ahead of the economic downturn, until now.  I left what appeared to be a stable position for a new company that offered me a trainee position, four months later I was let go.  The reason for the termination, the company could not afford a trainee position that does not contribute to billable items.  So I wasn’t making the company enough money fast enough. 

So what happens now?  A question everyone in this situation asks. You could panic, frantically reaching out to all the connections that you have, in search of a new job.  You could blame yourself, beat yourself up over the loss.  You could but you don’t have to.  You will experience the stages of grief, and every person grieves in their own way.  Okay, so you acknowledge you are grieving, you stop yourself from panicking, and you realize that you are not to blame.  The economy is downturned, you did your best, don’t second guess that, accept it.    

Great, but I’m still lost.  Of course you are! Take a minute, breathe, relax, look at this as an opportunity.  Did you like what you were doing? Is there something else you have a passion for?  What environment do you want to work in?  Write down what you truly want from a job or career, visualize it every day and you are more likely to manifest it.  If you find yourself becoming overburdened with negativity write them down and throw them away or burn them.  Studies show that trashing your negative thoughts and focusing on positive thoughts can make a major difference. 

It takes time to bounce back from losing a job, in fact the loss of a job is ranked up there with divorce and you wouldn’t expect to get over a divorce overnight would you?   Give yourself a break, you will feel sad, angry, confused, overwhelmed, you might find your patience slipping, you may lash out, these feelings are perfectly normal, and can be combated with an active effort to think positive.      

    

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