Tag Archives: Motivation

Who are you going to bless today?

Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones come daily.  – Ivy Baker Priest

The purpose of RecruitingShingle is to help those in the job-search process.  Being unemployed or in the wrong position can be stressful.  I know firsthand.  I’ve been unemployed a few times in my career.  I thought I might be able to help people in that situation by leveraging my years of corporate recruiting experience.  It’s not flashy but the right kind, helpful or supportive word, the right assistance to the right person at the right time can be profound.

For the past several months (it could even be a year or more) I have driven through a particular part of town where I live and have seen an elderly gentleman on the sidewalk holding a sign.  He is not there every day or even every weekend.  But when he is there he is always wearing slacks, a nice white dress shirt and white athletic socks on each hand.  His sign reads “I need a job please.”  Time and time again I have driven by, seen him and wondered what his story is.  Several times I have been with my entire family and we ask ourselves the same questions about him.

This past Sunday, September 15 I was driving by and he was there in his usual spot.  This time I decided it was time to stop wondering and find out.  I was with my nine-year old daughter and I said, “I’m a recruiter.  I help people find opportunities.  Maybe I can help him too.”  We found a spot in a nearby parking lot and walked up to him and started a conversation.

I introduced myself and my daughter and started to ask him questions.  What’s your background?  What type of position are you looking for?  What is your educational background?  Those types of things.  It didn’t take long to determine he was a bit slow.  Whether it was due to age or mental capacity I couldn’t determine.

I asked him if he had any computer skills and he lifted up a sock-covered hand and moved it up and down indicating the hunt and peck method.  I asked him if he had any kind of resume and he said “No.  I haven’t had a phone for a while now.”  He said he liked administrative work and filing.  I asked him if he were given an opportunity if he would be able to get to work.  He said he could.  At that I told him about the Southlake Focus Group; a networking group I have written about previously.

I went back to my car with my daughter and wrote down the details for the meeting.  As I was writing, another vehicle pulled up and a gentleman got out and approached the job-seeker.  I saw he gave him a business card and he turned and left.  Before I got back out of my car I looked at my daughter and asked: “Do you think he could use this?” as I pulled out a $20 bill from my wallet.  I rarely carry cash but happened to go to the ATM that morning.  My daughter got a big grin on her face and agreed he could probably use it.  So I told her, “then let’s bless him with it.”

We got out of the car and went back to him.  I went through the notes I wrote and told him they meet every Thursday morning.  As he took the sheet of paper from my one hand, I took the money in the other and slipped it in his shirt pocket.

As we drove away, my daughter was filled with questions: “I wonder if he has a family?  I wonder if he’ll be ok?  I wonder if he has enough food?  I wonder why he wears socks on his hands?”  She even had the thought to make him a new sign because the one he had was ripped and coming apart.  I told her those were good questions and maybe one day we’ll find out but at the very least there are places he could go for help in getting food.  I told her “he has a car and that he is able to wear nice clothes so maybe his situation is not so bad.  But we stopped and offered help; we blessed him – together.

I’m quite certain that five-minute exchange with the job-seeking stranger had a huge impact on my daughter.  That thought was confirmed a few days later; the following Thursday morning (the day of the networking meeting) before she left for school.  She came up to me while I was sitting at my desk in my home office and wondered out loud: “I wonder if he is able to get to the meeting you told him about.”  My response was straight forward and honest: “If for whatever reason he couldn’t make it today, maybe he’ll make it some other week.”

In the weeks and months to come, I’m going to make it a point to stop and chat as often as I can.  I hope over time I will learn more about him and move him closer to a job.  Our first exchange lasted only a few minutes but I know it will have a lasting impact on me, my daughter and him.

To be continued…

Dream big and keep at it

Have you ever had the experience of reading something or experiencing something that stops you in your tracks because it makes you see something in a new way?  Those moments are called paradigm shifts.  I had one this week and it actually scared me (but in a good way, if that makes sense.)

I subscribe to Jim Rohn’s newsletter.  If you are not familiar with Jim’s work I strongly encourage you to investigate.  A couple of times a week I receive an inspiring and motivational article in my inbox.  As often happens, there are articles included from other motivational speakers.

This week, after I read Jim’s article, The Rose, there was another article by Chris Widener.  The title of Chris’ article was Dare to Dream Again.  And in reading that article I had my paradigm shift.

He started off by recounting how when we’re all young we dream big.  But “Eventually we started to let our dreams die. People began to tell us that we couldn’t do the things we wanted. It was impossible. Responsible people don’t pursue their dreams. Settle down, get a job, be dependable. Take care of business, live the mundane, be content.”

That’s a scary thought but it’s not the one that actually scared me.  Chris then goes on to list several areas where we can begin to dream again and the advantages of doing so.  Dreaming, says Chris, enables us to avoid regret.  Dreaming gives us personal and family fulfillment.  Dreaming makes the world a better place.  True, true and true!

What he had to say about leaving a legacy is what stopped me in my tracks.  This is what he said:  How will your children remember you? As one who sought all that life had to offer, using your gifts and talents to their fullest extent, leading the family with a zest for life, or as an overweight couch potato who could have been? Our children need to see that we dream; that we search for something better. They in turn will do the same!

Wow!  Who in the world wants their kids to remember them as an over-weight couch potato?  Not me.  I’m not over weight but I do have five fantastic kids.  The last thing in the world I want to be remembered by is that I watched a lot of TV.

If they see you setting goals and pursuing dreams, they’ll do the same.  If you are in near-constant motion in pursuit of your dreams they will assume your tempo.  If you tell them what you’re doing and why you’re doing it, they will come to understand and can even help you in ways no one else ever could.  It’s funny.  I’ve learned that the younger they are, the more apt they are to understand.  My 9-year old daughter doesn’t miss a trick.  She doesn’t let anything pass.  Everything has to have an explanation.  I then get to see the world from her perspective.  It is very useful and helpful information.

When it comes down to the choice of how I want my kids to remember me, it won’t be as a couch potato; you can bet your @$$ on that.  It will be as a dreamer and goal-setter.  The one who helped broaden their horizons by not only teaching them how to dream but having them grow up watching me do it.  After all, the best parenting advice I ever read was this: Preach the gospel at all times.  When necessary, use words.

I can live with failure; knowing I tried and didn’t succeed.  I refuse to live with regret.

Our Greatest Fear

Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,

but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,

gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.

It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give

other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.

Marianne Williamson from her book A Return to Love

Hope is a good thing

There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.  Christopher Morely

I created RecruitingShingle to help those that are in career transition.  There are so many seemingly complicated moving parts to a job search; I want to help by providing ideas, clarity or understanding however I can.    But today, I want share with you a remarkable group of people.

Week in, week out, they are in the arena slugging it out working, striving, learning, networking, sharing, and growing.  They are way outside their comfort zone but they are doing what needs to be done.  So this week I dedicate my article to the job seekers and volunteers at The Southlake Focus Group (SFG).

By far, this group is the most helpful, supportive and, most importantly, useful organization in the Dallas / Fort Worth area to help those in career transition to find a new position.  I have availed myself of their services a few times over the course of my career.

They are always there willing to help and support you as you go about the task of finding your next opportunity.  One of the comments they like to make is “we’re sorry you’re here but we’re glad you found us.”

In my experience, these job seekers are in a constant state of learning.  They are honing their skills.  Getting better at giving their elevator pitch, updating their resume and cover letter, learning how to ask better questions in an interview, learning the intricacies of Linked In, how to be more productive with their time in networking and sharing opportunities and so much more.  These are all good things.

This group is also in a state of yearning.  Many feel their lives have been up-ended due to the loss of their job.  And they’re right.  Many have been out of work for a few weeks.  Many more have been out several months.  They are all yearning for their next position.

When I think about the word ‘yearning’ I think of the word hope.  And when I think of the word hope I also think of my friend Marvia.  I met Marvia several months ago while attending the SFG and its spin-off group HR Career Networking Group.

Marvia is one of those rare people who, once they enter your life, I hope you have the wisdom to recognize the impact they can have on you.  She inspires, offers hope and encouragement.  I have asked Marvia for help several times.  Each time she has responded with more than I asked.  And she does it with a giving attitude.  When I reached out to her for help again just yesterday she provided an array of ideas and suggestions.

She also followed up with a note indicating that she just landed a new position.  No one deserves it more.  Way to go Marvia!  I am so very happy and excited for you.  To say nothing of how proud of you I am.  You have taught me a great deal and I look forward to future lessons.

She also has a very inspiring blog.  You can check it out here: http://humanimpulse.wordpress.com/

Never stop learning.  Never stop yearning.  And do what you can to never stop earning.

Mathmatical formulas to help keep life on track

Duh Einstein

I was never very good at math.  Because it surrounds us every day in all we do we can’t escape it.  I remember trying so hard to memorize formulas for tests in HS and college.  Get one wrong and the answers to almost every subsequent question will be wrong as well.

My HS buddy and first college roommate was a math guru.  We took college Algebra our first semester.  He flourished, I floundered.  He went on to earn a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering as well as a Master’s in Engineering.  I quickly found I was more adept at the creative pursuits; like writing.

But when it comes to life, I have found there are a couple of simple formulas that even I can remember.

The first is: C = C

It stands for Choices = Consequences.  It doesn’t get any easier than this. It’s a reality check that lets you know you are where you are because of your choices.  The good news is you can always change where you are by changing your choices.

The second formula is: The Past ≠ The Future

This one is extremely powerful.  As I wrote about in a previous blog http://wp.me/p3nLpj-e4 no matter where you are in life, no matter what you’re going through, it won’t last forever.  The best we can expect to do is set our sights high with bodacious goals and move forward with confidence.  If you are not familiar with the term “bodacious” it’s a combination of bold and audacious.

Now go live your life to its fullest.

It Won’t Be Like This For Long

It Won't Be Like This for Long

It Won’t Be Like This for Long (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you out of work?  How long have you been looking?  How long has your neighbor, friend, sister, whoever…been looking?  Or are you worried that your current position is going away soon?  Either way, it’s not good.  Stress and anxiety are common ailments through this phase of life.  And what’s worse is that if this isn’t your first round of unemployment, it more than likely won’t be your last.

You’re probably thinking, “geez Chris, I sure wish you wouldn’t be such a downer.”  Well, I’m not a downer.  I’m actually a hopeless optimist; always a glass-is-half-full kind of guy.  I have long preferred to see the good in a situation rather than the bad or negative.  That’s just how I’m wired.

But I’ve been where you are.  I know it’s not fun.  Actually, “fun” is a word that shouldn’t be anywhere near the situation.  But believe me, there are better-paying positions, better bosses, and better opportunities out there.  I know, I’ve found them.  I’ve shared them.

It’s important to realize that no matter what your current situation is “It Won’t Be Like This For Long.”  I put it in quotes because I’m stealing the words from one of my all-time favorite artists: Darius Rucker.  That’s my kind of music.  I listened to that song on the way in to work this morning and I thought about things from his perspective in the song.

Think about it, how many things last forever?  With the singular exception of God’s love, nothing does.  Periods of pain, discomfort, joy and happiness come and go.  They do not go on without end.  If you’re a parent, you know this well.  You bring your new baby home and the next thing you know they start crawling.  Then they say their first word.  Then they start kindergarten.  Wow, how did that happen?  Next they’re getting their driver’s license.  After that they graduate from H.S.  Then college.  Next they get married.  And can you believe it?  They’re now having a baby of their own.  All that happened and all you did was turn around.  It happens that fast.

As I was listening to the song this morning, I realized how lucky I am.  I recently came out of a job search with a new position.  The job-search process was very cleansing.  It was difficult but it also had its moments.

Like what you might ask?  First, the love and support of my amazing wife.  I’ve had that for a wonderful 18 years.  I do not take it for granted at all.  But when hard times come – and they will always come – I am fortunate to have chosen my wife.  It’s the best decision I have ever made.  With any luck, your spouse is like mine.  One that loves you truly and whole-heartedly.  One that will support you through anything.  If so, that’s more than half the ballgame right there.  And if THEY’RE lucky, you love and support them every bit as much.  That’s the way it needs to be if it’s not.

Secondly, new friends.  To say that being unemployed throws you out of your comfort zone is an understatement.  Everything about being unemployed is uncomfortable – at least in the beginning.  It gives you an opportunity to plug-in to new networking groups, volunteer opportunities and people.  One of my favorite quotes is: when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.  You might not know why you lost your job.  But maybe it was for the singular purpose of meeting someone you would have never met otherwise.  Maybe it was so you could connect with someone who can help you build your own business.  Maybe it was to meet the one person who was going to tell you the one thing you needed to hear to change the trajectory of your life.  Laugh or sneer if you want.  I’ve seen it happen.  It’s miraculous.

In my recent job search, I met several people I now consider good friends.  I hope as they read this, they know who they are and smile.  We were sharing a painful yet cathartic experience.  We were supporting and encouraging one another.  I have learned so much from them.  To this day, they are still encouraging me and I hope I’m still encouraging them.

Next, new opportunities.  When we are going about our life, going through the daily activities, things can have a tendency to sneak up on us.  In my case, I didn’t realize the negative impact my job was having on my life.  It happened slowly, day by day.  It was such a slow process I didn’t see or feel it happening.  It was only after I was gone that I realized how stressed I had become.  I felt liberated.  It was entirely freeing.  I started networking even before I lost my job.  I knew it was coming and had a few weeks to mentally prepare.

I came across multiple opportunities and had many interviews.  The opportunities took me from Chicago to San Francisco and Seattle.  You might as well have a little fun creating possibilities for yourself while you’re uncomfortable.  Open yourself up to look at all the opportunities and possibilities before reflexively saying “no”.  Out of all the positions I interviewed for, only 2 paid less than what I had previously been making.  Most paid considerably more.  If I had still been at my previous job, I wouldn’t have even known about what else was out there.  I would have still had my blinders on wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my career.

Best of all, more family time.  I was driving home from a networking meeting one morning and my wife called me.  My in-laws were in town and my wife wanted to know if I wanted to join them at the zoo.  It was a glorious day.  The sun was out, it was about 70 degrees and I had my sunroof open listening to my favorite tunes on the radio.  If I had been working, I would have missed that opportunity to be out and about with my family on such an awesome day.  It also happened to be spring break so the kids were home all week.  I got to see them a lot.  Later in the week, I got to join my wife and kids on their annual trip to the bowling alley with my dad – their Grandpa.  Years ago, my parents started the tradition of taking them bowling on spring break and my dad has continued the practice in the years since we lost mom.  I can tell you this: it’s more fun to be sitting in a bowling alley at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon with your family than sitting in a weekly meeting.  Take it when you can get it.  Appreciate what you have.

Are there any other advantages you can think of while being unemployed?  I would love to hear your thoughts.

No matter what you’re going through, remember this: “This phase is going to fly by so baby just hold on.  It won’t be like this for long.”

Now you know…

There is an important lesson in this story about speaking up when you have the chance.  Otherwise, it could be too late.

In the beginning was the plan;

And then came the assumptions.

And the assumptions were without form.

And the plan was completely without substance.

And the darkness was upon the face of the workers.

And they spoke amongst themselves saying:

“It is a crock of shit and it stinketh.”

And the workers went unto their supervisors and sayeth:

“It is a pail of dung and none can endure the odor thereof.”

And the supervisors went unto their managers and sayeth:

“It is a container of excrement and it is very strong, such that no one may abide by it.”

And the managers went unto their directors and sayeth:

“It is a vessel of fertilizer and no one can stand its strength.”

And the directors spoke among themselves, one to the other:

“It contains that which aids plant growth and it is very strong.”

And the directors went unto the vice presidents and sayeth to them:

“It promotes growth and is very powerful.”

And the vice presidents went unto the president and sayeth to him:

“This new plan will actively promote the growth and efficiency of this

company and these areas in particular.”

And the president looked upon the plan

And saw that it was good and the plan became policy.

THIS IS HOW SHIT HAPPENS

How do you stay positive?

Better Get to Livin'

Better Get to Livin’ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Can we all agree that there are just some days we do not feel motivated?  It happens to the best of us.  The daily grind can get you down if you let it.  My favorite way to get my mind right in a hurry is to listen to music.   And of course there’s a song for just about everything.  I must also admit if there is any advantage to having a long commute it provides a wonderful opportunity to dive deep into your favorite music. Every couple of weeks I try to remember to listen to Better Get To Livin’ by Dolly Parton.  If you’re not familiar with that one, go look it up on You Tube or iTunes.  Another song that can keep me in a positive frame of mind is My Best Days by Danny Gokey.  You’ll want to find the video for that one as well.  I have my favorite music for reminding me how awesome my life is because of my family, my roots, my successes and even my failures. In no particular order I have listed out just some of the music I like to listen to.  Is there a song you like to listen to that gets you back on positive ground?  What is it?

  • Sanctus Real – Lead Me
  • Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance
  • Danny Gokey – My Best Days
  • Tim McGraw – Live Like You Were Dying
  • 10,000 Maniacs – These Are Days
  • John Mayer – Say
  • Chris Cagle – Chicks Dig It
  • Dolly Parton – The Sacrifice & Better Get to Living
  • Jo Dee Messina – That’s God
  • John Michael Montgomery – Life’s a Dance
  • ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man
  • Five For Fighting – Chances & 100 Years
  • Dire Straits – Why Worry
  • Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
  • Barry White – Can’t Get Enough of Your Love
  • Aerosmith – Livin’ On The Edge
  • Darius Rucker – This
  • Toad The Wet Sprocket – Crazy Life
  • Nickelback – Gotta Be Somebody
  • Lady Antebellum – Perfect Day
  • Enrique Iglesias – Hero
  • Jason Jones – Ferris Wheel
  • Sting – Brand New Day
  • Hal Ketchum – I Know Where Love Lives
  • Shawn Colvin – Climb On (A Back That’s Strong)