Should I _____? Fill in the blank. Go ahead, no judgment here! When we start “shoulding” on ourselves, it is usually someone else’s voice we are hearing. We think we know the “right” answer. Yes, I should…. Fill in the blank. Most of us have something we are ambivalent about. Should is a tension between what we want to do, and what we think we should do. It can be as simple as saying yes or no to a party invitation or as complicated as deciding to change careers. Each decision is weighted with the responsibility of accepting the consequences of a yes and the consequences of a no. Either way, there are risks. Either way, there are benefits. Often, there are no do-overs. Almost a year ago, very close to turning 65, I was stagnating in a dead end job, enjoying biweekly paycheques, fun people to work with and not much else. Like many other baby boomers, I did not plan for retirement and that paycheque was mighty attractive. My mother’s voice said I SHOULD stay in my nice stable job and keep collecting that paycheque! How could I live on CPP and OAS? It did not bear thinking about. I could not stop thinking about it. Eventually, a plan began to form that would give me a financial cushion to explore starting a small business. The pain of staying had become greater than the fear of being poor. I did not renew my contract when it ended. Yikes! What have I done? It was a big risk. What if my plan failed and I did not get EI? What if I could not get into the Self Employment Program? What if I got sick? What if the business failed? What if? What if? What if? Is your head starting to hurt? Mine was! In my case, I did get EI, I did get support through the self-employment program and I am wading my way through the first year of being in business. Sometimes it feels like a swamp. It isn’t a success story YET. The very interesting part has been the last few days when I was asked to temp for my old company while someone was on leave. It has confirmed my decision to leave. I am more alive, more challenged and more interesting than I was a year ago. Should I have stayed? Hell no!
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I’m not a gardener. And yard service is not in my budget. One day in early spring I decided to lop some branches off a small tree. I tried the kitchen shears, but they took forever. Then they broke. Guess I need secateurs, so off I go to Home Depot to get secateurs. This was a new word in my vocabulary, and I felt quite full of myself asking where to find them. Being somewhat low on funds, I got the cheap ones.
They broke too. Now I’m browsing through Craigslist for used tools. There was not a lot listed, but there was one posting that looked hopeful. When I got there, the elderly gardener took the time to show me how to use them and upsold me on some other tools with patient demonstrations for my ignorance. I spent twice as much as I did at Home Depot! Here’s the good part: the new shears were so much fun and easy to use! When my son-in-law came over to see what was going on, I was reluctant to let him try them out. It was no Tom Sawyer trick but the real joy of having a tool that worked! It took way less time and the tree was pruned in no time - I felt like a pro gardener! A resume is a tool used in job search. There are good resumes, and there are not so good ones. Having a resume that is right for you moves you closer and more quickly to the job and/or career that you want. Take the time to learn what works before using a tool that doesn’t do the job. Or ask an expert for advice. Or invest in a resume writer. Having the right tool for the job makes all the difference. |
AuthorSandie convinced her mother at the age of two that a set of books would make her much happier than a tricycle. Then came diaries, school projects and heartfelt poetry - a writer was born. Reading and writing have been constant and faithful lovers ever since. This blog is an attempt to release some of the fleeting thoughts and crazy ideas in a place that may become another form of diary, but this time, one that talks back! Would love to hear from anyone who is inspired to rebut, dig further, validate or in any way comment on what has been written. Archives
May 2021
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