Found an interesting message board, tied to the authors of the original Quarterlife Crisis book:
http://www.quarterlifecrisis.com/forums/
Once I get my registration approved (hello, administrators!) I look forward to connecting with the other 20-somethings, and sharing what I have learned, and getting some camaraderie with others feeling the way I do.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately (as may be evidenced by my lack of writing) about who I wanted to be when I grew up. As a child, I told people I wanted to be a corporate lawyer, a writer, a librarian, and President of the US. As I got a little older, I still wanted to be a writer, and study literature, and then decided on becoming a genetic counselor/therapist. Of course, that all changed when I actually got into college and worked in a lab. I was so… bored.
Now, here I am, in a job that most would envy – a marketing position in a growing segment of an industry I’ve loved. And somehow, I’m still not content. It’s not that my job doesn’t challenge me (it does, even on days that I’m not working), and that I don’t believe in what I do. I thought that my job would provide the fulfillment that I needed.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t.
Maybe it’s because I work from home. Maybe it’s because I’m not involved in the community. Maybe it’s because I no longer find common ground with the people I once considered friends. Whatever it is, there seems to be a void that no number of hours can fill.
About a year ago, I discovered “The Quarterlife Crisis” – a couple of books that talked about what it feels like I must be going through. I’m planning on looking into the online groups dedicated to discussing the phenomenon, and maybe starting a local group. Living in a college town, there have to be more people here who feel this way!
I’m also re-dedicating myself to documenting this process, here, on my blog. Maybe it can inspire someone else who’s struggling. And if not, at least it gives me a voice.
Here’s to the future!
Are you one of those people who doesn’t want to set an idea or project free in the world until it’s finished? And by finished, I mean polished and perfected to the point that if someone were to uncover a flaw, you would already have discovered it, analyzed it and be able to defend why the flaw exists? I am completely that kind of person.
My yoga studio, however, is not built by people who live with that logic. At both the old location and the new, each studio has always been a work in progress. Finishing work that hasn’t quite gotten finished, areas where touch-up paint still needs to be touched up. In the excitement of allowing others to discover the peace and beauty that is yoga, they’ve decided that it’s “finished enough.”
Interestingly enough, I’ve never heard someone say “I can’t practice here because that section of wall isn’t finished.” Nobody’s ever mentioned it at all. My inner demons point to the flaws and say “How terrible that they didn’t have time to finish the walls! If only they had planned ahead, or closed for a day to get it done.” I’m trying to grow through yoga though, so while I lay in Savasana and look at the unfinished window sills, I recognize that we’re all bits of unfinished business. No matter how hard we try, the loose ends of our days and our lives will never be tied up in a nice, neat package.
Today, I’m just saying thank you to my practice (and to the studio itself) for reminding me that it’s ok when things aren’t buffed and polished to perfection.
Oprah’s done a number of wonderful and fantastic things for women in America. I remember watching her show as a youngster, thinking “Wow, she’s going somewhere!” And now, she IS somewhere, as an icon in the media world. She brought book groups and reading back to the countryside, as well as personal development. Her focus on personal development, both emotionally and physically has helped women accept who they are, and grow to be better.
But I tell you – when she promotes products, I think she forgets that the average American woman does not have deep pockets (or get free products to test). I was looking through June’s Beauty Products, and was absolutely floored when I saw a $28 lip stain, $78 body oil, and $175 perfume. Buying those three products costs more than a month’s worth of groceries for me – and probably at least 1 week’s worth for a family of 4. In this economic time, I still believe in the power of mampering yourself, but $45 lipstick goes beyond pampering.
Related Link: June’s New Beauty Products
I’ve noticed a trend recently – facebook pages for fans of both silly and hilarious stuff. Things like “not being eaten by a t-rex”, “I hate my Cell Phone” (and “I love my cell phone” and “I lost my cell phone”). While I absolutely love seeing these updates on my friend’s pages, I haven’t quite decided if I can really be a fan of not being eaten alive by sharks. I mean, I am a fan, but should I use social networking to broadcast that to the world?
It looks like the last time I updated my blog was something about waiting for your life to begin. Well, I wish I could say that I haven’t updated in a while because I’ve been out living my life. The simpler truth is that I’ve not updated because I’ve been quite busy working. Well, that’s all about to change! No – its not that I lost my job (at least not yet that I know of…), but more because I’m trying to find a better balance in the life that I do have.
I don’t mean to sound like one of those “find your authentic self” people, but that pretty much is what I’m trying to do. I was telling a good friend tonight that I default to “work” mode. It’s great for my employer, but not great for me. If I’m going to throw myself into hours and hours of work, I need to do more work on myself. If what I decide is my passion (for now) relates to work, then all the better for them. But I’d like to have a little something to default to after the 6-6 shift ends.
So, here’s a question for you: What do you default to? TV? Video games? Reading? Let me know in the comments!
“We are always getting ready to live, but never living.” – Ralph Waldom Emerson
When I found this quote recently, I found the truth in it. I’ve spent many a day planning for when my life would begin. At work, I’m going to write that press release after I just answer a few more emails. I’m going to get in shape as soon as I get caught up at work. I’ll learn to rock climb or swing dance or finally figure out a trip to France when something else happens.
Recently, I’ve felt more like my life had finally begun. I’ve started feeling again, and feeling things more deeply. I’m happier. I’m sadder. When things hurt, they hurt more. But that’s all just a good part of being alive.
“Better keep yourself clean and bright. You are the window through which you must see the world.”
-George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) playwright, political activist
I recently got this forward from my mom, and thought it was worth sharing and saving:
A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked ”How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t mattter. It depends how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.
If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”
He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on. “As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”
“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.”
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don’t pick it up again until after you’ve rested a while.
