A couple weeks ago I read a book called The Passion Test. I was never a really big fan of the self help section but I had some time and took a look. As my family will contest I have always tried certain things and while I was trying them I would call it “my passion”. Let’s see I can list some of my “passions” I have had over the years: piano, basketball, rollerblading, video making, snowboarding etc. My sister always made fun of me but I think the reason I had so many “passions” (some failed some didn’t) was because I am the type of person where I felt like I never really excelled in anything I was just always good and a lot of different things. Which my mom would say makes me “balanced” but I wanted to excel. During my brief time of unemployment I was able to read a lot and came across the Passion Test.
The book basically told me that I have been wrong my whole life. That the things I called my passions are more hobbies and goals. That being said those things can turn into passions but it sometimes that takes time. The authors Janet Bray Attwood and Chris Attwoodcreated what they call a “system” of living your passion. Right away you start taking the test. I didn’t really understand how long it was going to take me to read this book because it was also very interactive. At times I had to set down the book and wait days before I could start reading it again.
I started by creating a list of 15 different “passions”. They taught me right away to think BIG because by thinking BIG more will happen. Sitting down I thought of 15 different things and then by the next couple of chapters you have it broken down to your top 5. This was perfect for me because I had no idea what my next step was and they guided me to figure out what is really important in my life right now. The key is to know that your passions will always change and evolve over time. Sometimes you will fulfill your passion and want to advance it and grow from it.
“When you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, only to the extent you are clear”
This test is your own; you’re supposed to take it in one sitting usually about 30 min max. The question you first need to answer they say is “When my life is ideal, I am __________.” Close your eyes and make the list. You then go from 15 to 5 by taking one and sizing it up against another one, which is more important.
From this list here are my top passions I came up with:
1. Enjoying my work life
2. Traveling to a new place every year
3. Speaking to small or large groups
4. Doing video taping and editing for fun
5. Maintaining healthy relationships
Here are some parts of the book that stuck with me. “What you put your attention on grows stronger in your life.” By putting attention onto joy, happiness, and growth, those things will come to your life. “Fear is vividly imagining exactly what you don’t want to happen, happening” If you think of a fear or something bad, just say “cancel and replace that thought with something you choose to create”.
Ok, I will keep going on this topic if you would like, let me know if you like it or not because there are more steps.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
We have all had them....
So this week I have been through a lot. My last blog was about a final interview that I went on last Monday. I am happy to say I got that job. Although my two month “vacation” has ended, I will no longer be poor anymore which is a plus. I got the offer letter and started 3 days later. So that being said I will still be writing blogs. I hope to be able to put out 2 or 3 a week.
I have promised my friend Steph for a really long time that I would write a blog on good bosses vs. bad bosses.
Bad Boss
1. Don’t let you yawn and if you do threaten that they will make you leave the office
2. Throw things at your head for not looking at them while they are talking
3. Stand outside and slow clap when you show up 2 min late
4. Doesn’t listen to you
5. Thinks they have nothing to learn
6. Swear at you and when you tell them its unprofessional to swear in a work setting they make you leave for the day
7. Clap in your face while you are on the phone with a client and when you tell them to stop they tell you to stop having lip and tell you to apologize.
8. Tells you not to ever ask questions or question them
9. Screams at you when a customer can hear you while you are on the phone
10. Micromanages you
11. Tells you to work harder but they don’t work hard
12. Has bi polar tendencies
13. Doesn’t plagiarize your work
14. They don’t tell someone they need to be more invested when they are never at work
15. When you tell your boss what you had for lunch he doesn’t make a comment about your work performance suffering from it.
Good Boss
1. Tells you start time is 8:00 but understand things happen so as long as you show up by 8:30 its fine, or just call.
2. Lets you be creative and listens to your ideas
3. Doesn’t micromanage you
4. Tells you to ask questions if you have problems
5. Teaches you
6. Respects employees and understand that they are the company’s most important resource
7. A good team leader
I have promised my friend Steph for a really long time that I would write a blog on good bosses vs. bad bosses.
Bad Boss
1. Don’t let you yawn and if you do threaten that they will make you leave the office
2. Throw things at your head for not looking at them while they are talking
3. Stand outside and slow clap when you show up 2 min late
4. Doesn’t listen to you
5. Thinks they have nothing to learn
6. Swear at you and when you tell them its unprofessional to swear in a work setting they make you leave for the day
7. Clap in your face while you are on the phone with a client and when you tell them to stop they tell you to stop having lip and tell you to apologize.
8. Tells you not to ever ask questions or question them
9. Screams at you when a customer can hear you while you are on the phone
10. Micromanages you
11. Tells you to work harder but they don’t work hard
12. Has bi polar tendencies
13. Doesn’t plagiarize your work
14. They don’t tell someone they need to be more invested when they are never at work
15. When you tell your boss what you had for lunch he doesn’t make a comment about your work performance suffering from it.
Good Boss
1. Tells you start time is 8:00 but understand things happen so as long as you show up by 8:30 its fine, or just call.
2. Lets you be creative and listens to your ideas
3. Doesn’t micromanage you
4. Tells you to ask questions if you have problems
5. Teaches you
6. Respects employees and understand that they are the company’s most important resource
7. A good team leader
Monday, January 11, 2010
How To Not Be Nervous
I had a final round interview today and for some reason I was a little nervous. Now you may be saying “well that’s normal for an interview”. I am not really the type that gets nervous for interviews, I have always been good at public speaking and when it comes to job interviews I look at them like this “either it’s meant to be or it’s not meant to be so why get nervous”. I think the problem was I showed up a little too early so I had some time to chill in my car.
I was in my car and google’ing on my phone “good questions to ask on a job interview” and I had turned on the light inside the car. After reading some "good questions to ask" I looked at the clock and it was about 20 min till my interview started so I thought I would start walking to the building because I was sitting in a parking ramp.
This is where I realized that I was nervous because I was being a little scatter brained. I remembered to turn off the light inside my car because yes I have been that person who leaves it on and comes back to a dead car. I started walking away from the car feeling in control when I realized that I didn’t have my parking ticket. This is a negative I have come across in California you pay at a box at the ground level, not at a person. So I walk back to my car and look all around turning the light back on and not being able to find it.
I am in a pickle because I am unemployed so I can’t afford to pay the $24 dollar for a lost ticket but at the same time I need a job. So I decided to skip looking for it and ill look for it on the way back. Now I am thinking about the interview and about my lost ticket. I lock my door and turn around start walking away when I say to myself shoot the light in my car, I look and it’s on, so I turn back around and turn it off. As I am closing the door, I for some reason also feel to need to make sure the light is off when I close it so as the door closes my head goes forward to look and the tip of the door bangs right into the side of my head.
Now I am worried about my head that hurts, the ticket, getting to the interview on time and the interview. Awesome! I get to the interview and I “check in” and the nice girl at the front desk says “they are running a little late but are you ok?” I said “oh that’s fine” she says “no there is blood coming down the side of your face”. Sure enough I not only hit my head causing me to have a head ache but I also have a bump and blood coming down my face.
I must have looked really embarrassed because she gave me a tissue and said “don’t worry, I wont say anything”. I felt my head and sure enough there was a bump and a little blood coming down. I cleaned up and sat down took some deep breaths and started laughing a little bit because I realized I was no longer nervous for my interview. So if anyone is nervous about something just hit your head. It did the trick for me. I hid the bump with my hair and went into the interview with confidence and I think it went well.
Oh and I also found my parking ticket. haha
I was in my car and google’ing on my phone “good questions to ask on a job interview” and I had turned on the light inside the car. After reading some "good questions to ask" I looked at the clock and it was about 20 min till my interview started so I thought I would start walking to the building because I was sitting in a parking ramp.
This is where I realized that I was nervous because I was being a little scatter brained. I remembered to turn off the light inside my car because yes I have been that person who leaves it on and comes back to a dead car. I started walking away from the car feeling in control when I realized that I didn’t have my parking ticket. This is a negative I have come across in California you pay at a box at the ground level, not at a person. So I walk back to my car and look all around turning the light back on and not being able to find it.
I am in a pickle because I am unemployed so I can’t afford to pay the $24 dollar for a lost ticket but at the same time I need a job. So I decided to skip looking for it and ill look for it on the way back. Now I am thinking about the interview and about my lost ticket. I lock my door and turn around start walking away when I say to myself shoot the light in my car, I look and it’s on, so I turn back around and turn it off. As I am closing the door, I for some reason also feel to need to make sure the light is off when I close it so as the door closes my head goes forward to look and the tip of the door bangs right into the side of my head.
Now I am worried about my head that hurts, the ticket, getting to the interview on time and the interview. Awesome! I get to the interview and I “check in” and the nice girl at the front desk says “they are running a little late but are you ok?” I said “oh that’s fine” she says “no there is blood coming down the side of your face”. Sure enough I not only hit my head causing me to have a head ache but I also have a bump and blood coming down my face.
I must have looked really embarrassed because she gave me a tissue and said “don’t worry, I wont say anything”. I felt my head and sure enough there was a bump and a little blood coming down. I cleaned up and sat down took some deep breaths and started laughing a little bit because I realized I was no longer nervous for my interview. So if anyone is nervous about something just hit your head. It did the trick for me. I hid the bump with my hair and went into the interview with confidence and I think it went well.
Oh and I also found my parking ticket. haha
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Date Gone Wrong
Sometimes I think about dating back in the day. How different it must have been to have a guy court you for starters. I looked into it a little more and the timeline is as follows:
1920-1945: With the Great Depression and WWII many people dated which included going dancing or going to movies.
1945-1960: After the war dating and marriage was more of the norm. Dating would happen in Junior High and then you “go steady” which was followed by most people getting married between the ages of 20-22.
1960-2000: The 60’s started the feminist movement which gave women the sense of empowerment. Dating shows started which helped single people find outlets.
2000-Present: Today is the technology age. Dating is still present but it’s in a different form. There are more long distance relationships, speed dating and less face to face encounters.
That being said I have always been the fan of meeting my boyfriends though friends, which has its pros and cons. I don’t have too many really funny first bad dates but over the years I have heard some great stories of date’s people have gone on that I thought I would share. I am not going to give away any names to protect their dignity haha. I also want to put a disclaimer now the following stories are true but I don’t have the person sitting next time me so it’s as close as I remember them telling me.
Story 1: A friend of mine met a guy (a cop) on an online site and they talked on the phone for awhile to get to know each other. They finally decided to meet up and go out to dinner. The dinner went really well they had good conversation and she felt like they had some sort of connection. After dinner they decided to have a drink back at her place. They were sitting down and drinking some wine when he said he had to go to the bathroom.
This is where the date gets tricky. After about 20 min in the bathroom she started to think something was wrong. She went to the door to see maybe if he was puking from food poisoning or something. She heard nothing and walked back to the living room, after about 30-40 minutes he walked out and says “I can’t do this” and started crying.
While the tears were pouring down his face he lifted his pant leg and had a gun strapped to his leg and said something like “I have a gun”. My friend then thought to her self “I am going to die; this guy has a gun and is crying out of control” She then kept saying over and over “its ok, its ok, do not cry”. He said that it was just too much and that he needed to go home. After he left she closed the door behind him and locked it. Lets jus say there was no second date. I think she did get an email from him a couple week’s later saying he was sorry.
Story 2: My friend went on a date that by the end of the date she thought it was terrible. He ended up calling her again and asking her out. She told him that she thought they were better as friends. A day or so later she gets sent black roses and a card that says “you are such a whore and *ucking *itch”. He didn’t get a call back even as a friend.
Story 3: A friend of mine had met a guy trough a networking group. They had talked a couple of times and he finally asked her out. He picked her up and they went to a coffee shop. The date with this guy started off ok they talked about the city they live in and things they like to do and about work. All of a sudden a girl comes over and taps him on the shoulder. It ended up being his ex-girlfriend. They started talking and he didn’t introduce her or even acknowledge that she was there. His ex walked away and when they got back into the car to drop her off he was just really quiet. She asked him if he was ok, he said “that was my ex, it was a really bad break up and she broke my heart” she ended up spending 20 min consoling him while he cried in his car.
Story 4: A friend met a guy on Match.com. This was new to her but she had not been on a date in awhile and felt the need to get out there. A guy named Tony emailed her saying he was interested in getting to know her a little bit more. They emailed back and forth for awhile, she was a little skeptical to meet him in person but she finally caved in.
He asked her to have drinks and told her the restaurants name. She arrived a little early to scope out the place and when she arrived the hostess asked if her name was ******* she said yes and was told that her date was already here sitting at a table. My friend thought that was kind of weird because he told her drinks. When she met the guy he was dressed up and pulled out her chair for her. The dinner conversation went like this.
Him: How are you doing?
Her: I’m sorry; I thought we were having drinks.
Him: I thought we could get a little food and some drinks.
Her: Ok, well I already ate but I can still do drinks.
Everything seemed fine and she was having a good time. That was until all of a sudden he got really quiet. He stood up in front of everyone and hit his knife to his glass, he told everyone in the restaurant that he had an announcement.
Him: ******* you mean a lot to me, you are funny, nice and beautiful. I would love for you to be my wife (gets down on one knee), will you marry me?
My friend looks around and everyone is staring at her, waiting for her to respond. She looks at him and says.
Her: What are you doing? You don’t even know me?
As someone shouts out “say yes, say yes”
My friend ends up getting up slowly and walking out of the restaurant. She got an email a couple of day’s later saying sorry that his friends put him up to it as a dare, that they were sitting at a table across the way. She never called him back.
1920-1945: With the Great Depression and WWII many people dated which included going dancing or going to movies.
1945-1960: After the war dating and marriage was more of the norm. Dating would happen in Junior High and then you “go steady” which was followed by most people getting married between the ages of 20-22.
1960-2000: The 60’s started the feminist movement which gave women the sense of empowerment. Dating shows started which helped single people find outlets.
2000-Present: Today is the technology age. Dating is still present but it’s in a different form. There are more long distance relationships, speed dating and less face to face encounters.
That being said I have always been the fan of meeting my boyfriends though friends, which has its pros and cons. I don’t have too many really funny first bad dates but over the years I have heard some great stories of date’s people have gone on that I thought I would share. I am not going to give away any names to protect their dignity haha. I also want to put a disclaimer now the following stories are true but I don’t have the person sitting next time me so it’s as close as I remember them telling me.
Story 1: A friend of mine met a guy (a cop) on an online site and they talked on the phone for awhile to get to know each other. They finally decided to meet up and go out to dinner. The dinner went really well they had good conversation and she felt like they had some sort of connection. After dinner they decided to have a drink back at her place. They were sitting down and drinking some wine when he said he had to go to the bathroom.
This is where the date gets tricky. After about 20 min in the bathroom she started to think something was wrong. She went to the door to see maybe if he was puking from food poisoning or something. She heard nothing and walked back to the living room, after about 30-40 minutes he walked out and says “I can’t do this” and started crying.
While the tears were pouring down his face he lifted his pant leg and had a gun strapped to his leg and said something like “I have a gun”. My friend then thought to her self “I am going to die; this guy has a gun and is crying out of control” She then kept saying over and over “its ok, its ok, do not cry”. He said that it was just too much and that he needed to go home. After he left she closed the door behind him and locked it. Lets jus say there was no second date. I think she did get an email from him a couple week’s later saying he was sorry.
Story 2: My friend went on a date that by the end of the date she thought it was terrible. He ended up calling her again and asking her out. She told him that she thought they were better as friends. A day or so later she gets sent black roses and a card that says “you are such a whore and *ucking *itch”. He didn’t get a call back even as a friend.
Story 3: A friend of mine had met a guy trough a networking group. They had talked a couple of times and he finally asked her out. He picked her up and they went to a coffee shop. The date with this guy started off ok they talked about the city they live in and things they like to do and about work. All of a sudden a girl comes over and taps him on the shoulder. It ended up being his ex-girlfriend. They started talking and he didn’t introduce her or even acknowledge that she was there. His ex walked away and when they got back into the car to drop her off he was just really quiet. She asked him if he was ok, he said “that was my ex, it was a really bad break up and she broke my heart” she ended up spending 20 min consoling him while he cried in his car.
Story 4: A friend met a guy on Match.com. This was new to her but she had not been on a date in awhile and felt the need to get out there. A guy named Tony emailed her saying he was interested in getting to know her a little bit more. They emailed back and forth for awhile, she was a little skeptical to meet him in person but she finally caved in.
He asked her to have drinks and told her the restaurants name. She arrived a little early to scope out the place and when she arrived the hostess asked if her name was ******* she said yes and was told that her date was already here sitting at a table. My friend thought that was kind of weird because he told her drinks. When she met the guy he was dressed up and pulled out her chair for her. The dinner conversation went like this.
Him: How are you doing?
Her: I’m sorry; I thought we were having drinks.
Him: I thought we could get a little food and some drinks.
Her: Ok, well I already ate but I can still do drinks.
Everything seemed fine and she was having a good time. That was until all of a sudden he got really quiet. He stood up in front of everyone and hit his knife to his glass, he told everyone in the restaurant that he had an announcement.
Him: ******* you mean a lot to me, you are funny, nice and beautiful. I would love for you to be my wife (gets down on one knee), will you marry me?
My friend looks around and everyone is staring at her, waiting for her to respond. She looks at him and says.
Her: What are you doing? You don’t even know me?
As someone shouts out “say yes, say yes”
My friend ends up getting up slowly and walking out of the restaurant. She got an email a couple of day’s later saying sorry that his friends put him up to it as a dare, that they were sitting at a table across the way. She never called him back.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Best Way To Taste Wine
So for the past two weeks I have been in Wisconsin for the Holidays and that is why I have not posted a blog in awhile. I am sorry. That being said everything is unpacked from my trip so I am now going to start writing again.
(Wine Part 3 brought to you by Quamut)
So I started out with how wine was made, then I talked about how to talk about wine, part 3 is going to be about HOW TO TASTE WINE. There are specific ways to taste wine and some may say “you don’t need to do that”. This process is necessary so the wine drinker can enjoy the wine to the fullest extent. If you think it looks weird or pointless, think again. Using your different senses enable you to fully enjoy the wine, using the 5 S’s can help you remember how to every time. See, Swirl, Sniff, Swish, and Swallow.
See – When you look at the wine it builds up anticipation of the taste. The “visual attributes” of the wine are important. While looking at the wine in the glass you should take into account:
Clarity and color of the wine.
White Wines – pales green, yellow or deep amber
Red Wines – Dark blue, purple, red, brown
Legs of the wine.
You test the legs of a wine by tilting the wine a little bit on its side and then lay it flat again. Some wines will form “rivulets" which run down the side of the glass, which people call the legs or tears. The legs of a wine show it’s “wine viscosity, or flow, and the rate of evaporation of the alcohol.”
Swirl – When people swirl wine they are working air into the wine, this helps break out the flavors. You want to swirl the wine in the same direction consistently.
Sniff – After the swirl you want to sniff the wine. When you stick your nose into the glass you take a whiff of the aromas. At first it might be hard to pick out the flavors by sniffing but as you sniff more wines it will get easier and you will be able to pick out the oak, fruity and/or other flavors.
Swish – The first taste should be a small mouthful of wine that you swish around for a few seconds in your mouth. The wine has a beginning, middle and end. The different stages create different flavors and textures in your mouth.
Flavors: Sweetness, dryness, sourness
Textures: thickness, thinness, roughness, smoothness
Swallow – When you swallow the wine you don’t want to take a sip again right away. You want to enjoy that sip and figure out the lingering finish of the wine “cleansing, acid crispness lingering on the deep back and sides of the tongue”.
Repeat as followed
By:Quamut
(Wine Part 3 brought to you by Quamut)
So I started out with how wine was made, then I talked about how to talk about wine, part 3 is going to be about HOW TO TASTE WINE. There are specific ways to taste wine and some may say “you don’t need to do that”. This process is necessary so the wine drinker can enjoy the wine to the fullest extent. If you think it looks weird or pointless, think again. Using your different senses enable you to fully enjoy the wine, using the 5 S’s can help you remember how to every time. See, Swirl, Sniff, Swish, and Swallow.
See – When you look at the wine it builds up anticipation of the taste. The “visual attributes” of the wine are important. While looking at the wine in the glass you should take into account:
Clarity and color of the wine.
White Wines – pales green, yellow or deep amber
Red Wines – Dark blue, purple, red, brown
Legs of the wine.
You test the legs of a wine by tilting the wine a little bit on its side and then lay it flat again. Some wines will form “rivulets" which run down the side of the glass, which people call the legs or tears. The legs of a wine show it’s “wine viscosity, or flow, and the rate of evaporation of the alcohol.”
Swirl – When people swirl wine they are working air into the wine, this helps break out the flavors. You want to swirl the wine in the same direction consistently.
Sniff – After the swirl you want to sniff the wine. When you stick your nose into the glass you take a whiff of the aromas. At first it might be hard to pick out the flavors by sniffing but as you sniff more wines it will get easier and you will be able to pick out the oak, fruity and/or other flavors.
Swish – The first taste should be a small mouthful of wine that you swish around for a few seconds in your mouth. The wine has a beginning, middle and end. The different stages create different flavors and textures in your mouth.
Flavors: Sweetness, dryness, sourness
Textures: thickness, thinness, roughness, smoothness
Swallow – When you swallow the wine you don’t want to take a sip again right away. You want to enjoy that sip and figure out the lingering finish of the wine “cleansing, acid crispness lingering on the deep back and sides of the tongue”.
Repeat as followed
By:Quamut
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)