The Adventure Continues

Two months on and I am STILL sitting at my computer, trawling through job search sites and completing endless application forms.

Today I am having a rest and writing a blog!

To be honest I have spent as much time engaging in Social Networking such as twitter.com  facebook.com as I have looking for employment!

There is a line in a song which goes something like this....'Last night a DJ saved my life, with a song!'
My song line is......'Last night Social Networking saved my life!'

Corny? Yes! Cheesey? Definately!

But true!

Give me a crisis and you will see the best in me.
I am a born 'firefighter'.
In the midst of disaster I leap into action, rounding up the troops, planning, organising with gusto!
I remain calm when all around there is chaos! Rational, practical and reliable!

When the Crisis is over - I fall apart! When the dust has settled and the troops have disbanded, normality ensuing the changes, I am left reeling, wandering around aimlessly screaming 'What Just Happened?'

Nobody is listening.

The 'troops' have left happily skipping towards their new adventures.
I wouldn't have it any other way.

I certainly wouldn't want them to witness my 'falling apart'. That has to be done alone.

When I found out I was to be made redundant I whipped into action. Forming support groups for my colleagues making myself available 24/7 to those who needed to talk, who wanted advice and support. I plunged myself into positivity. Encouraging and applauding as my colleagues attended interviews and were successful in securing new employment.

At the end of the 'Redundancy Party' we (the troops and I) parted company with hugs, kisses and false promises to 'keep in touch'!

The next few weeks are a blur of gradual deterioration into a cloudy black fog of confusion, panic, despair and  hopelessness.

Why can't I get another job? I'm not good enough? What the hell am I going to do??
Single parent of a 10yr old boy, dwindling redundancy money, car payments, tennis, clothes, shoes to buy - Argh!!!!

In the middle of this 'black cloud' I found Social Networking predominantly twitter.com

At first I only followed conversations and then I began to follow people. It was intriguing to me to read what people was thinking, feeling and doing without having to interact.
I clicked on links which led me to peoples blogs - I read everything I could from an individuals personal thought to blogs about interests or gadgets. I was hooked!

It didn't take my own problems away but it helped to calm my internal panic and confusion.

I now have some followers of my own and interact with them on twitter.com

I follow people for different reasons; Funny, Kind, Interesting, Informative, Inspiring, Motivating .......

Here are a few of them;

@paulocoelho is an author of numerous books, he engages with his audience by inviting them to interact with him and each other via his website: http://www.paulocoelhoblog.com/ he twitters some thought provoking stuff too.

@coporatemonk - life coach for business with a passion for adventure - you can find him: http://darrenwise.wordpress.com/

@marcus_baker - internet marketer and a very inspiring guy! Find him: http://www.marcusonthemove.com/

@lance02 Writer at the Jungle of Life, he discusses life and our journey through it - writes some fantastic quotes. Find him: http://www.jungleoflife.com/

@alihale Professional Blogger Find her: http://www.aliventures.com/ - ali has written an ebook 'Staff Blogging Course' - highly recommended!

@LiveLifeByMyRulz & @WarriorSage Creative Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, Singer/Song Writer and Master of multiple streams of Income. Find him: http://www.yourdailylifecoach.com/ his video's have truly inspired and motivated me.

@csdaley a fantastic writer you can read his blog:  http://www.csdaley.com/

There are many more fabulous people I follow such as @TheOldDear very witty lady! Who always replies to my random tweets!

The Black Fog still surrounds me but I feel it shifting slightly and.....Oh!......Wait!.....I think I can see a little sunshine coming my way.............?!

'Last Night Social Networking Saved My Life & Today, Tomorrow..............!'

The Adventure Continues...

The Adventure Begins...........

For the last few weeks instead of looking for work and filling in endless application forms I have been engaging in a much more industrious occupation....


Procrastination [to delay or postpone an action]


We all do it - cleaning, reading celeb magazines, organising the recycling bin......the list is endless!

It doesn't matter what we engage in just as long as it does NOT include that important task we are meant to be working on!!


It was whilst engaging in the act of procrastination that I stumbled upon Twitter.


I have heard it said that:

A positive always follows a negative or that As one door closes another one opens


The last few months I have questioned these sayings. I could not see any positive and the doors seemed to be slamming in my face as I came closer and closer to my Redundancy Party!


Today I wonder if (whoever designed these quotes - maybe someone could inform me?) 'they' could be true?
My 'Positive' and 'Open door' has been Social Networking.

Twitter and other Social Networking sites have allowed me to make new networks and connect with interesting and informative people.

Through Twitter I have explored the concept of 'Blogging'! I am quite sure I do not know the finer details of the Blogging world but I am sure enjoying experimenting with it.

During the 'redundancy' process in the back of my mind the idea that I could maybe start writing again has kept jumping around giving me headache!
I have always written, but kept this passion on a back burner deep in the back of my mind, while I earned a 'real' living to support my family.
Something I would perhaps do when I retired without the responsibilty of a family to support!

Having found Twitter and following some really 'cool' and 'inspiring' people it has given me a renewed 'passion' for my writing. Blogger has given me a way to practise and improve my writing.

Could I support my family and make an income with my writing......who knows?

Is Social Networking/Twitter/Blogger my positive or my open door......

The Adventure continues................................

Comments/advice/constructive criticism welcome!

The Adventure Begins

Redundant with no fixed source of income!

I have no 'real' excuse at not having a job lined up - there are plenty of vacancies out there and I've had plenty of time to apply.

The truth is I don't want another 9-5 job, where: Flexibility, Well Being, Family...... are just words without meaning or action attached to them.

This is the first time I have openly admitted to myself, or others that I no longer feel the passion for my work within a charity.

It's not the many disadvantaged young people I have supported over the last 15yrs. I still care passionately for them and the barriers they face and have overcome.

I do not however feel passion for working in a corporate enviroment where politics and red tape come between been able to help and support a young person or not.

It feels good to say what I have been feeling over the last few months. It gives me a sense of relief - not sure I will be saying that next month when I have to pay the bills!

But for now I feel an excitment that I haven't felt for a long time, that feeling of adventure, when you are begining a journey that you have never trod before and you are 'itching' to get started.

I have had one of the most overwhelming few weeks! I work for a highly respected National organisation. for most of my time there i have loved, indeed been passionate about the work i do. although in the last couple years there has been many changes, restructures, consultations, and redundancies, leaving employees (myself included) realing, overwhelmed and trying to catch their breath! It has left the organisation working in a completely different way and in some ways that I neither understand or agree with. It has been left with an inexperienced management structure who, to be honest I am ashamed and embarrassed to be connected with. While all this has been happening I have focussed, as much as possible, on my work, confident that although I do not agree with everything, that I can continue to work with and support the people I am passionate about, helping them to move forward in their lives despite massive disadvantages! But events over these weeks have forced me to reevaluate why I have stayed in this organisation? Finding cellspin is giving me the platform to write my thoughts, feelings, and to give you the opportunity to follow me on my journey, which will be a journey of fear, uncertainty as I have no idea how this will all resolve itself?My position as I write this is I have accepted Voluntary redundancy (or was maybe forced into it, im not sure?)So i guess for now you are as up to date as i am with all this. Over the coming weeks as the adventure continues.