Ok, Now I'm Finished

No, I'm not discontinuing the blog.  It helps a lot to have a creative outlet at times.  I just experienced a layoff at work.  I have never been through this process before.  You would expect a flood of negative emotions -- the hurt, anger, bitterness, confusion, depression, and so forth.  However, it really isn't healthy to dwell on the negative.  Many others were also impacted, and out of the ashes, the circumstance created a really positive environment and confirmed the fact that bonds of friendship transcend the halls of the workplace.  In fact, I even got a call from a colleague who went through the process last year, welcoming me to the club.  I think there is a sense of widespread relief, happiness and hope.  Sounds odd, doesn't it?

I still think the people with which you surround yourself will continue to contribute to your own success.  It doesn't apply only to current jobs.  It's also something that applies to daily life.  I'm starting the job search, and I'm sticking close to those who were also impacted.  A layoff has nothing to do with the quality of the work or people.  I continue to submit that you can define success as the sum of the yourself and the people with which you choose to surround yourself.  So it's no longer time to contemplate change.  It's time to act upon it.

Life continues to move forward, and so do I.

See ya.

Not Quite Finished

It's been noted that some people define themselves by a career.  That can be a trap that can easily snare anyone.  I've been caught in it a couple times when contemplating changes in my own career.  Reflecting upon past accomplishments does make it difficult to separate one's self from a job.  I've often stated that we are all more than the sum of our experiences.  In fact, I'll go a step further to say that we are all more than the sum of our experiences, careers, and accomplishments.  It is not just the individual, but also the sum of our relationships.  I have often found that in order to be successful, you have to surround yourself with talented, diverse individuals that are able to constantly share skills and learn from each other.

I'm no expert on existentialism, but the idea about working within the sum of our own experiences seems out-of-date in the modern world.  Beyond the scope of your own experience, we are starting to become a collective.  We have seen social networking take off in recent years.  Crowdsourcing has now become a great marketing tool.  Separating the individual from the collective is becoming exceedingly difficult.  Just take a look at services like Facebook.  If you don't have an account, it's becoming increasingly hard to keep up with your social circle.

Back to the career. I've been fortunate to be able to surround myself with the best talent in any industry.  It's time to contemplate some changes, but I'm not quite finished just yet.  I came to the realization that it isn't the job or responsibilities or the career.  It's the people.

See ya.