Dawn of a New Day.

It’s finally happened.  I love my job, I love my life.  I’ve been floating through a sea of disappointment and confusion for the last two-plus years and FINALLY my soul-searching has come to fruition. 

Non-profit is 100% the place for me to be.  And the Council for Relationships is an amazing place for me to start this journey.  My boss is incredible; she’s brilliant, kind, encouraging, and open to new ideas.  She, along with the rest of the office, have been so welcoming and warm to me.  I have been learning how to use new computer programs to build brochures and make flyers for marketing purposes.  And I’ve already played a vital role in planning the Fall Conference.

I intend on being there for quite some time, although the only downside is that it is part-time.  My intention is to find another part-time position with a different non-profit, and lucky for me, most non-profits can only afford to bring creative people on as part-time employees. 

In the meantime, I also continue to volunteer my time to Minds Matter, which is a phenomenal organization that Philadelphia school children desperately need.  While I am not making anywhere near the money I had been making in my past life, I’m perfectly happy dedicating my life to helping others.  The value on that makes me richer than I ever thought I could be.

1 month ago

The New Job.

It’s official: I’m going to be working part-time as the Marketing/PR Associate for the Council for Relationships!  I start on Tuesday, and I know that I am going to love it there. 

The moment I walked into the office for my interview, I felt happy and positive—you could tell that was clearly part of the energy in the office and it’s very much in line with what I’ve been looking for.  Then there’s my new boss, Irina, who is amazing.  She and I totally hit it off and I know that I am going to love working with her.  She’s been working in PR for about 20 years and she is going to be a great mentor to me.  She’s also super excited about us working together, which is exactly what you want to hear when you are starting a new job!

And this is not just a new job for me, this is a whole new career.  I’ve officially transitioned out of the media producer role and I’m going to be launching a whole new chapter of my life in the not-for-profit world.  I have a 5-year plan, which right now includes soaking everything up like a sponge at CFR, continuing to volunteer and to network, and trying to pick up a second part-time job (I have an interview tomorrow!).  Down the line, I’d love to launch my own business that caters to the non-profit world.  I’m going to spend the next few years trying to strengthen my financial savvy and build a business plan.  I am living proof that you can make your dreams happen, you just have to let go of your ego and never stop believing, even when everyone else does.  At this point, I know I can achieve anything—it’s just a matter of getting clear about what exactly it is that you want to achieve.

1 month ago

What A Great Adventure.

These past two weeks have been phenomenal.  Not only because I finally feel liberated from a job that put so many restrictions on me, but also because I am in one of those rare moments in life where you have come full circle and yet realize how far you have come.  I guess I came full circle and then jumped over to a square.

About a year ago, I was in a similar position, which was basically being unemployed in Philadelphia.  But I’m now in the position to look back and see how far I’ve come—I’ve made friends, business connections, and most importantly, I’ve finally gained some clarity about what I want to do with my life.  It’s amazing how wonderful having some direction can make you feel.

I’ve spent the last two weeks doing yoga, lunching with friends, drinking at happy hours, reading books, learning to play the ukelele (I am not good), and basically going with the flow of whatever life brings me.  This time around I’ve let go of the intense addiction I had to my job search; I’m looking, but casually.  I’m not so focused on it right now.  And it’s working.

I’ve been interviewing and meeting great people and volunteering, and I am very close to landing a job, I just can’t announce where it is yet.  I’m so ready to dedicate my creative talents to helping people everyday of my life and I can’t wait to get to do it for a living! 

What a great adventure it’s been.  I’ve had so many lows, and just as many highs, and I’ve learned so much from everything.  I feel as though a veil has finally been lifted—I’m finally getting to see the world through a clear, crisp lens, and there’s no going back now.

1 month ago

Daily Om (Does it Again!): Without a Net

As we create the life of our dreams, we often reach a crossroads where the choices seem to involve the risk of facing the unknown versus the safety and comfort of all that we have come to trust. We may feel like a tightrope walker, carefully teetering along the narrow path to our goals, sometimes feeling that we are doing so without a net. Knowing we have some backup may help us work up the courage to take those first steps, until we are secure in knowing that we have the skills to work without one. But when we live our lives from a place of balance and trust in the universe, we may not see our source of support, but we can know that it is there.

If we refuse to act only if we can see the safety net, we may be allowing the net to become a trap as it creates a barrier between us and the freedom to pursue our goals. Change is inherent in life, so even what we have learned to trust can surprise us at any moment. Remove fear from the equation and then, without even wondering what is going on below, we can devote our full attention to the dream that awaits us.

We attract support into our lives when we are willing to make those first tentative steps, trusting that the universe will provide exactly what we need. In that process we can decide that whatever comes from our actions is only for our highest and best experience of growth. It may come in the form of a soft landing, an unexpected rescue or an eye-opening experience gleaned only from the process of falling. So rather than allowing our lives to be dictated by fear of the unknown, or trying to avoid falling, we can appreciate that sometimes we experience life fully when we are willing to trust and fall. And in doing so, we may just find that we have the wings to fly.


When we believe that there is a reason for everything, we are stepping out with the safety net of the universe, and we know we will make the best from whatever comes our way.

2 months ago
terrysdiary: Work for Justice, Truth and Love - It’s not about Ego. This is so poignant to me right now—I’ve been moving away from the glamorous world of TV production and trying to make a career shift into the non-profit sector.  It makes me wonder if my subconscious is much smarter than I am.  I chose to move from New York to Philadelphia for love, but I’m starting to think there were many different layers to my move, including my career. Since arriving in Philly, I’ve been trying to figure out what I am if I’m not a Producer.  And after a year as a Philadelphian, I finally have the answer: I’m a People-Lover.  That’s right, I love people—I love knowing them, learning about them, hearing their stories, and most of all, I love helping them.  Given that I happen to have excellent organizational skills, transitioning into PR/Special Events for non-profits is a no-brainer.  I don’t know why it took me so long to get here. Even though I am grateful for the clarity I now have, part of what comes along with a career change is forcing yourself to let go of your ego because you absolutely have to start from scratch again.  It’s a really humbling experience and really difficult to swallow sometimes.  I have to keep my focus on the bigger picture in order to not let the situation get the best of me; I know that I’ll succeed now that I know what I want to achieve. Since leaving my job, I’ve officially started working with Minds Matter, doing event planning and social media/PR strategy for them.  I was also hired this past weekend to work as part of the Event Staff for the “Get Your Rear In Gear: Walk/Run for the Colon Cancer Coalition,” and it was a big success!  I’ve also met with someone who works with United Cerebral Palsy and might be working some events for them this summer.  And this morning I set up an interview with the Council for Relationships for next week.  It’s amazing what the Universe will deliver when you finally get clear about what you want!

terrysdiary:

Work for Justice, Truth and Love - It’s not about Ego.

This is so poignant to me right now—I’ve been moving away from the glamorous world of TV production and trying to make a career shift into the non-profit sector.  It makes me wonder if my subconscious is much smarter than I am.  I chose to move from New York to Philadelphia for love, but I’m starting to think there were many different layers to my move, including my career.

Since arriving in Philly, I’ve been trying to figure out what I am if I’m not a Producer.  And after a year as a Philadelphian, I finally have the answer: I’m a People-Lover.  That’s right, I love people—I love knowing them, learning about them, hearing their stories, and most of all, I love helping them.  Given that I happen to have excellent organizational skills, transitioning into PR/Special Events for non-profits is a no-brainer.  I don’t know why it took me so long to get here.

Even though I am grateful for the clarity I now have, part of what comes along with a career change is forcing yourself to let go of your ego because you absolutely have to start from scratch again.  It’s a really humbling experience and really difficult to swallow sometimes.  I have to keep my focus on the bigger picture in order to not let the situation get the best of me; I know that I’ll succeed now that I know what I want to achieve.

Since leaving my job, I’ve officially started working with Minds Matter, doing event planning and social media/PR strategy for them.  I was also hired this past weekend to work as part of the Event Staff for the “Get Your Rear In Gear: Walk/Run for the Colon Cancer Coalition,” and it was a big success!  I’ve also met with someone who works with United Cerebral Palsy and might be working some events for them this summer.  And this morning I set up an interview with the Council for Relationships for next week.  It’s amazing what the Universe will deliver when you finally get clear about what you want!

(via hilarysiegel)

2 months ago

I Did It.

I quit my job on Friday. 

I felt like I had been plotting a prison break the entire week leading up to it.  I was anxious and nervous and excited and secretive about the whole thing.  I had slowly started taking things home from the office throughout the week so that I wouldn’t have a huge load to shlep when I finally took the plunge.  Actually, the best way to describe it is the following excerpt from the major motion picture, The Shawshank Redemption:

“In 1966, Andy Dufresne escaped from Shawshank prison. All they found of him was a muddy set of prison clothes, a bar of soap, and an old rock hammer, damn near worn down to the nub. I remember thinking it would take a man six hundred years to tunnel through the wall with it. Old Andy did it in less than twenty…I guess after Tommy was killed, Andy decided he’d been here just about long enough. Andy did like he was told, buffed those shoes to a high mirror shine. The guards simply didn’t notice. Neither did I… I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a mans shoes? Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit smelling foulness I can’t even imagine, or maybe I just don’t want to. Five hundred yards…that’s the length of five football fields, just shy of half a mile.”

I’m so proud of myself for jumping into the unknown, for knowing that I can do better.  It would have been easy for me to stay, but nothing worth accomplishing is ever easy.  I had to be the change I wanted to see in my life.  But I went out on a high note—I put a bunch of talented people to work, made some great new friends, and networked my face off.  Not bad at all.

On to the next adventure.

2 months ago

Letting Go and Jumping In.

I swear, sometimes I feel as though the DailyOm emails are tailor-made for me.  They’ve completely been able to capture the emotional crossroads that I have found myself in, and they manage to remind me that I always seem to know what is best for myself.

So many people have encouraged me to “play it safe” or “be smart” by staying in this job that makes me so deeply unhappy but provides me with a modicum of financial security and of course, the ever-elusive, health insurance.  But I just can’t do it.  How people can prioritize money over happiness, I’ll never understand.

I am a big believer in chasing happiness.  I think finding happiness brings alot of financial abundance—because doing what you do best, and what makes you happy, just makes you work harder and allows you to continue doing it.  You’re never going to burn yourself out, because you never actually feel like you’re working.

But you know what?  I’m ready to finally invest in ME.  I believe in myself and my abilities.  I know that I would make an excellent employee and be a huge asset to any company.  I’m personable, charming, and incredibly cheerful—I truly love people and love life.  And I’m finally ready to take control of my life.

So I’m going to leave my job that makes me miserable.  I’m going to pick up some freelance work (I have two jobs lined up already!) and I’m going to work in retail, or babysit, or do whatever it is that I have to do to make enough money to chase my dreams.  I am totally confident in my ability to make money.  But if I’m not happy, then really, what’s the point?

2 months ago

Daily Om: Taking Control of Your Life

It’s easy to go through this fast-paced world feeling as if you are being dragged through your weeks on the back of a wild horse. Many of us go from one thing to another until we end up back at home in the evening with just enough time to wind down and go to sleep, waking up the next morning to begin the wild ride once more. While this can be exhilarating for certain periods of time, a life lived entirely in this fashion can be exhausting, and more important, it places us in the passenger’s seat when really we are the ones who should be driving.

When we get caught up in our packed schedule and our many obligations, weeks can go by without us doing one spontaneous thing or taking time to look at the bigger picture of our lives. Without these breaks, we run the risk of going through our precious days on a runaway train. Taking time to view the bigger picture, asking ourselves if we are happy with the course we are on and making adjustments, puts us back in the driver’s seat where we belong. When we take responsibility for charting our own course in life, we may well go in an entirely different direction from the one laid out for us by society and familial expectations. This can be uncomfortable in the short term, but in the long term it is much worse to imagine living this precious life without ever taking the wheel and navigating our own course.

Of course, time spent examining the big picture could lead us to see that we are happy with the road we are on, but we would like more time with family or more free time to do whatever we want at the moment. Even if we want more extreme changes, the way to begin is to get off the road for long enough to catch our breath and remember who we are and what we truly want. Once we do that, we can take the wheel with confidence, driving the speed we want to go in the direction that is right for us.

2 months ago
”

In the whole of your existence, no force you will ever encounter will contribute as much to your ability to do what you need to do and be who you want to be as your natural wisdom. Through it, you reveal your growing consciousness to the greater source and discover the true extent of your strength. If you heed this wisdom with conviction and confidence, the patterns, people, and fears that held you back will be dismantled, paving the way for you to fulfill your truest potential.

Something I really needed to read, courtesy of DailyOm.com
2 months ago

Ramit Sethi's Secrets to Landing Your Dream Job

2 months ago