Get connected

All classmates at Bradley University learned how to use Linked In for a job search this week. It is very important for those who are job seeking to stay connected with other people. You never know when one might help you land a job or introduce you to someone that is hiring. All of this reminded me of a posting I recently saw on Linked In. The posting was from someone who belongs in my Phi Kappa Phi group. He posted on the group's wall, "Lets get connected. Post here if you would like to get connected with other members of this group." How ingenious! He ended up getting over 245 comments on this posting. The posting has remained a conversation for over 3 months and more members are still commenting. My point here is that if you want to get connected to more people, try to reach out to group members on Linked In. Post on the group's wall that you are interested in connecting with other members. You will be surprised of how many will respond to your offer.

I posted my "Lets get connected" on the Bradley University Alumni group page, Bradley University group page, and the BUCAN group page. I am anxious to see if I get the same response as the guy who so craftily posted on Phi Kappa Phi's page. After all, I was informed that Bradley students are usually pretty nice to each other and are always willing to help.

Under construction

My family and I are currently living in one house and remodeling another house we hope to move into soon. However, the work and the time we put into the house does not leave much room for our usual free time. We have other obligations we have to fulfill. It is very frustrating to know that there is never enough time in a day to complete all the tasks you thought you could get done. I think one project will take a few hours and it ends up taking a whole day. This is life. Our lives will always be under construction because there is always room for improvement. The tasks will seem to take longer than we originally thought but well worth the effort in the end. I remember when my youngest was potty training. I thought she would be potty trained in days as she was very eager to learn. Instead, she took half a year to reach that goal as she loved the attention she was getting. We all have our obstacles in life and so many of us do not realize that others are much worse off than we are. Instead of complaining about the obstacles, why not turn them into advantages to do something great. Be creative and make the challenges you face somewhat fun. One of my younger sisters has always had trouble in the relationship department. She thought she would never find the right man for her. One day she decided that she was not going to let this absence of a man hold her back from happiness. She turned her obstacle into an advantage by investing more time in herself. She went back to school and started to work out. No, she has not met the man of her dreams yet but she looks and feels like a million dollars. So, being under construction while facing an obstacle has its advantages. You just have to be a little more creative in the way you handle them.

Do more with less!

With gas prices jumping to a whopping $5 a gallon and many companies still not hiring new graduates, makes me a little nervous. This is not a good nervous either. It is really frustrating to know that when I graduate, I may not find a job for months or longer. The job market is so bleak. We have suffered from high inflation due to the increase of oil. Yet we have not seen an increase in our pay. In fact, many companies are looking to save money and have one person do the job of several.Our economy has not been kind to those who want to work.
My proposed solution to this problem I am facing is learn to do more with less. Instead of trying to find more money to make ends meet, why not find a way to cut my budget. I can try to make less trips to the market, eat out less often, read more books, cut cable out of the home, and sell unwanted items. An article I read some time ago said that to be rich you must learn how to do more with less. With the economy still in the tank, I think it is a good time to practice such a strategy. However, doing is a lot harder than saying. I look forward to the challenges I face in life. If there is one thing I have learned, it is to welcome those challenges with a good attitude. Otherwise, you were doomed from the beginning. Failure is a fear that we all must face on a day to day basis, but we do learn more from it than anything else. I would rather try and fail than to not try at all.