A Sunflower in Seattle

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Lessons in Management

Things have been pretty awesome at work lately. I think that I am starting to learn about the kind of manager that I want to be and I'm finding a consistent rhythm with it.

I have recently challenged myself to work on my level of composure for the next few weeks. My assistant asked me the other day if I had been okay the past couple of days. I was shocked that he would think I wasn't okay and I quickly responded that everything was fine. I later followed up with him and he said that I seemed a little stressed out recently.

I took this as a sign that I needed to work on my composure at work. My job is very stressful and I will always find upsets throughout the day but my team needs to know that I have everything under control and I need to do a better job about demonstrating that everything is okay so they can do their job without any concern.

To work on my composure I am learning how to respond differently by gaining all information before making a decision, taking some breaths if I feel stressed out and looking at the big picture instead of the moment that is causing stress.

I feel like this week has been better and I feel that I'll be able to improve on this skill throughout my management days.

Here are some pictures from a recent hike.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Living With Intention

Life is surprising and I found myself sitting in a classroom when a force struck me and I realized what I needed to do to live and work towards my personal treasure. It became clear that there are certain things that I need to do so that I will be able to have the right mindset to allow myself to reach my goals and live happily.

For me these things include actively reading, connecting with nature, being sporty, eating delicious, clean food and dancing/singing at least once during the day. I find that as long as I incorporate these aspects into my life then I usually have minimal days where I find myself unhappy and questioning where my life is going. In a way these aspects are what makes me, me. Everyone has certain things that they must incorporate into their lives to add utility.

Find what makes you, you. Find a couple things that add happiness to your life and make a plan to bring these into your every day. Don't make them unrealistic (never allowing yourself to enjoy a rich, chocolate mousse). Don't make them dependent on other people (working out with a friend). Make them all about you and what makes you happy. Bring them into your life so that you can smile a little more, encouraging others in your life to do the same.

If you are in a relationship then I encourage you to find things to do with your spouse/significant other each day. This can include a 2 minute phone call to talk about something that inspired you that day. Or maybe a 20 minute walk outside to connect with each other. Or maybe it is just a routine kiss each night before you fall asleep. It may seem silly, but these routine actions will bring you and your spouse/significant other closer together. Just make sure that it is something that adds happiness into the relationship and make sure that both people are on board. Make sure that it happens consistently so that your relationship will have a daily reminder about how special that person is in your life.

I mentioned in a recent post about living with intention. I believe that the words above describe how to begin living with intention. The first step is to incorporate things into your life that encourage you to live the life you dream of. After a while you will feel confident about where your life is headed and you will be able to bring more intention into your life by doing things to give back to others.

Here are some pictures of downtown Seattle during my week working at corporate.

Yes, this is in a downtown plaza at night

Monday, August 4, 2014

The Girl With The Glow

Most of us go through life finding things that inspire us and then we create goals to get closer to these inspirations. We define ourselves by interacting in social clubs or dressing our lives according to what we feel best displays our sense of mind. If you are very lucky, you will meet people who naturally bring out the qualities in yourself that you continue to search for a way to release. Interactions with these people are natural and allow you to be yourself without thinking about it. Most importantly, these interactions inspire you to be who you are inside and if you are extra lucky, these people will understand your qualities and inspire you to excel in them.

You become unlucky when these people are removed from your life. You find yourself searching for a way to have that self clarity and inspiration, but realize it doesn't come so easily. Little by little you will find yourself again. It is the challenge we must all accept so that each of us can grow closer to the things that inspire us the most.

I went for a run this morning and was finally able to find my true self again. I came upon a hidden park and started swinging. I ended up swinging for over 30 minutes and in that time I smiled as I watched the sun shine down on the trees. Doing this made me feel so connected to nature and to myself. My mind suddenly stopped attacking myself for not being "like everyone else." I knew that I would always be the girl who stopped to swing or who dances through her house. I knew that I would always feel things more than the average person and that sitting down to enjoy a meal and discussion with someone will mean more to me than any piece of jewelry ever will. I felt confident in all these things that make me Karli. It helped me to see that I need to follow this feeling and create moments to experience this confidence again.

We are all beautiful in our own ways. I encourage everyone to find time to have these moments. They can happen anywhere, doing anything. Some of you might enjoy these moments when you are alone. Some might enjoy them more with another person. You could find yourself while watching TV, working out, painting, hiking, etc... It doesn't matter because it is for you, and only you.

To quote the Alchemist, “In order to find the treasure, you will have to follow the omens. God has prepared a path for everyone to follow. You just have to read the omens that he left you.”

Start living with intention.