Silver Linings

Still unemployed, which is a downer for a lot of reasons, but today I am telling myself to watch the silver linings, because they are out there.

In the past two months, (roughly), I've really enjoyed being able to support my family in a different way than I'm used to. I've been able to pick my daughter up from school, and take her to her activities. I've been able to attend almost all of my sons' high school ball games. We've had more family dinners together. On top of all of those things, I've gotten back in touch with a whole lot of people that I've known over many years, but with whom I had lost touch.

Don't get me wrong; I am seriously pursuing the right new opportunity and I will be very happy to find it. In the meantime, though, it is a nice little blessing to be able to enjoy a different pace and a fresh perspective.

I want to visit a little more about that "getting back in touch thing". I've always understood the power of relationships, and I've always been a proponent of working within one's own personal network to achieve better things for everybody. Recently, though, I've been reading a handy little book by Jeffrey Gitomer called "Jeffrey Gitomer's Little Black Book of Connections", which has re-awakened the relationship part of me. I highly recommend this book-even if it is a bit odd-looking.

Although I've always believed in the power of relationships, I must admit that I've struggled with really putting that to work. In this book, though, I am reminded about the part that I've done really well: Helping others get what they want. Zig Ziglar is well-known for promoting this concept. This is one of the few ways in which I have done fairly well. I often think of people I know that could benefit by opportunities that aren't suitable for me.

So that's another way that I'm using my time right now. As I tool around the Internet, I'm keeping in mind all of these people I know, and believe me, if I find something that suits someone I know, I'll pass it on. It's a good thing to have other eyes looking out for you right now, and it's also helpful to get things done for people in the current climate when they'll be most appreciative.

So, keep your eyes and ears open, and know that if I come across something for you, I'll be sure to do all I can to help you out. We're all in this together!

In the meanwhile, I'm still looking at the silver linings.