Composed a chunk of lyrics and melody for Krypton this morning. In the studio this evening, Norm and I worked out the arrangement for Calcium – coming along really well.
I appreciate how excited I am to get into the studio lately. Like being in shape biking, I want to work myself harder. I’m feeling the momentum build for spending more time on this project and it further fuels my enthusiasm.
I am grateful to be better about taking care of myself emotionally.Specifically recognizing what I need and what to avoid in a situation and then acting in my own best interest. In the past when I was hurt, whether or not the infliction was intentional, I tended to be overly concerned with somehow taking care of the other person before taking care of myself. I recognize that approach was not healthy for me and appreciate that I have gained some ground in developing more effective coping skills. Like when you’re on an airplane and the oxygen masks drop, you need to put yours on first. Crucial to take care of yourself or you may not be able to t take care of others.
I am grateful for my general health. While it is easy for me to complain about being a bit heavier than I want to be, and maybe not as ‘in shape’ as I’d like to be, the reality is that I am fortunate to be doing very well overall.
Grateful to see some family and catch up during a quick day trip back to my ‘homeland’. Also got to see Beni’s new band, Tomorrow’s Eve at their inaugural show.
Joyce and I after the tour of her woodland flower gardens
Tomorrow's Eve - Beni is in the center
Had a short tango lesson with amazing instructor early this afternoon. Looking forward to more work with him. Ian and I got a good chunk of work done on my house this afternoon.
Grateful to be more focused on my career than on my job. Officially declined the offer for the new position I interviewed for on Tuesday. I am confident that my current situation at work will be improving soon.
Also felt good about dealing with something unpleasant in a direct and timely fashion. I was dreading the declination conversation. I typically put unpleasant things off as long as possible. I prepared myself with what I wanted to say and took care of it immediately after getting things sorted out and I’d made the decision. I’m trying to reform some of my ENFP tendencies. 😉
Had dinner with a friend at Ha Long Bay this evening and then hung out with Norm and the boys for cards, a bit of music, and a show about the Titanic on the History Channel.
Erik read me Green Eggs and Ham. Not as dramatic as Jesse Jackson’s version, but satisfying none-the-less. He read really well.
Erik reading Gren Eggs and Ham
Grateful for the opportunity to reassess my current career direction and goals. Had a couple of very productive and meaningful conversations today with my boss and her boss (the C-level I work with a lot). I appreciate the great working relationship I have with both of them as well as the mutual respect and trust. Both of my current job related options are excellent. I’m very fortunate for my current situation.
Brief happy hour after work this evening. Some co-workers were in from an out-of-town office. Norm and I got in a little studio time.
Grateful for a ‘positive plug’ from a co-worker. She walked in this morning with one of the people that interviewed me yesterday and explained what a great guy I am and why they should hire me. Also grateful to be OFFERED THE JOB this afternoon! Great team with a valuable mission. I have a lot to consider.
Norm and I went to High Tech Happy Hour networking event tonight. It was fun and productive. Made some great new connections and reconnected with old friends and colleagues. Thankfully we serendipitously ran into another good friend downtown (after the second networking event) to get us home. Hardcore networking, fueled exclusively by Maibock (read: no food) makes for some zeroed heroes.
Lastly, I leave you with a brief , somewhat interesting article from Forbes: Non-Awkward Ways To Start And End Networking Conversations.
Grateful to have the opportunity to interview for an internal position at work. Hard to tell how ‘well’ I did due to the extreme number of variables in the hiring equation, but it was certainly a productive experience for me. I’m more excited about the position now than I was before the interview. Learned a few things that will help prepare me for the next interview.
Very productive tango practice this evening. Starting to understand the fundamentals and not thinking nearly as much which helps me move much more fluidly. After our lesson we went to the Tuesday night Salsa/Tango Party at The Brink. Amazing to watch others dancing with a completely different perspective. I’ve lots to learn about the dance and the ‘culture’ around it. Fascinating group.
During a conversation with a music instructor at the end of the evening (she’s also a tango instructor) she asked me if I was a musician. For the first time in my life, I answered with an unequivocal “yes”. Typically, I answer with a well, yeah, sort of, evasive-type of response because I know I’m not all that good and I have a deep respect and appreciation for “real” musicians. Somehow calling myself a musician has felt to me as almost self-aggrandizing. I suppose its similar to my reluctance to refer to myself as an athlete even though I has accomplished a fairly rare endurance event feat. I’m trying to get ‘over myself’ so that tiny bit of conviction felt really good.
To me, ‘Who I am’ is no longer only what I have or have not been. ‘Who I am’ is also who I want to be. Forward!
I provided two random acts of kindness at the grocery store tonight. It was entertaining to watch their expressions while being ‘assisted’ when they had no expectation for it. Was totally worth it for the smiles alone.
Nine straight weeks of Don’t Break the Chain!
