CD of the Moment

Do you ever get to a period in time when you listen to a CD and can really relate to it? One that you go, Wow - that could be about me/my life/my situation etc.

At the moment that CD for me is Funhouse by Pink.

I love Pink's music. Saw her in concert the other year and hope to again this year when she visits Brisbane again. Have some of her other CDs but I think Funhouse is her best work yet. She's laid her life bare ireckon on this cd and you seem to get an absolute honesty in her music and her words.

My favourite songs...there are many on this album, but Funhouse both the kids and I love and if you ever drive past my car when this is on will see us all 'singing' at the top of our lungs. Especially love the line "This used to be a funhouse, now it's full of evil clowns".

Others include Mean - "How did we get so mean?, How do we just move on?"; Crystal Ball and Glitter in the Air (a particular favourite of my daughters).

Wonder if anyone else has a 'CD of the Moment'?

Free

Well it has only been two days, but already I feel free.  Free of the stresses that were weighing me down over the dilemma of my work.  Free of the worry, and guilt I had been feeling about my decision to leave.  

I worked today and it was probably the first day for a long time I went in with a totally clear mind and I have to say the reward was a very productive day and one which I walked away from extremely happy.  That hasn't happened for a while.

I love what I do there, and know when my time comes to close the door one final time on the place it's going to be hard to walk away.  Four and a half years (for me) is a long time to be in one workplace...I was promised champagne at 3 years as that was the longest I had ever been at a work place.  (Still waiting for that one...).  In that time I've learnt a lot about myself, and of others, and have grown both personally and professionally.   

But I chose to walk away, and think, if the last few days have been any indication, was what I needed to do, for my sanity.

So I'm free...although I don't reckon it's going to be an easy journey adjusting to post work me...but who knows.  Stay tuned.

And so the new journey begins

Well I did it today. Most of you will think it's probably not the most sensible thing to do in the current economic climate (as have some of my friends), but it felt right to me.

What is it you ask?

Well, after four and a half years I handed in my notice today. Was it easy - absolutely not. In fact it was one of the hardest things I've had to do in a long time (childbirth of course does not count). But do it I did, and now I feel as if a great weight has been lifted. Not because my job was horrible or anything like that, but because it was time for a change.

They say you have at least a few career changes throughout your life, and it was time for me to embark on a totally new career path. Since I started full time work (and part time in later life) I've always worked in an office environment. Each job better than the last, each teaching me new and exciting things and giving me opportunities I never thought possible. But it got to the point my life was becoming consumed with my work to the detriment of me and my family. Even when I wasn't working (and I only worked part-time) my head was consumed with work. It got to the point I'd wake countless times at night with one issue or another to do with work.

I expect some of you can relate to this, but for me who has a husband who travels a lot for work, and two very active and lovable kids, my focus needed to be on the family.

And so, toward the end of last year I decided to rethink my priorities and look at what else I wanted to do. Something that didn't impact immensely on me, and on my family. The answer was a new career direction.

My initial thoughts were to study on the days I wasn't at work - made easier by my hours being reduced toward the end of the year. But after time spent with the family over Christmas as well as the death of my wonderful great aunt, from a disease my mum has just been diagnosed with, I came to realise that the time for change was now.

Which brings me back to today. I plan to work a good few weeks still at the company, to help kick start the year for them. The company has been good to me, and for me, and I plan on leaving with me head held high. In the meantime I will slowly shift my focus back to me, the family and what's important to me.

And so the new journey begins...

A new year - new beginnings?

I know it's nearly February and the New Year seems a long time ago, but January has been a bit of a blur and it's only now I've had time to breathe, so thought, as 2009 is going to be a year of challenges, why not challenge myself and get a blog up and running.

I can't guarantee it's going to be exciting, but I can guarantee it's going to be full of my ramblings - thoughts, feelings, opinions, rantings etc.

So why now? Well because I've been told numerous times this year that 2009 is all about leaping out of your comfort zone..and that's what I am about to do.

Can't say too much apart from the fact that this week is going to be momentous i reckon. Too often we drift along the same old path never questioning where we are going or why we are following that particular path. You find yourself waking up one day and thinking "How did I get here?", "Is this really where I want to be?".

That happened to me a couple of months ago. Because of certain events at the time I stepped back and took a really good look at myself and realised the picture wasn't all that pretty.

Oh don't get me wrong, I love my life. I've got a wonderful husband and two gorgeous kids, but my focus wasn't where I wanted it to be. My energy was being directed into things I thought mattered, and though important to me, in the greater scheme of things didn't deserve the amount of attention I was giving them.

Confused? I know I was at the time.

Anyway the upshot of it all is that I've had time to think about what is really important to me, and have had time to redirect my energies into those things that REALLY matter. So that's what this week is about. New beginnings. The first step in redirecting my focus.

So stay tuned. 2009 is going to a year of change, of challenges, but most of all, of FUN!