Researchers at Ohio State University, talk about their job satisfaction.  They are processors of large amounts of remote sensing data to help create detailed images of Antarctica and the ice sheets of Greenland.  Courtesy of YouTube.com

Teamwork – “We’re All In This Together,” an inspirational song by Ben Lee.  
Courtesy of YouTube.com
There are times we are working (or playing) with others.  How will you relate to others?  Have you learned to play fair and share?  To let in support?

The words scrawled on the sidewalk glared back at me as I took my brisk walk along the Santa Barbara beach path.  Who could be feeling so alone, so fed up and hurt that they’d take the time to write the words, “You Might As Well Just Give Up,” in huge letters on the sidewalk in a black marking pen?

What struck me was the concurrence of gorgeous clear water under a bright blue sky and the sweet smell of Spring all around me, with these sad words of disillusionment.  Were they written by a person who not only couldn’t feel their beauty, but let this outside beauty seep in?

I’m not even feeling down, and yet getting away for a few days and working in this hotel room with a view of the ocean, has given me a sense of renewal.  While my husband is in a conference, I’m balancing work and taking time off for fun.

From time to time, we’ve all felt disappointed, rejected or just confused.  Find ways to renew yourself.  Take a drive, a walk, go somewhere that might give you too a fresh perspective – and be open to it.  Don’t let yourself get bogged down in negative or “no way out” thinking.  If quiet reflection works, do that.  But know too there is always someone you can talk with who’ll listen and support you. 

If you don’t have caring friends, create them in your life.  If you don’t have someone in your work industry to go over problems with, attend a network meeting and find a few reliable and confidential individuals.  The best time to gather these human resources are when things are going right. 

Just keep in mind, that there is always a solution and a way to be with what’s occurring and don’t give up.

Athene Donald, Professor of Experimental Physics at Cambridge, 2009 Women in Science Laureate, Courtesy of Youtube.com

Thankfully the majority of my clients have a pretty clear idea of what they’d like to do or in what area they’d like to improve personally or professionally.  There are, however, those who have come to me with a greater sense of dissatisfaction and a sense of lost hope about their future.  I may need to refer them to therapy or coach them in addition to therapeutic support.  They may be someone who “followed the leader” and learned a skill or trade that was handed down to them, but it was never really their dream.  They don’t dare dream, because they’ve lost a belief in their power to create it.  These individuals have a crisis of confidence.

Not only do they feel dissatisfied with their life, but they didn’t learn how to recognize their own ability to make changes.  They’ve become good at adapting to people and situations.  They get by, but they don’t thrive.

I’m reminded of a speech by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 when he talked about his view on the main problem threatening our American society.  He said, “The threat is nearly invisible in ordinary ways. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation.”  He called it a symptom of our spirit and he said, “The erosion of our confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and the political fabric of America.”  He called on us to have faith.

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