What If I Lost My Job ,Today?

Ouch!

Maybe you have not lost your job yet but this is or should be the main topic discussed this Friday morning at your breakfast table.  Economic reports as of this week show  a 10% + unemployment rate which has been noted( http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf )   may carry over into next year.

My  family owned small business  went under almost two years come this December! Thank God! I chose to inject life into my professional life and leadership coaching practice.  Its a struggle and challenge but it’s now  beginning to grow.

 I am only sharing this with you because I really haven’t been to the unemployment office lately but that I  do know that it is devastating not knowing where your next paycheck will come from. 

“According to an article written in the Wall Street Journal back in late September the writer stated that ” a growing number of long-out of work adults facing these odds appear to be giving up.”  There are folks out there that have been out of work over 27  weeks or more!”

 I pulled up the Wall Street Journal”s  on-line site today and I noticed notable , reputable ,well-known companies forecasting up-coming layoffs, down-sizing , and possible relocation of workers.

 Let’s report however that the federal government and our Congress have agreed to extend the ” first time homebuyers tax credit” of $8000 until April of 2010. This is good news for all of us!

 You may never have to answer the question ” What if I lost my job today?”

Try mulling over the list of questions I think are quite important for all of us this Friday:

1. What outplacement resources does your company provide in the event that I’m laid off?
2.  Am I prepared financially to weather the storm for the next 2-3 months?
3. Have I talked about this important topic with my family or significant  other? 
4. How have I helped friends or co-workers who have lost their job?
5. What words of encouragement comes to mind?
6.  If necessary,what challenges in your life have you endured that are helpful in your being able to bounce back and start from scratch ?
7. What tough questions will you ask yourself or have you asked yourself?
8.  Perhaps companies are rebuilding for the future and the new scenario they have in mind no longer includes you ? 
9. How will you read into the concept of a “Green America” vs. a Graying of America ?”
10. How would you rate your health and stamina ?

Perhaps its time to start your own personal and professional endurance training !

 Our economic picture will show some ups and downs and sometimes more downs than ups …… No one said life is fair but we do know that it’s cyclical.

As a Coach, I would only ask this question , ” What ’s your Plan B for you, your future ,and your family if such an event occur?”

                       “If this happens to  you  get back out there “

           Statistically…. so many ,quite frankly , have given up!

Curt Canada provides Personal Development, Leadership, and Executive Coaching in Washington DC at FindingYourZenith. Curt is also a Member of the International Coach Federation.

If …can be very costly but full of possibilities!

When was the last time you allowed the word “IF” to enter into your world? I”ll admit that it enters my cognitive space daily. I don’t have the slightest idea as to why I picked this word. I think it has value in the area of  what could be as in inquiry about something. 

Take for a moment,what would you rather be a question or an answer? “If”… you stopped for a moment to examine the word question and the word answer you may think that they are of equal proportion. Then perhaps …”IF”…. you were futuristic in your thinking you might find that the word  question as somewhat infinite while the word answer is finite.

“If ” as a word alone … appears inactive, pondering, and perhaps a roadblock that  stands in the way of your vision and mission.

I am only using this analogy to say that the word “IF”  can be viewed as having greater positive value when used as a function to gain in knowledge or to take action.

“IF”… on the other hand, can be viewed as having lesser value  for example:

If I had a certain amount of money I could do xyz …Probably?

If someone reads this article they will think that  I’m really out there…Perhaps?

So what?

Think about it for  a moment and then move forward …Find the way to make it happen…

Put the word “IF” to work for you ! What’s wrong with being curious especially when you have done your homework!

I think that the word “IF”   as it awakens the mind to new vistas and possibilities!  Is such a word passive in nature? When will you leave such a word in the past so that you can get on with your dreams and aspirations?

What if I didn’t write this post?

 

Curt Canada at FindingYour Zenith, a Coaching Practice in Washington DC.

A Coaching Moment…FYI

Strategies for Onlien Job hunting

when eclipses bring past friends back into your life

We have all had it happen to us where one day you look up and you run into an old friend at a conference or workshop. Suddenly, your brain is thrown in high gear as your mind deciphers where, how, and when  your last meeting was ? Was it a pleasant moment ? You sort of glance at the person and ask  sheepishly..is that you …ugh..well you know what I mean…then there’s the small talk and and then the other person continues to tell you there life story thinking that perhaps you will follow! Oh” How time fly?”  I sometime wonder about flying clocks! (a clock with wings on each side.) You then find your exit signal… you both reply;  ” It was nice seeing you”  and …let’s get in touch… you could have exchanged contact information?”

Anyway this past week I received about three email or what I call request for new information  from past acquaintances by way of  the social media giant “Facebook” where I was told was a great place to market your business and grow your client base.  I bet they googled me first! Not one of them were looking to advance themselves in terms of personal growth and development nor seeking a life coach.  I’m sure it had to do with the ecliptic energy we all experienced this past month on Mother Earth! 

However, chances are that we would meet again; it was in the cards; it was meant to be.  Eclipses,new adventure, past relationships, and re-kindling the flames or energy around us  has its advantages and its disadvantages. I really don’t quiteknow what to do with  running into my past but at  least it’s not face to face. That’s why I will cautiously and methodically acknowledge this past weeks’ occurrences. See,  I really want you to know that I’m an avid fan and student of astronomyand I”ve dabbled in the pseudo-science of astrology and  found it to be to my advantage at various times in my life.

Nevertheless, it just dawned on me that I can leave all of them in limbo…acknowledge there presence on my fb wall…or make a real conscious decision to reply….besides it’s ok … I guess… if while growing and marketing my business….a few past friends found me and desire a chat!

Have you had an ecliptic moment this past month and how has it affected you? I can’t blame Facebook and I”m not quite ready and ethically willing to take on past friends as clients. It could get a little messy!

So go ahead and eclipse me and at the same time visit me at http://tinyurl.com/cv5xec    . Read more about solar and lunar eclipse

at    http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html

There’s this one friend though that I’m interested in how their life has progressed but I will leave that person for another…well you know…

Eclipse!

Curt Canada holds a Masters in Social Work and Elementary Education from The University of Iowa and  American University.  He heads the Personal Growth and Development practice ” FindingYourZenith”  in Washington DC.

African American, Unemployment, and the U.S Economy!

I had initially planned to write about  my recent accomplishments with a landscaping project in our backyard  however I ran across an article featured in the AFRO newspaper  that caught my attention. I couldn’t help but bring attention to the June Labor statistic regarding African Americans who not surprisingly  lead this month’s unemployment  picture.

Alan King, Staff Writer for the AFRO   mentions in his article ” African Americans lead in unemployment-June Labor Stats Show Little Change In Unemployment.” The overall unemployment statistical picture showed the number of unemployed persons in the U.S. at 14 .7 million. ” African Americans led the list at 14.7 per cent, Hispanics followed at 12.2 and Caucasians at 8.7.  Believe me, statistics and scarcity has away of  bringing you to your knees.

They say you have to tread lightly when reading and deciphering statistics because they can paint a skewed picture. However, the present economic photograph has many  flaws. America in all its grandeur and color is faced with dramatic present and future uncertainty.  I am proud to shed light upon a culture and economic class (African Americans) who leads the number of workers unemployed here in the U.S.   African Americans have wavered the storm in past histories and will do so again. However, they like all other Americans will have to implement ways in which to improvise.  Quite frankly, creating a niche for yourself has much to do about your longevity in the economic marketplace whether it’s getting a new job or starting your own business enterprise.

Just recently, I experienced firsthand how difficult it was to get a job. I applied for numerous jobs in which I know I was over qualified and jobs with less pay. I received  pleasant, polite, and politically correct responses “stating how rigorous it was to find the most qualified applicant.”.  I failed to take a look at all the different reasons why I wasn’t hired. I think you do have to consider the overall unemployment picture while building on your personal and professional skill set! 

 So, let us  all consider  how we will make the necessary changes to stay afloat. What belt tightening will you have to implement. Consider tackling two birds with one stone i.e. finding gardening space to grow your own vegetable garden giving back to the environment while improving your overall physical health.  As African American, I can give testimony to  the synergistic energy behind storytelling which I have recently found beneficial.   I must share with you that initially my objective were to bring attention to  the misery and uncertainty in the African American community whom have been affected by job loss and unemployment way before the recession of 2007.

Unemployment is debilitating , individually painful, and  has a way of tearing down  all families and communities both locally and globally. It’s  a natural component of the U.S. economic system and will never completely go away.  Do not for a moment conjure in your mind that I’m downing America . Our country (America) continues to possess abundancy,  human potential , and opportunities unlike many of our global partners.  Now’s the time to secure more knowledge, seek your passion, and set realistic goals !

I hope this article  will personally help each of us to take action reflecting on our strengths and innate gifts as we meet the growing ecomomic uncertainty facing our nation.

Curt Canada MSW provides Professional Coaching and Career Advisement at Finding Your Zenith in Washington DC.    

      Visit me!  www.findingyourzenith.com

Grasping for Straws!

June 2009 has produced a myriad of  expected and unexpected news events of either the death of movie stars, the sudden loss of musical icons such as Michael Jackson, and the plane crash of Air France Flight 447. However, we continue to co-exist amongst the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in which has recently escalated and the sudden train accident here in Washington DC. 

I will stop here because it is no way possible for me to account and post all the events that has led to the death of one our mortal acquaintances. This week has left me a little grasping for straws. One can’t help but reflect on their existence.

It ’s that yin and yang thing, that beginning and ending thing, that starting and stopping thing, that evitable appointment with our creator thang!  I don’t know about you but it just makes you think about the true meaning of life in which for each of us is different. Quite frankly, the news media strives on such events. It’s what they do best covering all events throughout the world . Anyway,I’m grasping for straws  reflecting back on particularly what I was doing during the beginning careers of those famous people that left us this week. I find myself trying to account for how time has seemingly past by. Life’s chores and new experiences  are sometimes our best friend; well you know what I mean; following a favorite movie or tv series, rebuilding or painting the outside of your house, planning a vacation, visiting a friend you haven’t seen in a long time, starting your first vegetable garden, taking a day off from work just to appreciate your surroundings, walking with the dog, reading a book, saying i love you to that special person(s) in your life,visiting someone in the hospital unknown to you, or just simply saying  hi and how are you and really mean it! 

I will end my post today thinking of yes  how beautiful and courageous  Farrah Fawcett was and the creative , mysterious warmth, and humble  personality of Michael Jackson, Karl Malden and his detective series on the tube , and the recent Yemini airplane accident that killed about 152 people leaving miraculously a 13 year old female survivor. This is exactly what all our days are about!

So we move forward despite a continued troubling global economy and wars in various places allowing a moment  to reflect on life’s beauty, helping others less fortunate when we can, and giving thanks ! Life and death are so intertwined that it leaves those left behind sometimes “grasping for straws.”

Curt Canada is a personal development coach and consultant at Finding Your Zenith in Washington D.C.

Ode To Public Transportation Mishaps!

My heart goes out to all the families and  citizens that are left behind after the recent public transportation tragedy here in Washington D.C. I don’t know about you but what I don’t know does bother me especially when there’s periodic raises in fares while systems continue to fall apart.

The mishap of the Air France plane that fell from the sky in such a bizarre way and horrific ending has been placed in the back of our minds. This tragedy only happened about a month ago!  I know that death and dying  is a part of life but more can be done to bring about safer transportation systems!

Yesterday I hopped on the subway at the Rhode Island Ave Metro station in route to Dupont Circle here in Washington DC.  I felt some reluctance and a little nervous but managed to quiet myself enough to look out at the passing landscape prior to entering the underground stations. I became fixed again on the message given by the metro driver regarding safety which for some reason or another stood out in italics this day. Repeatedly mentioned was the message that there would not  be any train service between Silver Spring and Fort Totten due to a situation that happened the other day.

I suppose that there’s more to this story of the train driver who gave it all she had to abort such a tragedy at the expense of a failed system we all place our trust in on a day to day basis.  I am not going to ask and seek closure for municipal and governmental negligence .  These incidences will happen  again and again due to normal system usage.  I can accept those types of occurences however the public and those families who have lost their loved ones need not have to worry about train cars and obsolete management objectives that will fall from  media networks and newspapers until the next horrible public disaster!

Dear D.C Metro:

May God Bless Us All.  However, PLEASE  ”address and correct our transportation problems today!”  Establish and adminster standards necessary for safe travel in the nation’s capital!

 

Curt Canada is a Personal Development Coach  at Finding Your Zenith in Washington D.C.

My Shortest Post!

What’s going on in your life since my last post ?  I have managed to reduce the level of entries over at twitter and all my other social media sites. I continue to wrestle with my personal angst surrounding topics that will generate a comment or a response.  I’m really trying hard not to talk or discuss the news especially the global unrest in both Iran and Iraq. My heart and prayers are deeply focused on the two young women reporters who have been detained and sentenced in North Korea.  Ok, so I ‘m also back from a camping trip with the family and friends. Our most memorable moment consisted  of a sudden visit from a bear sitting about 20 feet away from us as we sat around a campfire in the Shenandoah National Park.I must say that we were a little shaken but remained still. The bear looked at us and then continuued to walk  through the brush off to the left of our tent.  I didn’t panic because i was caught by surprise.

So keeping with my shortest post , I would like to share some of my published work over at Ezinearticles.com.  Just follow this URL  …. http://twitthis.com/lyutlju….. Your comments are always appreciated!

see ya soon…..

PS. I ask your support for National Advocacy Today on June 25th Visit www.RESOLVE.ORG  for more information on how you can help in increasing awareness about infertility  and support  the new ” Family Building Act “.

 

Curt Canada provides coaching and advisement at FindingYourZenith  located in Washington DC.       www.findingyourzenith.com

Reaching Higher Heights

It has been awhile since my last post and it was a flat-line experience in terms of the number of readers that visited my blog. Here’s a story I think you will enjoy reading . I chose the title because I think there’s wisdom in planning and completing most projects. I suppose you or your family has some household project you  have planned to accomplish this summer season? So, here’s a story that’s not so like all my past blogposts!

 My wife and I are landscaping our entire backyard let’s say about a quarter of an acre. We’re not in a hurry and our plans and goals have been discussed leaving us to array of possibilities and creativity. I suppose you have experienced such; perhaps not in the form of a landscaping project but another planned activity. In addition, Things don’t always happen as planned ; for example the time when I looked up and there was a huge dumptruck greeting me with a huge pile of dirt. The truck was so large that he had only one alternative and that was to drop the dirt sandwiched between our place and the neighbor’s house  next door. Actually we needed this dirt to level off our backyard but not at such a price or inconvenience.  Nevertheless, this pile of dirt remained in place for about 45 days. Let’s just say that for the sake of Murphys Law, it rained at least six days in a row during that first week . A small lake had formed in the backyard. Water does seek its own level which happened to be our basement windows and the driveway leading to the front yard. Nothing is wrong with great intentions especially when there’s a definite plan or at least a forseeableway out. Well you and I know that things just don’t always happen that way. Thanks to our friend Daniel and his little yellow tractor. I looked up one day and all of a sudden that pile of dirt or human-made obstacle had been moved. I had not to my knowing agreed to paint his livingroom if he moved our disaster.That was reaching higher heights because all of a sudden the dirt disappeared right in front of my eyes.  Gosh, it felt absolutely strange .We could now begin again to  create a plan of action along with bringing in an additional sundry of personnel to assist us in completing this portion of our mission and vision.  We’re reaching higher heights because that was last year and with putting in 25hours plus each week this spring ,we’ ve managed to complete three retaining walls and various gardens with  flowers,veggies, and strawberries peeking up way above the soil.

However , yesterday I sat out early around 8 am to replant and locate a bunch of Alaska Shasta Daisies along the right side of the hilly slope  near a fence . I began digging the soil which had been very moist from yesterday evening’s rain. This would only take me less than an hour tops to dig, pull  weeds, replenish the soil, plant ,and water. Surprisingly enough, I felt my shovel hit against something below perhaps a buried car part or a leg from a metal chair. I couldn’t tell what it was even after I knelt down to get a closer view.  I had dug around this thing for about another 2 feet and forty minutes. I sat down next to the hole to get even a closer look.  All of a sudden my morning zestful positive mood had shifted a bit.  Now the time to ponder a solution.  I began to reflect on a few other projects and goals of mine that had hit a plateau, a place of suspension.  What can I do and what can I learn from this experience. I jumped up and ran to the house with excitement with let’s share this moment with others . I brought back my camera and began taking pictures from all sorts of angles . In doing so I began to tug at that this object and it began to loosen a little. All of a sudden after trying to remove it with a wood saw , I gave up I suppose and gave one more back and forth motion while grasping it, it simply broke off.  There’s so much to impart from this experience but it was definitely worthwhile.  I finally completed this portion of our mission as the heat from the almost noon day sun became unbearable.  I suspect that each of us at times sat out to do something when all of a sudden we’re forced to find or seek an alternative path  labeled on the sign in front of us “Reaching Higher Heights.” Photos are forthcoming…

 

Curt Canada MSW provides career / personality assessments and coaching in Washington D.C. at Finding Your Zenith.

What’s Next……

Do you want to know? Do you anticipate your next move ? How much control do you have in deciding what’s next? Perhaps having a plan or a schedule places you in the driver’s seat or at an advantage.  Let me give you a clue as to why I chose this title instead of something less difficult like learning how to fold your clothes.

Let ’s just begin with another paragraph even though the subject matter hasn’t really changed. What a clever way of placing the reader in your shoes or better yet in step with you while you touch each key on the keyboard forming a word and then a sentence and then a blog post. Surprisingly enough, I have almost written two paragraphs while holding your attention as I ponder that question. 

I’m challenging you to join me in writing the next two blog entries here at Finding Your Zenith. Tell what you would like to discuss or share about your world; your quest or new journey !  I know that some of you readers out there are unemployed  or just lost your jobs and you’re finding it hard to simply place food on your tables !  In addition, Some of you can’t afford to pay for your medicine. Perhaps you gotta rah rah story, I would like to hear about it!  Let’s not even get started on talking about the housing problems ! I’m looking for your comments, suggestions, questions, and stories.

So what’s next….?    “Blessing you for now!”

 

Curt Canada is your personal development coach at Finding Your Zenith in Washington D.C.