I used to run. I loved to run. It made me feel powerful and free. So why do I choose to walk? The answer is simple, the pain became too great. Running, an exercise that brought me so much joy, suddenly brought me so much pain. It started in my right foot, moved into my left hip, and settled into my lower back. Each step sent pain throughout my body. The ache in my hip would creep in slowly and intensify throughout the day. So, one day I took a stand and said “I give up”. Today I will do something good for my body and I will walk.
Walking makes me feel powerful and strong. When I take off at a brisk pace while gazing at the early morning sunrise, I listen to the birds chirping and breathe in the fresh air. Walking keeps me thin and fit. It restores my soul and energizes my spirit. Best of all, it is pain free.
Some people say that walking is for wimps, but I disagree. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, brisk walking is the best form of exercise. It is easy and simple to do and it doesn’t cause long-term damage to the body. Walking is also great for your heart. It reduces the risk of developing a chronic disease like diabetes, cancer, or high blood pressure, helps you manage your weight, and alleviates symptoms of depression and anxiety. Daily walking is perhaps the best thing you can do to age gracefully and restore your soul. The Okinawa who are known for their healthy longevity, do not run marathons, they walk daily. So, my prescription for long-term weight loss and good health is 30-45 minutes of walking every day. Consistency is more important than intensity. After all, a small drip can turn a bolder into tiny pebbles one drop at a time with consistency.
Today when I lace up my shoes and step out the door for my daily power walk I hold my head high as I watch the runners panting along, hobbling in pain. I continue on my path and feel the blood pumping through my body, propelling me forward one step at a time. I feel invigorated and refreshed as I repeat my new mantra: “Walking makes me powerful, healthy, confident, and strong”. So I challenge all of those who would like to improve their health, reduce their risk of chronic disease, lose weight, reduce stress, and gain energy to step out the door and take a 30 minute walk. And those of you who continue to succumb to the pressure to run, despite the agony and pain, I challenge you to take a stand and do something that feels good to your body - WALK. As you walk briskly in the warm, sunny, summer air, repeat your own mantra: “Walking makes me feel amazing”.
It is refreshing to watch new college graduates as they search for their first job and begin their careers. They are eager to apply all of the knowledge they gained in school and motivated to learn new things on the job. That first paycheck is a gratifying reward after years spent eating ramen noodles and drinking cheap beer.
First jobs provide an opportunity to learn and grow. However, the lessons you learn and skills you attain may be surprisingly different from what you imagined.
I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a Marketing degree in 2002. The economy had slid into a recession after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and dotcom bubble and like many of my college peers, I graduated without a job. Desperately wanting to start my career in Marketing and save some money, I moved home to Minneapolis and began my job search in earnest.
One of my friend’s from high school secured a great financial analyst job at General Mills and referred me to an accounts payable position at the company. I wasn’t too excited about working in accounts payable, but I figured General Mills was a large, well-respected company and I would move to a better position in a year.
I was filled with nervous energy and excitement for all that I was about to learn when I started my job in the summer of 2002. However, my first job initially fell short of my expectations. I remember spending the first 2 weeks opening mail and placing bar codes on invoices, wondering if all the hard work I put in to school to graduate with honors was worth it. I was frustrated and craved more responsibility. I wanted a chance to show the company that I was bright, talented and full of ideas on how to sell more Yoplait yogurt and Cheerios cereal.
Despite my initial frustration, the accounts payable job taught me some very important lessons. First, I learned that no job or task is unimportant. Secondly, good customer service will take you far in building relationships with others who may help you in the future. Third, a company cannot survive unless they pay their debts. And perhaps the most important lesson I learned was that everyone, no matter what level or title, should be treated with respect – each person plays an important role in supporting the business operations.
After completing my year in accounts payable, I moved into a marketing budget management role in Yoplait. In this position, I was given the opportunity to apply all of my creative and intuitive skills to revitalize the Yoplait Yumsters toddler yogurt brand. This job satisfied my curiosity to answer the question “what do toddlers and their moms want”? The answer was simple – fun characters and good nutrition. My desire to learn and show my potential was finally realized . . . all it took was a little patience.
When I start my next job, I want to start over and find that youthful sense of optimism again. So as I search for my new beginning, I will remember these simple lessons:
· No job or task is unimportant – each person has a role to play
· Respect will take you far and help you build important relationships that may serve you well in the future
· No matter what your level of education, you can always learn something new
· Motivation and a willingness to learn can result in amazing opportunities
· Patience and persistence will lead you to the position and responsibilities that you crave
Over the past 4 years, I felt like I was wearing a black veil of sadness everywhere I went. I had taken a path that was not aligned with what my heart wanted and felt sad and restless inside. I am very disciplined and determined, so I forced myself to try harder to make MBA school and my job in finance fit. However, the more I forced myself to fit amongst my MBA and finance peers, the sadder I became. I felt like my bright, sunny, energetic self, slowly shrunk and was replaced by a slow, deflated, depressed twin.
As I think about the possibilities for the future, the veil is slowly lifting and color is coming back into my life. I am filled with endless ideas for different paths to follow. My energy is picking up and my stature is growing. While, I am still scared of the unknown, my heart is telling me that good things are going to materialize and support will show up, as long as I stay open and positive. I feel like a caged bird that is finally set free - free to pursue her dreams and find what makes her happy.
Have you ever felt or seen someone walking around with slumped shoulders, glazed eyes, merely going through the motions of life without feeling? They are out there wearing the veil of sadness. My wish is to inject courage and confidence in all of those trapped under the dark veil. While it is scary to remove the veil, open your heart, and step into the unknown, doing so will lead you to a place of vibrant colors and infinite possibilities. Finding the confidence to walk away from the situation that makes you unhappy will lead you to place of ease and contentment. So, it is time to lift the veil, unlock the cage and fly into the unknown.
Throughout my life, I have taken the road less traveled. I have always been a curious explorer, never settling into one activity or interest. While other kids found their passions in ballet, gymnastics, or basketball at a young age and consistently practiced their sport throughout their childhood, I chose to try out a variety of activities. In fact I didn’t settle into my favorite activity – dance – until I reconnected with my passion in high school.
It seems like people who find their passion later in life are looked down upon in today’s society. Kids are expected to start training at 3 years old or else they will not be “good enough” to perform at an elite level when they are older. Similarly, in business today, where you start your career – finance, marketing, operations – can limit what types of jobs you can pursue in the future.
As I open my heart and search for my passions, I discovered that I love psychology and thinking about what customers want, which is what marketers do. I realized that I don’t really care about how what investors want or how a company makes money, which is what finance people do. When I try to find jobs that are in marketing, my resume is tossed aside due to my most recent job title – Senior Financial Analyst.
I will not be discouraged. Rather, I will take an unconventional route – the road less traveled. I believe sometimes you need to make a few wrong turns, like trying swimming or finance, in order to find what you truly enjoy – dance or marketing. Ibelieve I have all the skills and motivation needed to be a good marketer and I am looking for someone to take a chance on me.
Taking chances on the person who has less experience may lead to extraordinary results. For example, Sabre Johnson was the winner of the hit TV competition “So You Think You Can Dance” even though she only began dancing 4 years earlier at the age of 16. With heart, determination, and hard work, Sabre became a dancing superstar.
I encourage everyone to be open to the “non-traditional” candidate. When you stay open to the possibilities and look at the heart of the candidate, you may find a diamond in the rough. You may find that your less experienced candidate becomes your next rising star.
A resume is a piece of paper with lots of power when it comes to finding a job. It details your past accomplishments and is designed to make you “stand out” from the crowd. Why do employers give a single piece of paper so much power when trying to find their next superstar?
In my opinion, a resume should not be given the magical power that it has today. Maybe this is because I tend to consider myself as “a diamond in the rough”. I am not the star performer, but am a strong member of the corps. When performing on a team, each person has a role to play and not everyone can be the star. In all of my past experiences, I have given 110% effort while dancing in the corps. I am a team player who enthusiastically seeks out ways to help others. I am loyal, persistent, and hard working.
Since I tend to play a support role, I have not delivered the strong business results that employers are attracted to these days. But, does this make me any less capable as a worker? I think not. If I were looking for a candidate, I would hire the person who shows enthusiasm for the position, is willing to learn and willing to try. When you hire someone who is willing to give their best attempt, you can train them to succeed.
As I start to send out my resume, I hope that someone will take a chance on hiring a strong corps dancer who will consistently give 110% effort in order to help out the team. I am looking for a job that will give me a little direction, variety, and the chance to learn and grow. I promise to work hard and try my best in order to support the prima ballerina as she executes her routine and lights up the stage.
Finding the right job is like finding the perfect pair of shoes. The pair that is a reflection of your personal style and provides comfort as you walk, run, or dance through your day.
The first time I took a risk and followed my heart, my perfect shoes were black jazz booties. Those shoes gave me the courage to quit swimming and try-out for the dance team during my senior year in high school. I surprised myself by making the team and those shoes helped me gain confidence and self-expression.
When I began my career at General Mills, I replaced the black jazz shoes with sporty, flat black and brown work shoes made by Nine West. They were so comfortable and brought me to amazing places – from learning the costs of running a major corporation in A/P; to revitalizing a toddler yogurt brand with the power of a bright new package and Dora the Explorer; and finally to managing the iconic kid cereal brands of my youth Count Chocula, Booberry, Frankenberry, and my favorite Kix.
Those shoes were retired when I started MBA School and I have never found a pair that felt the same again. Perhaps when you find your perfect pair of shoes, the ones that fit like a glove and make you smile, you will walk, run, or dance along the path that will lead you to your dreams.
Yesterday I officially accepted the volunteer leave package and my last day of work will be in mid-February. It is time to retire my uncomfortable, worn, ugly work shoes and search for a pair that reflects my style – casual, stylish, youthful, and comfortable. Today, I begin my search for the perfect shoes that will take me to new places I have yet to imagine.
Today we are entering a phase of new growth and possibilities. The economic outlook for the near term is grim. Fears of job losses are rampant as unemployment approaches record levels and new companies announce layoffs each week. Rather than viewing the current economic and job outlook as negative, perhaps a layoff is actually a gift. Losing your job can give you the opportunity to re-evaluate what you really want in life and to pursue your passions. A job loss can give you limitless options to pursue that dream that you have set on the back burner for a future day. But life is precious. Life is short. Now is the perfect time to go back to school, to move to a new location, to spend more time with your family, or to explore a new career that inspires you to grow. So rather than fearing job loss, see it for what it is – a chance at a new beginning; a gateway to new, exciting opportunities.
I am about to embark on a new journey and do something that I have never done before – follow my heart. I am accepting a voluntary leave package from Best Buy to find a job that inspires me. I have always chosen the safe, practical path and am scared to embark into the unknown. I have no idea where my heart will lead me, but I believe that if I put my faith in God and stay open to the possibilities, I will find what I am looking for.
What I know for sure is that I am looking for a job that allows me to work with smart people, to think creatively, to perform a variety of activities, and to help others. I have an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management, as well as experience from two large companies, General Mills and Best Buy. I hope to apply my education and experience to whatever opportunity may present itself. I tend to surprise myself and am confident that I can figure out how to succeed at any job that I am interested in.
As a child, I enjoyed creating stories and bringing them to life through my Barbie soap operas. So, as I travel through my journey to find my next job, I want to write about my experiences. This is the first step in my new adventure. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by what I will encounter over the next few months.
