Back to work; for how long?

It's been awhile since I've written. I got a job! The summer has been a fairly steady blur of work, which has been great.

Heading back to work after such a long break left me with all sorts of questions: whether I would adjust to working again being primary among them. Well, I did. It was actually really great to remember that my work ethic, though it had been sidelined for several months, was actually not impacted by the break in the least. In fact, I found myself more focused, determined, and sharp after some time to regroup. I can breathe a sigh of relief on that one. In conversations with friends who are similarly situated, this seems to be a shared concern.

But, like many people now, my job is contingent upon various projects, so there are breaks in between work. The flexibility is really great, and as I am currently on a break, I'm finding time to take care of all of the projects, hobbies, and volunteer activities that I cultivated when initially unemployed.

It seems that the face of employment has already shifted dramatically, which leaves me wondering how our attitudes towards employment will continue to evolve. I know that my has shifted drastically, from being willing to offer up my sense of individuality and freedom in exchange for the illusion of certainty that I'd have a job to not being willing to trade so much of myself for just money. It's a balance, for sure, but as I see people around me choosing to spend more time doing what they love and spending time with their loved ones, it gives me hope that, collectively, we can shift the emphasis from money as a means of self-definition to money as a necessary tool to live. Then we can get on with what really matters!

Until next time...

Volunteer for an hour...or a lifetime.

Suddenly being laid off can result in all sorts of unpleasant feelings, resentment chief among them. With much more time to search for a new job and life direction, I also found more time to dwell on the furor going on around me with the economic markets and individuals who were ensconced in the drama of our economic collapse. Don't get me wrong, I felt like panicking about our demise on the best of days. Inaction made things worse. So, I decided to give back and spend some of my newly found free time doing it.

Develop community. In President Obama's campaign, inauguration, and time in office thus far, I heard a call to community service that inspired me to do more than just search for new employment. While searching, I decided to volunteer, sometimes many hours per week and sometimes fewer, depending upon what my job search could accomodate. The important thing was to give something back, to help build community within smaller organizations in hopes that it would spread out to the community at large. While there are record numbers of people who are unemployed, there are also record numbers of people who can direct some of their time to community service. When you decide where to volunteer, enlist a friend or family member to help out as well!

Volunteer organizations. If you are already engaged in volunteering, that's excellent! See if you can put in an extra hour or two. For those of you who need some suggestions as to where to volunteer, consult http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/. This site provides an interactive feature in which you can enter your location and interests, and the site generates a list of volunteer opportunities. Read up on the organization you choose to volunteer with. Be certain that your efforts are truly going to a cause that you can stand behind.

Select a volunteer site compatible with your career interests. This will assist you in not only giving back to the community, but also in possibly making some connections for your next job. You may also use this as an opportunity to try out a career field you've always considered, but have never had the time to try.

Discuss your experience. Share your volunteering experience with others and encourage them to do the same thing. Even if you're currently employed, now is a perfect time to show up and pitch in. We're not in this alone!