Not Wanted

I must start this post by noting that it is, in many respects, inspired by my dear friend and mentor, Rob Paterson. I am so fortunate that during my years at UPEI, our paths crossed. If it weren't for Rob  quite bluntly advising me not to take a job in the government post-university, I might never have embarked on the travels and adventures that marked my twenties and helped to shape my understanding of the world.  Rob excels at seeing emerging patterns and understanding paradigms, and the underpinnings of them. As of late, he has focused much of his energy on creating a must-read e-book series, which challenges many of our conventional beliefs about everything from employment to health to financial management.  The first in his series, You Don't Need a Job, was published last October and is available for purchase on Amazon.  It is an excellent read and much of what I have written about below represents my own take on some of the things Rob discusses in this book - my vantage point being that of a GenX/Yer (I'm on the cusp!), whilst Rob writes as a baby boomer, who has come to recognize that the world  he grew up in and the one his children were raised in, is disappearing.  I hope that some of you will take the time to read Rob's book as well as my post below.

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Societal norms and expectations tend to define the destiny of a generation. For those of us belonging to Gen Y or the Millenia generation, the expectations seem many - we're to go to university, travel the world, get married, buy a house, get a car (or two), have children, look after our parents in their old age, and so on and so forth.  Some of these expectations are ones that have been passed on from our parents' generation (get a house, get married, have kids), while others are relatively new. There is, however, one expectation that is so pervasive it need not be spoken of and that is the expectation that, after schooling is done, one shall get a job.

A job, many would argue, is not a societal expectation, but rather a necessity of life. For how is one to earn an income without a job? ( That is not a rhetorical question, it is one that has an answer.)

And so those of us in our 30s and 20s have been indoctrinated by society (most notably the school system, government and our parents) to believe that we need to get a job. And not only that, we've been raised to believe that if we just work hard, go to post-secondary school and harness our ambition, we'll be rewarded with a 'good', 'secure' job.

There are two problems, in my opinion, with the above noted promise. First - it's no longer the case that a degree of any sort will get you a job. In fact, degree or no degree, the prospects for a decent, secure job have basically been extinguished. Secondly, a 'job' is not really much of a reward.  If we can accept the second proposition, then the first becomes moot.

I don't think I need to spend too much time convincing anyone that getting a decent job is extremely difficult for most young people these days, but let me touch on this briefly for those that care to believe young people are just a bunch of lazy, whiny kids with an inflated sense of entitlement. The fact is, this is an inaccurate portrayal of today's young people. I'm not saying there aren't some lazy folks and some that think they are entitled to certain things, such as a cushy job, but I reckon there have always been these sorts of people throughout history. Heck, one need look no further than a federal government department stacked with grey heads or the tenured faculty at a university to see examples of an over inflated sense of entitlement from the baby boomer generation.

My purely observational analysis, however, is that the large majority of young people will either move to Alberta and get a job totally unrelated to their education or interests, or move back in with their parents (or share a place with roommates) and work whatever job they can manage to get whilst applying on every single decent job posting they see.  These are the underemployed.

Maclean's magazine recently published an article entitled 'The New Underclass' which discusses the challenges facing young people in today's workforce at length.  While the unemployment rate amongst youth hovers around 15%, the article suggests that the bigger issue that this stat doesn't capture is the percentage of young, educated people that are vastly underemployed. I need not look any further than my own workplace, where our summer students boasted 6+ years of post-secondary education and were making less per hour than I was at my co-op work terms 10 years ago, when I had only 3 or 4 years of post-secondary education under my belt! Then there are the friends that have Masters degrees coupled with undergraduate degrees that jump for one short contract job to another, never getting the chance to actually put to use their critical thinking, research, writing or technical skills. And if you think I'm just talking about the folks with degrees in English Lit or Art History, think again. I have several friends with Masters degrees in the Sciences that are struggling to find work. Heck I even know a rocket scientist who can't land a job in the nation's capital and certainly not for lack of trying.  A huge waste of talent and knowledge coupled with discouragement and despair is the real story behind underemployment.

Still don't think it's all that bad out there in the marketplace? Peruse the online career sites and maybe you'll realize just how few jobs there are. A recent browse of Career Beacon and the Job Bank suggests that people with +10 years of managerial experience/technical experience as it relates to a particular job might have some luck. Those that are willing to work shifts at a call centre or fast food restaurant may also 'get lucky'. But for the majority that don't fit into either of these categories, the options are pretty bleak At least for those that have been led to believe that getting 'a job' is the key to a happy, secure life.

And this brings me to my second argument, which is that getting a job is, for most people, the most hazardous, life-depleting thing they could ever try to achieve.  Before I get any further into my argument, let me note that there are some people who love their jobs.  They often have a lot of autonomy over the parts of their job that they are most passionate about and tolerate the parts that they don't have as much autonomy over. For example, some people absolutely love teaching, and their classroom time provides great fulfillment, while administrative tasks are merely tolerated. But, let's face it, most of us don't wake up every morning full of excitement about the prospect of arriving at work (even those of us that have a decent job). So, for the rest of us, is a job really a good way to spend most of one's waking hours?

The short answer, in my opinion, is no, for the following reasons (and others):


1.  You Get Stuck Utilizing One or Two of Your Many Potential Skills 

Almost all job environments now employ the Ford model for mass assembly production.  People and machines, alike, are expected to carry out one or two specific tasks.  This, in theory, will result in higher efficiencies in production due to the lack of complexity involved whilst reducing wage costs (after all, anyone can be trained to do one or two things!).  Now maybe I'm being a bit unfair with this assertion. Certainly, in any given day, a person may be asked to write a briefing about something, respond to client inquiries, attend a meeting, and prepare for a presentation to clients, but by and large most jobs are comprised of one or two main tasks and any other tasks that befall the employee often utilize similar skills.

The problem is that once we've mastered the skills of our job, things get kind of boring.  You reach the point where you can't really improve any more, and the novelty of showing off your skill has worn off completely. People aren't even impressed any more.  It's probably around this time that you start to wonder if, in fact, you actually have any skills beyond the ones that you've been using for your job or if you have the capacity to develop any new skills at this point. And so, you plod on in your job, feeling grateful that your specialized skill is still in demand, while at the same time feeling diminished and defeated.

2. You Spend Money Just to Have a Job

Yes, your job delivers you a salary every second week, but have you ever considered the costs associated with your job? Individual circumstances will determine your 'costs of working' but could include - transportation/commuting costs (bus fare, gas, parking, etc.), costs of work clothes, childcare costs, money spent on lunches that wouldn't otherwise be spent (at one of my jobs in a big insurance company, the only option for hot food was the cafeteria..there were no mircowaves or fridges for employees to use), etc.  These costs can certainly add up.

There are other costs too - costs measured in time.There is, for example, the time you spend commuting to work (add this to the number of hours you work in a week to figure out actual hourly wage after accounting for traveling time). There's the time it takes you to get ready for work, time you need to unwind after work, time you are thinking about work while not at the office, etc. 

All of the above does not even take into account the number of years you've forgone an income in order to get an education so that you'd be qualified for your job and the associated tuition.

So, at the end of the day, on top of the taxes you pay, there are a lot of other costs to having a job. Do the math and figure out how much you're actually making at your job. Here's a helpful link to a book that sets out the calculations., it's called 'Your Money or Your LIfe'. You'll have to scroll down the page until you get to step 2:  http://ymoyl.wordpress.com/summary-of-your-money-or-your-life/

3. You Don't Have the Energy or Time to Grow

Looking back on my life, I can see that most of the times I've been able to invest in personal development, try something new (such as training for a half marathon), enhance my education and skills, or truly enjoy doing something I love (writing and reading), I've been jobless. I've either been travelling, which affords great opportunities for self-development and big chunks of free time, or I've been studying, which also allows for a flexible schedule and tends to open one up to a lot of new things, via the classroom as well as new social networks.


I'm not saying that having a job means one is destined to be stuck in a rut forever, but rather that having a job (that you don't love) does tend to deplete your energy levels as well as the time you can devote to other things in your life. Once you factor in spending time with family and friends, doing chores, exercising, eating, and sleeping, there's precious little time to do much else, and rarely are you afforded big chunks of free time.  Aside from your vacation time, of course, but most of us use that time just to recover from the energy-drain of the job we're away from.

Energy comes from doing things that ignite your passion, things that make you smile and might even make you giddy on occasion. I don't believe humans are emotionally or physically built to withstand the day in and day out of working an office or labour job that doesn't energize them.

4. It's Not As Secure As It Seems

The appeal of a job is, I believe, in large part that it offeres stability and security, a predictable routine and assurance that the future will be similar to the present.  Us humans tend to be drawn to security and stability like moths to a flame. The entire agricultural revolution, after all, was founded on the desire to have stocks of food for the future and avoid famine.    There are few that would feel comfortable with the notion of not knowing what their income will be in the next month or the one that follows.  We want a guarantee that the future will not be scary.

Well, I got news for you...except it's not really news, but rather a reality check: today's job environment does not offer even the remotest sense of stability or security.  Gone are the days of company pensions and 'permanent' positions, to be replaced with the offer of a 'flexible' workplace and contract positions.  Although I've not surveyed my friends or fellow grads, a mental review of their current employment statuses, suggests that the majority are working at temporary or contract positions and many of them are underemployed.

Instead of bargaining for better pensions or striking because we want more vacation time, Gen Y and the Millenials tend to repeat the following refrain often: "I'm just grateful to have a job."

Sidenote: It is, in fact, this sentiment which has driven me to write this blog post, as I feel the youth of today deserve better than the leftover scraps that the Babby Boomer generation is willing to offer up by way of entry-level-with-no-chance-of-promotion-and-no-security jobs. Young people have and always will be the greatest source of vitality, optimism and innovation, regardless of the era, and they deserve the opportunity to be heard and accounted for.

5. You Won't Pursue Your Dreams

 I believe that most of us, when we are teenagers or young adults, want to make a mark in the world. We want to contribute to the legacy of humankind, we want to make a discovery, or provide great leadership, write a novel or design spectacular homes. Whatever our dreams may be, it seems to me that far too often they get put on the back burner as time marches on. We convince ourselves that we cannot pursue our dreams until we reach some particular financial status or job status, which we then spend our entire lives in pursuit of just so that we can be 'ready' to carry out our dreams.  Most will either never reach the financial or job status they want to, or will convince themselves once they've reached that goal that they are too old or that they actually should have set their goal higher.  It's not a terrible fate, to be fair, as we can find happiness is the gifts that each day brings, from sunsets to good wine to being with the ones we love. But wouldn't it be fabulous if we could have those sources of happiness AND spend some of our time carving out a legacy? To be sure, the world needs as many dream-weavers as possible today, given the state of the environment, the arts, human rights, health and so on.  A job rarely affords the opportunity to pursue one's dreams, and often they get lost in the mix.

6. It's Unhealthy

I've come to the conclusion that having a job is detrimental both to one's mental and physical health. Now, every job is different, and surely some are health-promoting, such as that of a yoga teacher or perhaps a professional gardener, but by and large our jobs destroy our health through various means.  For those of us that sit all day at a workstation, there's the emerging research that suggests sitting for long periods of time is as detrimental to our health as obesity. There is growing concern that our inactivity as a society may be detrimental to the health of individuals, productivity in the workplace and the overall well-being of society.  Yikes.   It's also well-recognized at this point that stress is one of the greatest contributors to a myriad of Western diseases that afflict us, from haert disease to insomnia to cancer.  Stress can be insidious and, in my own experience, stress tends to  be rooted emotions of discontent and anxiety that one might experience, for example, when not happy with their job or concerned about losing their job.   Workplaces do not tend to encourage healthy eating habits either.  Coffee is the office worker's best friend, and sugary pastries are commonplace sights at morning and afternoon breaks. Often we eat at our desks or while on the road, certainly not a model for encouraging good digestion, as research shows that we digest best when relaxed and in social settings.  There are plenty of other ways a job can be unhealthy for the mind, body and spirit. Each person will be affected differently, depending on their unique circumstances, so perhaps it's worth taking a moment to consider how your job is impacting your health and how your health might be different if you didn't have to go to your job every day.


This Is All to Say...

There are so many reasons that a job should not be the first or only means by which we consider earning a  living.  We must explore options beyond 'The Job'. The Job is a relic of the past. Unfortunately, because it did well by our parents, the Baby Boomers, we have been raised to believe that it is the only path to a secure, good life. But we are not living in the same world. We must turn our attention to the world we are living in today and the world that is being shaped, for this is where our future lies.    If we cling to the idea of getting a 'good job', we will undoubtedly be disappointed and discouraged as we pursue contract after contract and, in the process, lose sight of all the skills and knowledge we have to offer the world. There is nothing more destructive the future than a dis-enchanted generation of young people.

It is, therefore, up to us to embrace the new world that is emerging and accept that our livelihoods will not be tied to a job in the future. We will not have the same security that our parents did. We may not have the same financial stability they did(or we may), but we will have the opportunity to earn an income free from the confines of being a cog in a big machine. We will have more opportunities to create, to innovate, to utilize our skills and continuously develop new ones. Most importantly, we have the unique opportunity to be ourselves and be confident that being authentic is to the new world, what being highly educated was in the old world: an in-demand quality that will take you far.

 

 But How Do  You Survive Without a Job?


You will survive without a job, because, quite frankly you are unlikely to have any other option. With few to no jobs available, you will have to adapt. But this is not something to fear, this is not a crisis point, rather this is a chance to create a life and livelihood that are in sync with your desires and skills.

But I digress, you want practical answers to the question of how you will pay rent and buy food. A reasonable demand, I daresay. Well, I'll give you a hint...you earn your income by selling your skills within a network. There is much more I could write on this, but I will defer to my good friend, Rob Paterson, who sheds much light on the opportunities that await us in his book, You Don't Need a Job. You can also browse his blog, it's full of valuable insights about this and other subjects.

You also learn to live within your means. It's easier to live within your means, when you aren't burnt out from a job that you don't get contentment from.  I lived on very little when I was travelling through Australia. I did a thing called Help Exchange, whereby you exchange your labour for room and board with families.  I'd spend 3 to 5 hours working and be fed three meals and given a warm bed to sleep in.  I stayed at one place for a month and spent less than $60. I had so much free time and I filled it with reading, running, good conversations with the family I was staying with, contemplation, and much more.  I'm not saying you can survive life by dong Help Exchange, rather I am saying that as you move into the New World and accept the conditions of it, you will come to treasure the free time it provides you. You will be less likely to turn to spend money on expensive 'escapisms', on entertainment that would have distracted you from your discontent in 'The Job.'


Not Having A Job = Having Life Energy


Over the past few years, as I have sought to learn more about myself, about the world around me, and as of late, about health and nutrition, I have come to conclude that life energy is an extremely precious resource. We are all  born with an abundance of life energy. Somewhere along the way, that energy starts to dissipate and with each choice we make in our life to follow the path society dictates rather than the one our heart desires, our energy lessens.

 The job is probably the biggest source of energy depletion for most people, and yet we all scramble for jobs and most can't imagine not having a job, which, I must emphasize at this late juncture  in my post, does not equate to not working . Rather, not having a job means having more autonomy over your daily choices as to how you will earn an income, it means being able to utilize various skills to meet the needs of various clients, it means feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment when you complete work and are able to deliver it, it means  not having to deal with poisoned organizational environment and office politics, it means being able to see how your work impacts others' lives, it means feeling good about how you are earning an income, and it means having a great deal of life energy so that you can go out into the world and do great things.  When I look around me, it seems to me that the people I know who are working for themselves, whether by farming, managing musicians, or making pottery, are the ones that smile the most often.

I think we are entering an era where we might be able to break away from the shackles of the industrialized Ford model of work that deplete us of life energy, and instead sustain and even increase our life energy stores by doing various  projects for different clients, by innovating, by creating our own work schedule and our own expectations.  When we feel powerless and uninspired we lose energy, when we have autonomy and are doing something we enjoy, we gain energy. I believe the world would be a better place if more adults had the life energy that we did when we were younger.  And I believe this world is within our grasp, if we only choose to reach out and embrace it.

Got Milk?

I will start this post with a confession:  I love dairy. I am especially enamoured with artisan cheeses, including clothbound cheddar, gouda, brie, and camembert. Actually, the only cheese I'm not fond of are those processed squares of shiny orangeness that are supposed to be cheese slices, and blue cheese (although I do enjoy it when used to complement a meat dish).  I'll drink the occasional glass of milk and have been known to make a homemade batch of yogurt on occasion. Ice cream is, of course, an indulgence during the summer months.  

Yes, I think most of us would agree ice cream is an indulgence right?  It's hardly the poster child for health, given its high fat content and the added sugar. Ice cream has been labelled the 'black sheep' of the dairy family, while skim milk and yogurt have received rave reviews and accolades for their health benefits.  We all know the ad series where celebrities with carefully applied milk moustaches stare at us, a caption reading 'Got Milk?' there to give us a friendly reminder that we need to meet our daily dairy needs if we are to be strong and healthy.

Well, I'm here to call out ALL dairy for what it is: an indulgence.  Dairy is no more a dietary need than popsicles or Fruit Loops.  We have been led to believe that dairy is the almost-perfect food,  a holy grail of nutrition. Parents are reminded (or is it reprimanded) by government, by health practitioners, and by magazine ads (funded by the Milk Marketing Board, of course) that kids, in particular, need milk if they are to grow and have strong bones. Amongst its many apparent benefits, milk serves as a great source of protein, vitamin D, and calcium. Calcium is, of course, the star nutrient of milk. In fact,  I bet if you asked the average person to name three sources of calcium, they'd say milk, cheese and yogurt! 

I haven't the time nor, to be quite frank, the in-depth knowledge to provide an scholarly rebuttal of the claims made on dairy's behalf, however, I will attempt to provide some food for thought that I hope you will take into account if seeking ways to better your health or that of your children.

MLIK AS A SOURCE OF CALCIUM 

I will concede that milk contains calcium and that calcium is an important mineral for humans.

The problem is that the pasteurization of milk destroys some of the calcium in milk and, more notably, the accompanying enzymes that are necessary for the calcium to be absorbed into the body. Skim milk that is pasteurized is the worst source of calcium because it also lacks fat that would aid in the body's absorption of calcium.  

In short, if you actually care to about your calcium intake you have to look beyond the calcium content in a food and examine whether the calcium from that food will be readily absorbed.

Oh, I convinced you already? You were only taking in dairy for the calcium and now that you see it's not a great source of calcium, you want to give it up and seek out foods that are high in calcium which will be better absorbed by the body?  Wonderful! 

And you want me to suggest some such foods?  Sure! The best sources of dietary calcium include sesame seeds, salmon (with bones), walnuts, green leafy vegetables, almonds and beef.  Raw dairy products (i.e. not pasteurized) are also a good source of calcium but illegal in many parts of North America.  

MILK AS AN ALLERGEN

When I use the word allergen, I am referring to food intolerances and sensitivities.  Most people are aware of the term 'lactose intolerant' and consider this to mean a person who is unable to digest lactose (a sugar in milk and most dairy products) due to a lack of an enzyme called lactase, which is needed for digestion of lactose. Intolerance to a protein called casein can also cause dairy intolerance.   

The problem with labeling something as an allergy or intolerance is that people are convinced they will surely know if they have an allergic reaction. If we are thinking of allergies to food as we do to a bee sting or pollen, we would imagine that the symptoms of a food allergy would be sudden and obvious.  This, however, is not the case. While some people will have severe reactions to consuming a food, such as dairy, many reactions to food allergies take place within the body and are assumed to be normal, albeit uncomfortable, bodily experiences such as headaches, congestion, bloating, skin problems, and so on.  

Convinced of their allergy-free status, most people don't even consider taking a break from dairy to see if their general health improves with the removal of this food group. One presumes they are just prone to acne or susceptible to headaches and that bloating is a normal consequence of eating. 

As this is a blog post and not an academic paper, I'm not going to provide you with all of the facts regarding milk intolerance, but certainly a simple google search of 'dairy intolerance' will turn up plenty of reasonably reliable sources that suggests dairy intolerance is much, much more common than most of us would expect. One site I landed on suggested that 75 percent of ALL people have an intolerance to dairy at some level.  The rates of intolerance are highest amongst those ethnicities/populations that have not historically consumed diary, such as Asians and Africans, while those of Northen European descent may be slightly less intolerant, although I would propose that as we age, our intolerance for dairy will increase and, with it, the damage we do to our internal systems every time we indulge in cheese, milk, etc.

Curious as to whether, in fact, that stuffed up nose of yours is the result of too many nights with Ben & Jerry's?  There are a few ways to determine if you are intolerant to a specific food or group of foods. The expensive (but easier) way is to get an allergen test done. You may be surprised to discover that you have sensitivities to foods you've eaten in large quantities throughout the course of your life and foods that you only occasionally consume.  There is another way, however, to test for food intolerances and that's by doing an elimination diet. It will require a temporary elimination of many of the foods you probably love, which also just happen to be the most common sources of allergens, including wheat (gluten), dairy,  sugar and yeast.  

There are plenty of sources on the internet to help guide you in an elimination diet.  It's not easy, but if you can do it, your body may reap the benefits for years to come.   Be aware that often times the foods we most crave are actually the ones we are allergic too. This results from the production of endogenous opiods in the body when there is a food reaction.

DAIRY AND CANCER

This is my third and, admittedly, weakest argument against dairy.  Yes, that's right, the possible connection between dairy and cancer is my weakest argument. This is not to dismiss the seriousness of cancer, but rather to acknowledge that I am not entirely convinced of the research that links dairy and cancer.

The China Study is a much-touted research study that, at its very core, claims that the only 'safe' form of protein for humans is vegetable-based protein. This, of course,  has vegans cheering with glee and praising the rigor of the research process that was carried out by The China Study's author, Colin T. Campbell.   Dairy products, so it appears, are given particular notoriety due to the high levels of casein they contain. Casein is a type of protein and, according to one summary of Campbell's findings on casein it was noted that ' the connection between casein and cancer was so profound that the scientists could literally turn cancer growth on and off in the laboratory animals simply by altering the level of casein protein in their diets like a light switch.' (Source: http://www.wholevegan.com/casein_protein.html). I must mention that The China Study included extensive research beyond the laboratory. Again, I encourage you to seek out more information about The China Study and the possible link between dairy and cancer if you are so inclined.

GOODBYE DAIRY

The more I study nutrition, the more I am convinced that the only true way to determine what is best for your health is to become your own guinea pig. I've read so many conflicting studies about pretty much every diet and type of food, that one can easily be swayed one way or the other if they want to be.   There are some things that are generally agreed upon, however, and the fact that milk is a common allergen seems to be generally accepted by sources that are not being funded by dairy boards! 

If you want to know whether you'd be better off without dairy in your diet, I suggest you try cutting it out for a month or two. Note that if you have other food allergies, however, you may not notice any difference in your well-being as your body will still be suffering from the other allergens (hence the suggestion of an elimination diet).

I am on my way to eliminating dairy, but first I am eliminating alcohol and wheat. These are two common allergens that I am most comfortable going without. The harder ones for me to eliminate will be dairy and sugar, but I will do it!  Oh, and did I mention that a food allergy need not lead to a lifetime ban of the incriminating food?  Healing your digestive system/gut and giving it a break from food allergens can do wonders for your overall health and, in time, you may be able to indulge (on occasion) in foods you were once sensitive to without suffering any side effects.

The End.  

Make It So

I've not been very good at keeping regular blog posts as of late.  Or, to be more accurate, since Facebook became popular and my blog, which had previously been a long-form means of providing status updates on my life, was forced to morph into something with more substance.  It turns out it's more difficult to write 'blogs of substance' on a regular basis than it is to provide weekly updates of how life is going. Facebook provided a double-whammy assault on my blogging, though, in so much as it forced me to redefine the content of my posts, it also lured me away from the blank white page staring back at me, with its promises of instant entertainment and connection with people near and far. I wouldn't say I've become a Facebook addict by any means, but I'm certainly a regular user and occasional abuser of the social networking site.  Of course the finger cannot be pointed solely at Facebook, my reasons for blogging abandonment are many and varied.

All of the above is to say that I regret having let my blogging wane.  Actually, to get right to the heart of the matter, I regret having neglected the writer within me for the past few years.  I love writing and have loved it since I was a young child, yet I've always found it a challenge to move words from my head onto a page.  Every day I am writing narratives in my head, creating characters or devising plots, yet when I sit down to type out what seemed crystal clear in my head, nothing comes out.   The writer within me was saved over the years, strangely enough, by the demands of school teachers and professors.  Being a rather serious student, I flung myself full throttle into every writing assignment I was given.   Going into university, I feared my chosen degree in business administration would leave my creative self starved, so I signed up for every creative writing elective that was offered.  And then I left formal education behind and with it, the deadlines and required writing assignments.  I've dabbled in creative writing since then, most notably when I read Julia Cameron's book 'The Artist's Way' and completed the 13 week self-directed 'course' within the book that is intended to help one's self discover and recover their creative self.  But the truth is that, by and large, I've been neglecting the writer within me.  Blogging has been the only saving grace over the years, although it's rarely been a medium for my creative writing and, as noted above, even my blogging has seen a decline in the last few years.

Well, then, thank goodness for new days and the unwritten future, which make regret an unnecessary emotion.  Now I'm not one to make New Year's resolutions, but I do find the time off of work  between Christmas and New Year's allows for one to take stock of what they want to achieve in the coming months and years.  This year I took full advantage of my holiday time, even purchasing two journals to record my vision and goals for the coming year(s).  I identified four main areas that I want to focus my energies on in the coming year: my livelihood, relationships, wellness, and self-discover/personal development.  Given that writing is a passion which I want to incorporate into my livelihood, provides me with a means of reflecting upon my relationship with myself, with others and with the world, serves as an outlet for my stresses, and provides me with a sense of fulfillment, I reckon it actually fits into each of the four arenas I want to focus on and I must therefore make it a major priority.

I've identified specific goals I want to achieve in each of the four identified areas. One of my goals is to start earning some income via my writing skills.  More notable to those that may read this blog, I've also committed to writing a blog post at least once per week during the year. I suppose this post will count as my first. Ideally, I'd like to be blogging twice a week, but we will see what the year brings.  I am also exploring other ways of satisfying my creative self.  A shout out to Mr. Wonderful for encouraging these efforts by conceiving of and committing to weekly 'creativity dates'.

I'm pretty excited about the adventures that 2013 will offer up and look forward to sharing some of what I learn and experience via this blog.