The Journey Continues....

Good Afternoon!

The past couple of days have been a whirlwind of information and hamster wheel movement.

What in the world is a "hamster wheel movement", you ask? Let me take a moment to describe the feeling and you can tell me if you've ever experienced it in your life and/or career.

Researching companies, industries, job postings, and writing letters to try to get someone to speak to me. Sending out emails and applying to jobs that meet your expectations and great looking companies yet nothing comes back. No calls. No letters. No thank you's. No nothing. You feel like your in a hamster wheel running for your life, moving so fast, doing so much work, but getting nothing in return. That's the hamster wheel movement. It's a bit of an oxymoron.

Sadly, I was warned that this would happen. When I was originally told that I thought to myself, "nope I'm not going to get dragged down", "I'm not going to be like all the rest". And here we are today, feeling exactly like I was told I was going to feel.

Mind over matter? Some may say yes. And I do agree with them but what "they" (the experts - we all know one) doesn't take into consideration are all the external factors reminding you of your current job requirements and trying to rebuild yourself simultaneously after getting knocked down. The matter, hands down, wins more than it should. I am embarrassed to admit this but sometime you have to face the reality of the situation before you can overcome it.

So what do you do? How to do snap yourself out of this "funk"?

I believe each person is different and you'll need to find something that works for you. But I can at least share with you what I do and maybe, just maybe, you can modify it or even try it yourself to see if it works.

I go and do something that raises my spirits. Something I enjoy and have enjoyed for years.

I bake.

For some reason, the act of taking all the right ingredients and mixing them together and creating something amazing is right up my alley. I admit that is how I prefer to I build my teams in business and that may be why I enjoy baking.

Then, I donate the baked goods to someone who wants and needs them. It may be my own family. It may be my church (which I did recently - today - Grace Lutheran in Escondido, CA) and hearing all the people (both big and small) say that it tastes amazing... makes me feel like I can accomplish anything.

And whamo! I'm snapped out of my "funk" and ready to tackle my tasks again. I think that it really boils down to the fact that you need to get some positive feedback to knock out those negative nellies that haunt your subconscious. The positive feedback banished them from sight, freeing you up to do what you need to do with a positive attitude and open mind.

Well I think that's enough for now. As always, comments are welcome. Follow me if you want to or just visit randomly.

Thanks for your time today and if you find yourself in a "funk" take some steps to get yourself out of it.

Off to bake!

Amanda B Stuckey

The Wonder of Life

Hello!

I thought that maybe I would start a few different blogs since I have a few different ideas floating around in my head.

For those who don't know me, my name is Amanda Stuckey. I'm a normal, everyday person just like everyone else on the planet. I have my talents and specialties, I have my frustrations, I have my ups and downs, I have dreams and aspiration, I have failures and triumphs.

This particular blog is going to represent my journey through discovering who I exactly am. I personally believe that you change personalities as you grow up. As a child you try on different "faces" as I am watching my daughter currently go through this. She adapts to the children's attitudes around her. As you transition into adulthood, your personality solidifies through your experiences both positive and negative.

Sometimes, adults regress back to that stage of development. We transform and adapt to our environments and become creatures that aren't exactly who we are. We lose a sense of that solidity through heartbreak, loss, and challenges that ultimately defeat us. At this point in time, we HAVE to rediscover who we are and who we are meant to be. This is the point at which I am currently.

Now, I haven't lost anyone, thank God, but I have been defeated in a sense, but only temporarily. Through times of challenge you find out who's going to stick by you through thick and thin. And I know, this is just a regurgitation of what many, many philosophers and psychologist have preached for years but as stubborn and inflexible as adults are, you sometimes have to get jolted hard before you open your eyes to the reality of a situation. This is where you make a choice.

What's the choice?

You become defeated and crumble.

Or

You stand up, brush off, speak a few choice words, and begin to redefine yourself.

I've seen both sides of this wicked coin with different people. That first option is the most dominant choice most people make and that's scary and sad.

So, it's my hope that this blog acts as a guide which documents my own recovery so that it may help others get through this more quickly. These situations are sure to happen multiple times. Yes, multiple times. Some more debilitating than others but still the same beast, just in different disguises.

My first observation of this evil beast seems to fall mostly on women's shoulders. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not an "anti-male", "power hungry female", "110% for women's liberation movement" type of girl - some men are debilitated by this as well. But the majority of the one's I've personally witnessed are with women. Why? I'm not sure and don't know if I will ever know why but I do promise you if I find out I'll share it with you. But I do have some hunches...

Feelings of Inferiority?
Jealousy?
Prejudice?
Territorial?
Lack of Self Confidence?
Plain ol' Stupidity? (My personal favorite and I think the most likely even though I REALLY hate calling people stupid but sometimes it's the ONLY logical explanation.)

Anyway, I'm almost 99% positive that all those reasons will become obsolete once you rediscover your true self.

Well I think that's enough for now. I'll see if I can't find some good books to recommend next time I blog about this subject.

Thanks for listening, stay strong, and believe in yourself. It's extremely important.

Yours Truly,

Amanda B Stuckey