Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

Today Darrell was helping a friend teach a robotics class to kids, giving me most of the day to myself. With nothing urgently demanding my time, I decided to attack my office. I spend most of my time in here, but this space receives the least housecleaning time. Today was its turn!

I began with the bookcase, figuring that was a distinct area, and, hopefully, progress would be noticeable. The new shredder had a good breaking in! In less than two hours, I had to stop to take out the recycling bin and shredder droppings to empty. I was on a roll!

The bottom shelf was harder to go through. Much of the paper stuff was from my work with the Career Mentor Program at my Alma Mater – my one and only J O B. I even found four pay stubs, which looked pretty good at this point.

I loved that job – making the Career Mentor Program inclusive and accessible to students and alumni with disabilities. It was something I believed in and strongly felt was necessary. But, the position had been created by government funding so that the government appeared to be hiring and supporting employment of people with disabilities. The funding was for one year. An extension was not available.

I did  apply for other positions on campus, attempting to stay employed at a location that still felt like home to me – after living in residence for seven years while earning my Bachelors degree. However, the head of the human resources department was not overly amenable to hiring people with disabilities, citing the need to adhere to the typing speed requirement for the other entry level positions available on campus. Remaining employed at my Alma Mater was not an option, not that I’m still bitter, too much.

Today, I kept one copy of each brochure, handout and form that I created – in case I’m ever asked to develop a mentoring program again. A few moments during the purge were tough. I really did enjoy that job. Then I came across the birthday card from the staff that year – I’m such a pack rat! Reading what they had written, particularly the Program’s Coordinator, my closest colleague and friend, "See I told you Glenda. They do love you. Even if you are a dork! Happy B-Day -Topher" made me laugh. With my birthday coming up on Tuesday, it was like receiving an early birthday gift.

I then realized that, to make space for my life today and for the opportunities that come along tomorrow, I needed to let go of yesterday. I shredded old resumes and cover letters. I put my job search and cover letter writing books in a pile. (If any of you work with local job clubs or employment programs, you are welcome to these books. Otherwise, I’ll drop them off at the Whalley Employment Centre next time I am at the mall.) I no longer need these books. I have found my dream job. My next task is to find the income that goes along with it. I know I will.

There is now space on my bookshelf for today’s life: Chris Garrett’s and Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income, Lorelle VanFossen’s Blogging Tips: What Bloggers Won’t Tell You About Blogging, and Michael Losier’s Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don’t. And, there’s some space available for whatever tomorrow may bring.

What do you need to let go from yesterday to create space for tomorrow’s opportunities?