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Trust me..I am the expert on careers! Why? Because I have had more careers in a 5 year span, then 10 people put
together.
However, I can just as easily talk about how to keep your job in these tough times as well as how to seek out a new career
if you so choose to go that route.
With 9/11 upon us, it is relevant for me to tell you about my career sojourns which followed that life changing day. Here is my
story..
After weeks at ground zero as one of the first mental health crisis responder teams, I found myself very much alone. I was there to
help everyone else, but who was helping ME through the mania and terror of 9/11?
I did not really process this until a month later, when I was at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, for my birthday. I am sure
most of you are familiar with the revolving floor in the Marriott, which sits over 40 stories above Broadway. Well, after only being
seated for 10 minutes, that was when my first bout of real anxiety came over me.
All of a sudden, all I can see were planes hitting the building. I was having flashbacks of 9/11, but even worse, it was felt not only
through my own experiences of that day, but through each and every client who I counseled on 9/11 and for days which followed.
I felt my throat cave in and visualized my knees curl into my chest, in my best fetal position. I couldn't move, or think, but I also
couldn't stand still. As U2 said in a famous song, I was "running to stand still!"
I could not get out of the room and building fast enough. I apologized to the maitre d and said I had a call from work that I had to
attend to immediately.
We attempted to leave the building, when the glass elevator I entered, got stuck and took me back up to the revolving floor. Can you
imagine? I felt the pain of those who did not make it out of the towers, echoing through my bloodstream.
When we finally got onto Broadway, a yellow cab nearly ran me over. Nothing mattered at that point and I just started to scream at
this cabbie. I hurled insults and blamed him for every act of terror that occurred on 9/11! Cops who were sitting nearby, just
watched and gave me the thumbs up. I saw it fit at that time, to project my anger at whomever was nearby. Well at least that night.
No sooner did this incident occur, did I realize that I too was human and needed to talk with someone. And I did. I also realized at
that moment, that I needed to do something different for work, very different. ANYTHING but what I was doing years before 9/11
and for weeks thereafter.
I became a decorator, a real estate agent, a travel writer, a business developer for a bank, a dog walker, and at times, a recluse.
I had a handful of anxiety attacks in the years which followed. I was given medication, but as you know me to be a naturalist, from
my writings here, I opted for natural treatments. The use of teas, yoga, meditation and travel. To keep the real friends and remove
the fake and negative ones. To live in the moment but re-plan for the future in a new world. To make up with mom and promise not
to fight over stupid things, to try and get married and have a family (I am almost there haha)!
Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because I want you to know that it is never too late to change your career if you so choose.
You need to do what you love, love what you do and leave out the wasted energy. At any age, at any stage, you can change your
career, live your passions and become re-motivated. Never give up! Even in this most challenging work environment, when it seems
like so many are out of work or out of options. That is actually the BEST time to re-invent yourself!
Trust me, I did it, over and over again...in a sense, only to come "home" to my main career of guiding others through life stages, of
work stress and with general life issues. However, I needed to go through the multiple career changes to know that what I went to
school for and was doing all along, was truly my passion. I greatly enjoyed my career "travels" and still dabble in some of the above
mentioned fields (i.e. writing for the optimist(perfect name))..just to prevent the burn out of a routine.
Routine is good but in memory of 9/11 and of everyone who was lost that day, I say live every moment and find happiness in the
smallest of accomplishments. Never look back, unless you want to fall on your face.
And remember this old saying:
"Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery..today is a GIFT, that is WHY they call it the PRESENT!"
God bless America!
www.voicesofsept11.org
www.tuesdayschild.org
www.livestrong.com/find-balance/
www.rd.com/work-career-jobs-tips-and-advice
together.
However, I can just as easily talk about how to keep your job in these tough times as well as how to seek out a new career
if you so choose to go that route.
With 9/11 upon us, it is relevant for me to tell you about my career sojourns which followed that life changing day. Here is my
story..
After weeks at ground zero as one of the first mental health crisis responder teams, I found myself very much alone. I was there to
help everyone else, but who was helping ME through the mania and terror of 9/11?
I did not really process this until a month later, when I was at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, for my birthday. I am sure
most of you are familiar with the revolving floor in the Marriott, which sits over 40 stories above Broadway. Well, after only being
seated for 10 minutes, that was when my first bout of real anxiety came over me.
All of a sudden, all I can see were planes hitting the building. I was having flashbacks of 9/11, but even worse, it was felt not only
through my own experiences of that day, but through each and every client who I counseled on 9/11 and for days which followed.
I felt my throat cave in and visualized my knees curl into my chest, in my best fetal position. I couldn't move, or think, but I also
couldn't stand still. As U2 said in a famous song, I was "running to stand still!"
I could not get out of the room and building fast enough. I apologized to the maitre d and said I had a call from work that I had to
attend to immediately.
We attempted to leave the building, when the glass elevator I entered, got stuck and took me back up to the revolving floor. Can you
imagine? I felt the pain of those who did not make it out of the towers, echoing through my bloodstream.
When we finally got onto Broadway, a yellow cab nearly ran me over. Nothing mattered at that point and I just started to scream at
this cabbie. I hurled insults and blamed him for every act of terror that occurred on 9/11! Cops who were sitting nearby, just
watched and gave me the thumbs up. I saw it fit at that time, to project my anger at whomever was nearby. Well at least that night.
No sooner did this incident occur, did I realize that I too was human and needed to talk with someone. And I did. I also realized at
that moment, that I needed to do something different for work, very different. ANYTHING but what I was doing years before 9/11
and for weeks thereafter.
I became a decorator, a real estate agent, a travel writer, a business developer for a bank, a dog walker, and at times, a recluse.
I had a handful of anxiety attacks in the years which followed. I was given medication, but as you know me to be a naturalist, from
my writings here, I opted for natural treatments. The use of teas, yoga, meditation and travel. To keep the real friends and remove
the fake and negative ones. To live in the moment but re-plan for the future in a new world. To make up with mom and promise not
to fight over stupid things, to try and get married and have a family (I am almost there haha)!
Why am I sharing all of this with you? Because I want you to know that it is never too late to change your career if you so choose.
You need to do what you love, love what you do and leave out the wasted energy. At any age, at any stage, you can change your
career, live your passions and become re-motivated. Never give up! Even in this most challenging work environment, when it seems
like so many are out of work or out of options. That is actually the BEST time to re-invent yourself!
Trust me, I did it, over and over again...in a sense, only to come "home" to my main career of guiding others through life stages, of
work stress and with general life issues. However, I needed to go through the multiple career changes to know that what I went to
school for and was doing all along, was truly my passion. I greatly enjoyed my career "travels" and still dabble in some of the above
mentioned fields (i.e. writing for the optimist(perfect name))..just to prevent the burn out of a routine.
Routine is good but in memory of 9/11 and of everyone who was lost that day, I say live every moment and find happiness in the
smallest of accomplishments. Never look back, unless you want to fall on your face.
And remember this old saying:
"Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery..today is a GIFT, that is WHY they call it the PRESENT!"
God bless America!
www.voicesofsept11.org
www.tuesdayschild.org
www.livestrong.com/find-balance/
www.rd.com/work-career-jobs-tips-and-advice
| "The Career Optimist" by Ellie Robyns |
