updates and observations

Wow, I've had so much time on my hands and I spent so little on this blog. So, here is an update on what is going on in my life.

Picking up from my last post on September 10th, here is the update on the job search. I am still currently unemployed. However, I have a phone interview and two face-to-face interviews scheduled for the next couple of days regarding positions that look very promising. For both my skill set and career aspirations. Also, I had an interview last Friday that I think went well and I'm waiting to see if I hear back from them with an offer. So, while the job search has not yet borne fruit--the prospects look promising.

I am also using a bit of my free time to study for a certification in my chosen field, so, professionally speaking, this hiatus from work has not been wasted.

Ok, that is enough about work.

I've also rediscovered the importance of sitting meditation during these past few weeks. Pretty much out of necessity. Since I lost my job, for the first couple of weeks I was on on emotional roller-coaster between events such as getting my first interview (elation!) to finding out that that position was not what I'd hoped for (really down in the dumps.) I've taken skill evaluations that I thought I'd done horribly on and this had me so depressed that I felt like a total failure. Then come to find out that I'd actually done alright on the evaluation--actually ahead of the curve of most of the people who'd taken it. So I guess it's all a matter of perception...but anyway I had to get these mood swings under control, and that meditation cushion sitting in the corner of my bedroom was starting to look really inviting.

Pretty much like it's a package deal with the meditation, I decided to pull out some of my books on Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hanh again. Like meeting an old friend again after a couple of years of absence. And that led to me deciding to visit my sangha again on Sunday. This time it was literally meeting old friends after a couple years of absence. Along with some new ones (the group has grown!) Maybe I'll stick around a bit longer this time.

And I've started taking yoga classes too. They are wonderful--I'll add more on that topic later.