My latest read was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, by Mark Manson. Beyond the snappy title, it’s been a phenomenal read. It’s permanently changed how I look at life and what I DO give a fuck about. So much that I wanted to share my impression with others because I think it’s something everyone could benefit from reading. Read More
It is wild to look back at my January 2016 post, “Taking a risk and committing to a goal“, about quitting my job so that I could embark on a new career. It’s wild because since then, so much has happened. Professionally, I’ve changed employers multiple times, and personally, I’ve experienced some of the biggest moments of my life (marrying my wife and having our first child). It’s been a hard, but exciting and rewarding ride. It is particularly satisfying today because I get to announce that I’ve accepted the position of Senior PHP Developer at Babson College. This move represents everything I’ve been striving for with that career change; to be a true full-stack developer and gain seniority in that arena. I am so proud of this achievement, let alone the timeframe that I was able to do it (just under two years – woo!).
Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy. It was a mix of hard work, sacrifice, taking risks, having faith, leveraging support and mentorship, and making the most of opportunities when they presented themselves. I feel very lucky and thankful to have been part of this story.
Of course, life is not about getting to a single destination, but what you make of the journey. So, as much as this is a fantastic moment and I intend to squeeze every bit of awesome out what this new job will bring, I also look forward to what’s ahead.
I was talking with a co-worker about work/life balance recently and he shared this interesting quote from Coca Cola’s CEO with me. Not sure if the link is totally accurate, but I loved the sentiment. In life you are constantly juggling 5 balls in the air: work, health, family, friends, and spirit. The first is made of rubber and the rest are made of glass. When you inevitably drop one, keep in mind that work will bounce back, whereas the others will not. The may scrape, or scuff, or totally break, but whatever the severity they will be forever changed.
That quote left an impression on me because I think it is so true. I also liked how he included spirit, because I think that the importance of our internal mental/emotional part of our character often gets left out of the balance. It’s an easy thing to skip, especially when it can be the hardest thing to grasp, and unique to each individual.
Anyway, gotta add that to the growing list of mantras I keep and wanted to share it with others.
Best.
I can’t believe it. But then again, I can, when our only two choices suck, and there are so many uneducated, mentally immature people in this country to back them.
Before you judge, my candidate didn’t win, but my candidate never made it to election day. Read More
I’ve been giving more thought to LittleGood.org, the community service project idea I put out to the interwebz last month. It revolves around making it easy for people to make community service a regular habit. Read More
I’ve always wanted to start an organization to help others. One idea that I have been exploring was a solution to connect busy folks with a mind to do community service, with volunteer opportunities. There’s no shortage of opportunities, but if you’ve ever tried to look for something on your own you quickly find challenges:
As a technology professional, it is important to keep my skills sharp and stay up-to-date on the latest technology. The first step toward that end was finding my dream job. Nevertheless, it’s important to experiment with new things outside of work. Things that I would not normally get a chance to do otherwise. I’m using this post outline a plan of attack over the course of the rest of the year.
This is the blog post I have been waiting to write ever since I resigned from my job back in January. I landed a new fantastic job doing what I dreamed of – software development!
Life is about taking risks (another mantra I live by). It shouldn’t be everyday, but there are certainly important times to do it… that is, if you want to reap the benefits. Maybe it’s a risk over love… or going to school… or living in a new place… or in my case today, it’s quitting your job with the goal of getting an even better one.
A mantra I live by started as something I saw at the gym: “It doesn’t get easier, you only get stronger.” I think this idea is just as applicable to working out as making your way through life’s many challenges.