Sunday, July 24, 2011

Happiness and the Little Things

I get to work with these sweaters people every day!
I have been conspicuously absent from this blog for almost a month now - a month! I say conspicuously because I'm the only one who writes for it, not because a lot of folks read it! Hello mom plus 4 other people who are most likely directly related to me!

Where have I been you may ask? I have been working full time, eating awesomely bad things and hanging with with my husband, dog and best friends. Life is good friends - life is good!

First, the job - I am now working full time at my "get well" job and I couldn't be happier! What started as a "come in and help with random stuff a few days a week" has turned into "hey why don't you come on in everyday!" And I love it. I get to do so many different things - some regular office manager tasks like billing and grocery shopping, but some writing, project management and client management as well. It's like a Frankenstein job where all the parts are awesome and I can walk there. And bring Tex!

I struggled a lot with what to do after Sew Crafty. Like many times in my life before, I beat myself up over not being able to decide the right path. Then I just started to let go a bit. Ruthie, a good friend who is one of the wisest people I know, said "Can you just work part time for a while?" When I said yes, she replied "Then why don't you just enjoy it and coast a bit."

So I coasted. I worked part time, worked out, walked, shopped at Target, visited my parents, and hung out with Ryan and Tex. It was a transitional time - some good times, lots of stress on choosing the "right" thing to do with my life, and lots of crying jags. I did this for about two months and had lots of "What will I DOOO!?!?" moments. On day I realized that I needed to find a full time job - it was time to make a choice. I needed to become a financially productive member of my family again.

At a work event called Tuna Infinity and Beyond
with a bunch of neuroscientists
reppin' Charlie the Tuna! You read that right.
In June, I came in to work and talked to my boss/friend (Brind? Fross?) about the situation. It didn't occur to me he would counter with "Well why don't you just work here full time?" Mind blown. That can happen?!? Apparently so. A month later, I'm a full timer!

Since then I have been adjusting to a full time schedule again. After working for yourself on your own time for 3 years, it's a bit of a challenge to get back into the groove of being somewhere every weekday for 8 hours at a time.

When it's the right place it make life much easier (examples: I love the people I work with; I like going to work in the morning - waking up is much easier when you look forward to being somewhere; one of my duties is keeping the office kitchen stocked, so I get to grab a few things for home while I'm at the grocery - multitasking win; they are flexible with stuff like dentist appointments and haircuts). Also, I know I mentioned bringing Tex, but it is just so cool to have your dog with you at work. He snoozes next to my desk and it's nice to take a break to play a bit!

It's all about the little things friends. Through the past 6 months I have learned that the simple things are the best things - which I totally know is a cliche. But as one of my favorite college professors said, it's a cliche because it's true. Happiness is contingent on being grateful for where you are, content with what you have and a dog sleeping at your feet.

I am happy because, right now, I have all three - I hope you are all having the best time ever too.

10 comments:

~Donkeywrangler said...

YAY, Sarah!!

Alanna said...

YAY SARAH! Great to see you're happy and loving what you do.

Ed T. said...

Sarah - I am glad you found a "full-time" job so easily. As I am getting ready to just maybe go through the same process myself (and you think it is difficult after 3 years? I have been with my current employer for almost 33!), it is nice to know that others have successfully made the transition. Good luck with your new job - you deserve it!

~EdT.

Lindy Stamper said...

I'm super glad that you got there by surrounding yourself with good and positives. *hugs*

laanba said...

That job sounds like a dream job. I wish I could find something like that one day. I'm not in that place financially and honestly I'm not sure I could ever be so brave to coast. I'm not a coasting person.

I'm glad you are doing so well and so happy. And I read your blog and as far as I know I'm not related to you!

Sarah said...

Such wisdom! And yay for your joy!

Debi said...

Fabulous news!!! It's always great when you can work somewhere you love!!!

Sarah said...

Thanks guys - I am so so grateful for things going well right now; the spring was rough, but summer is shaping up to be awesome!

Sarah said...

@Ed - 33 years?!? That's amazing! Best of luck to you on your search - you are no doubt a gem and any company would be lucky to have you!

Amanda said...

Sounds like you have reached a Work-Pugadise (like Paradise, but with a pug present which I think makes it much better). I'm so happy that you've made your way through the difficult times and found contentment. You deserve all the happy you can hold plus any extra happy Ryan can hold for you. Tex could hold happy, but I think he'd rather hold cheese.

I think I'm in a place somewhere like your transitional crying phase (mostly with the work related crying), whereas my husband is more like (career wise) "What will I do?" without the crying. We're a team! Thank you for documenting your journey through this phase - it gives me hope (and I won't get teary right now! I'll think of Charlie the Tuna... by the way, what is a Charlie the Tuna?!)

PS. I'm almost certain that in the 80s, my mum had a sweater identical to the woman on the right in that photo!

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