Archive for March, 2009

The Cure for Discontentment: Use It

Posted on: March 29th, 2009 by Lori Deschene - 19 Comments

discontent4In my unemployment I’ve become a bit of an Internet addict. Between Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, StumbleUpon, Digg, my blog, and the fifty others in my Google Reader, I could easily fill an entire work week seeking and sharing information. As I’ve trolled the net these past couple months, I’ve realized the digital era feeds into the collective discontent that defines us as a nation—this idea that no matter what heights we reach, there is still something missing. 10 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power; 15 Ways to Shrink Your Waistline; 20 Ideas to Make More Money—these posts just remind us we can always be smarter, thinner, stronger, richer, happier, or just plain better than we are now.

Yesterday I found a post on Zen Habits—one of my favorite blogs—that addresses this very issue. Leo offers several cures for discontentment, including:

1. Change your attitude and perspective.

2. Take some kind of positive action.

3. Do something that gives you meaning.

I think the first is the most useful suggestion, but not for the reason you may imagine. Perhaps our discontent isn’t something to be cured but rather something to be accepted, appreciated, and leveraged.

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14-Year Old Makes Video to Help Dad Get a Job

Posted on: March 26th, 2009 by Lori Deschene - 8 Comments

Fourteen-year old Ben Gullet made this short video to help his father Mark get a job. I found it on Exec Digital, accompanied by an interview with Mark.

I think one of the biggest benefits of a challenging economy is the opportunity to realign your focus. All too often we fold ourselves so deeply into the pursuit of greatness we forget what’s most valuable in our lives. Between early morning departures to beat traffic, working lunches, networking events, and overtime, family moments become few and far between—and sometimes, after working to exhaustion, relationships become peripheral.

No matter what you pursue today—no matter how many new connections you make, opportunities you seize, deals you close, or interviews you land—I invite you to remember someone somewhere is holding a sign to let you know they love you.

Can You Think Yourself Richer?

Posted on: March 25th, 2009 by Lori Deschene - 13 Comments

rollinginmoneyIn a recent blog post on Attraction Mind Map Evelyn debunked negative myths about money that will likely limit your earning potential. These three resonated most strongly with me were:

  • Money is the root of all evils
  • Money is in short supply
  • Spirituality and wealth are mutually exclusive

Though I consider myself a positive person, I’ve been holding onto negative ideas of money for years. I associated wealth with greed, desperation, and deceit, believing I’d be a better person if I only acquired what I need to survive. Fearing scarcity, I hoarded most of my earnings, and likely missed out on opportunities to invest in myself and my future. In negotiations, I rarely sought the salary I deserved for fear of appearing greedy which likely devalued me to employers. From my high-horse (which I got on sale) I felt evolved—fully satisfied with less in a world obsessed with more.

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Where to Recycle Everything for Cash

Posted on: March 23rd, 2009 by Lori Deschene - 26 Comments

recycle1The year was 1984. I had pigtails and a lisp. I loved my jelly shoes, Pacman, The Smurfs—and recycling soda cans. Every Saturday I gathered a trash bag full of cans and accompanied my father to the recycling place where a toothless man gave me $.05 for each one. These days I still get that warm-fuzzy I’m-doing-my-small-part-to-make-the-world-a-better-place feeling when I recycle. And depending on the item, I get a lot more money.

As you begin your spring cleaning, why not replace all that stuff you don’t need with a little extra cash?

Get Cash for Your Old Books

UK: Check out Green Metropolis. You can buy books for just £3.75, and sell your old ones for £3.

US: Check out Cash 4 Books. Enter the ISBN, supply your contact information, send the book, and expect payment within three days after they receive your books.

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Advice: New to College

Posted on: March 19th, 2009 by Lori Deschene - 11 Comments

uoftRecently I asked the Twitterverse if anyone had a difficult situation and wanted help seeing the bright side. This is something I would like to do regularly, so please contact me if you have a story to share.

Hey Lori!

I’m in my first year at the University of Toronto. I chose to go into film since I am very passionate about it and I truly felt like it was my calling. Though I am still very interested in it, my failing grades are making me question it all. I put so much effort into all my assignments and papers with either mediocre or close to failing grades. I truly felt as if I could make a turn-around during exams but my computer broke! All the movies we had been studying as well as all my lecture notes and papers were on my laptop and I don’t have the money to get it repaired. I went to U of T because I love the big city and despite none of my friends going, I chose to go and it has thus far been a terrible experience. I have made no friends while the rest of my high school friends have moved on making new friends. I feel totally depressed. So that’s my situation. But I know that I want to stay in University and continue going to U of T but it’s way more difficult than I expected. I will appreciate any advice or helpful words.

—@mariakhandy

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The Benefits of Entering the Workforce in a Recession

Posted on: March 18th, 2009 by Lori Deschene - 15 Comments

recession7Finding and securing the perfect job is never easy, but it’s more difficult for a recent college graduate competing with well-qualified, recently laid-off workers. You know your prospects are limited, but you don’t want to accept a low-ball offer at the bottom of the ladder. Can you possibly benefit from this situation? Absolutely!

Find out who you really want to be—beyond what you want to do. Forbes writer David Serchuk wrote an inspiring piece about his experience graduating in a recession. Though he’d hoped to write for the New Yorker or another reputable publication right out of school, he found himself on an adventure of self-discovery—couch surfing in Colorado, working in restaurants and offices, and building a freelance writing career one submission at a time. Serchuk writes, “Bartending …taught me how to relate to people unlike myself. Being a phone survey guy is actually great training for journalism because you have to listen and get people to trust you in five seconds….Having your plans shattered, I guess, can be liberating. You have an ‘excuse’ to do your own thing. Go to South America, join the Peace Corps, move to Hollywood.” How you respond to this struggle and what you take from your experiences will define you far more than a job ever will. (more…)