#iquitmyjob What's next?

BOUNCED!
After nearly 7 years, Friday, April 4 was my last day at work.

What's next?
My answer to the what's next? frequently asked question -

"As far as what is next, I do not yet have anything specific. I am still considering various options yet to be created. Some of you may be aware that prior to joining EPA in 2007, I had my own consulting practice for nearly 13 years. And more recently, I have been engaged in the self-study and practice of behavior design, servant leadership, and improvisation, as well as serving as a coach and mentor. With that said, potential endeavors are likely to involve these areas in some fashion."

- so, yeah. That's my answer. In fact, this is an excerpt from my Wednesday, March 19, email announcement.

Translated
For some, answering the question the first time didn't stop some folks from asking it again. Therefore, as I've responded in similar situations -

"Asking the question a second time
isn't going to change the answer from the first time."

Nevertheless, here's a deconstruction of the what's next? - if it helps. Key words -

• yet ... I'm still in the creating and imagining mode, so stay tuned
• options ... I'm casting a wide net, while also seeing what's outside of that net
• consulting ... I've had my own consulting practice, so consulting is in my line of sight
• behavior design ... From the teachings of BJ Fogg, my June 2012 Boot Camp experience continues to shape how I interact in and with life
• servant leadership ... From the teachings of Robert K. Greenleaf, through the former certificate program of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, I have learned that my natural inclination is that of a servant leader
• improvisation ... I'm entering my fourth year, and I love it - the people, the community, the different philosophies.
• coach ... Dovetailing with behavior design, having completed BJ Fogg's Masterclass in Tiny Habits, I am a Tiny Habits® Certified Coach
• mentor ... I have been and continue to be a mentor to those transitioning into and navigating around the workplace (or workspace), for which I especially enjoy working not only with college students but also lifelong learners
• potential ... perhaps best described via a quote from Paulo Coelho 

"Everybody has a creative potential 

and from the moment you can express this creative potential, 

you can start changing the world."

got blog(s)? time for me to reboot

yes, i have blogs to which i contribute - over at shirlnutkin, anthrocubeology, and for the love of vogs - however, it turns out i have been bloggity-blog-blog remiss. i have been incubating.

during a little furlough (2 hours only) last week, i realized it's time to exercise my fingers and (re)regroup. and for today's furlough time ...

... this is my reboot. i am regrouping with a dash of globalniche.

remiss blogs & math ... three blogs and nineteen posts since september 2012 ... WTF?! i have been a bit remiss with my writing - at shirlnutkin with seven posts since the beginning of the year, a total of six posts at anthrocubeology since september 2012, and six posts at for the love of vogs since generalissima joanne created our blog in october 2012. geez! i wrote daily with reverb10 in december 2010.


regrouped in feburary ...  i posted about regrouping 2013 refresh and reignite, where i shared my mash-up of
bringing together my practices of your heart's desire, tiny habits, and 3 words.

globalniche ... it's early may, and my previous blog post was in late march. in late march, i shared a part of my experience with GlobalNiche, the SUM-it UP 6 week program that i began. (thanks to the suggestion of pamela). what an on-going and welcomed whirlwind experience that has continued to inspire me.

pensive, incubating shirlnutkin ... i get pensive, REALLY pensive. and i dream alot, where my dreams are pretty fun, crazy, vivid, and even telling of some solution to a problem i've been pondering.  during these times, i surprise myself with something(s) that just pop out. it's like a bunch of creative juices bubbling to the top. perhaps it's because of incubation, as described here at psychology today's enhancing creative incubation -

"Ideas come at these surprising times because of incubation—when you take time off from work, it frees up your conscious mind and allows your subconscious mind to “incubate” on the problem."

- and from a recent podcast, it's time to "GET ON WITH IT" - as nicely stated advice to sugata mitra, which he shared in his TED talk ... within a different context ... however it is still all about creating!

incubating shirlnutkin

with GlobalNiche support

(puffy heart)

archetype you

thanks @CarolineMyss @ArchetypeMe ...   back in the early 1990s, i came across your co-authored book the creation of health. i had an odd inflammation of the eye, and while strolling through the alternative medicine/health section of a book store, i came across your book. since then, i have often gifted copies of the creation of health for friends, as well as chat about the book.

just this weekend, i spoke with a friend about you after she shared with me a book by louise hay. i forwarded her a link to the creation of health description, and then i decided to check out what else you have on the web.

my archetype quiz results ... i am giving ArchetypeMe a whirl. this evening, i took my initial take of the archetype me quiz, which resulted in the following - 

 

35% intellectual | 22% visionary | 23% creative
20% other (of the remaining 7 archetypes)

my three archetypes are described as -

• intellectual ... if you're intellectual, you're always seeking knowledge and wisdom. also described in the archepedia as "While intellectuals enjoy giving answers, they delight most in asking questions, either of others or of the universe." (read more here)
  
• visionary ... visionary women see important things before others do and make new rules that change the world. also described in the archepedia as "Visionaries don’t mind being misunderstood as long as they get heard eventually." (read more here)
• creative ... the creative woman lives to express herself and is happiest when she is making something, whether it's a dress, video, novel, song, dessert, or website. also described in the archepedia as "Creative women live to create and express themselves. They’re happiest when they’re making something." (read more here)

- and the other 20% archetypes are characterized as - rebel, athlete, fashionista, queen/executive, advocate, spiritual, and caregiver. 

after reading the curated material of other archetypes, i also enjoyed the following as described in the archepedia -

• rebel ... "Societal values about how women should behave don’t ruin your fun." (read more here)
  
• spiritual ...  if you’re Spiritual, you are drawn to questions of faith and are concerned with consciousness. "Spiritual people rely on their dreams and their senses to understand the kinds of things that many of us don’t see or care to see." (read more here)

what is your archetype?

REFRESH shirlnutkin

button
pressed
25 things*

curious discoveries ... with each turn of a new year, self-reflection continues because of my curious discoveries mindset that i carry around.

2013 is generally no different, as i do a few tweaks of my 2012 mash-up for 2013.

my 2012 mash-up ... when i approached 2012, i did so inspired by pulling together elements of my your heart's desire (or the "YHD" thing i've done since 1999) + 3 words via chris brogan + tiny habits via bj fogg and behavior design.

mid-year(ish) readjustment ... within a few months of 2012, i pursued trimming down my mash-up and memorialized this as part of my springtime thanks. from spring cleaning, several activities, interests, and topics jumped out as being more prevalent than others - anthrocubeology, improvisation, servant leadership, and shirlnutkin-ness (aka the random sh** i find entertaining and thought-provoking). oddly, however, my blogging frequency definitely diminished through the year.  

2013 refresh and reignite ... given some math and a calendar, 2013 is my half-century mark, as well as a 50 by 50 fluevog goal. as i approach my 10 core YHD areas -

• health and body
• finances
• relationships
• home
• creative expression
• work
• spiritual
• travel and adventure
• special intentions
• possessions

- by infusing each with my 3 words for 2013 -

• deliberate
• expressive
• shift

- framed as part of my tiny habits "after ..., i will ...", i am looking forward to being more mindful of this shirlnutkin blog, contributing to for the love of vogs, and building upon anthrocubeology. and along the way, a little more eyebombing ...

Fluevog Prepare Hi | Steady with
Socksmith Squirrel and Acorn socks

 

 happy transition 

from 2012 

into the 2013 new year!

* that was kinda fun
revisiting 25 blah-blah things

 

who me?

Photo credit: Chip Simons (from I am a dog)

faux interviews ... and not so faux-moi. after waking up this morning (5:35 am), i wasn't feeling my morning meditation practice. my mind just wasn't holding still. so i decided to remind myself about bits and pieces of myself(?!) - reflecting and remembering (and not remembering) stuff.

a quickie stroll ... through this blog for tidbits and clues ...

• when and why i started blogging - to blog or not to blog, back in the beginning ...
• that meme that was going around years ago of 25 random things about one's self - 25 blah-blah things
• my response to my once-upon-a-time girl-blogger-crush (spinning girl) back in the day - inner artist unlocked a la SG
• my response to 20 questions from the american institute of graphic artists just because i'm not a graphic artist - inner graphic artist
  
• a twist on inside the actor's studio  - health month with shirlnutkin
• authentic happiness and 240 questions later - five signature strengths
• my myers-briggs type indicator - MBTI me as ENFP ...
• my DISC profile (with a dog chaser) - DISC me then dog me ...
• my life, my card responses - me next, i have a credit card ...
• daily posts during the 31 days in december 2010 with #reverb10 december fun  
• i turned a prime number a little less than 1.5 years ago (and will be a composite number that results from being multiplied by a prime number) - XLVII: i'm a prime number
• i am a bit addicted books, book darts, and fluevogs 
• my because-i-wasn't-asked-i-wrote-about-myself-anyway post during 2011's asian-pacific american heritage month - rogue share for ... (that followed a bit of a formula, thanks shiny penny andy)

and keeping the doggy thing ... my FAVE EVER in the world of - who am i? who are you? who cares? Gone to the Dogs has a faux "personality" test (see the "Game" link to the left of the website) ...

and woo-hoo!!!
once czesky terrier ...
interim mini schnauzer interim ...
and now ...

got me back that czesky terrier!

"weird hairy undercarriage"
(heehee - now go dog yourself!)

rogue share for ...

shiny penny andy ... my inspiration, pseudo-muse, and partner-in-crime instigator, shiny penny andy is the inspiration behind cuboga and "gimme ..." and many other frivolities. and during the month of may, which happens to be asian-pacific american heritage month, i'll share more about andy as he shares about himself. but first ...

... my rogue share - with a bit of a formulaic approach that shiny penny andy is privy ...

I’m a child of ‘60s, born in the southeastern united states and raised as a navy brat (in the states and iceland). having come to the bay area in the 70s, i was schooled in the public system with many other kids. i then went to a private school with many other kids, spending time in the east bay among a multi-cultural patchwork of western and eastern cultures - although predominantly western.

after high school, i went to u.c. berkeley after the years of social protest and when the filipino-americans were reaching parity. i studied my ass off (although not always successfully and for the duration of 5 years in the chem e department - ouch!) while i also participated in a cal student organization, pilipino american alliance, where i danced the tinikling and other filipino folk dances for a couple of social-cultural nights (when they were still in the ballroom vs. zellerbach). at one point, i did participate in a bit of a sleepover protest related to apartheid (for which i was not arrested).

figuring i eventually needed to get a job, i went to a bunch of job fairs and eventually came across a federal government opportunity at a job fair held at u.c. davis; i got an interview and a job offer, resulting in working in a san francisco office as a fed government employee. my initial foray into the government was brief - kind of a year and a half. i moved onto the private sector where i spent several years in consulting at a couple of firms - first in northern california and then in southern california. i then worked in the utility industry for several of years in san diego, until i had an epiphany in 1994 (a little shared here through reflections from greenleaf reading, here through intro in greenleaf class, and here through reverb10 "one word"). i wrote up my mission | vision | values. that is when simply quit my job with no "next step" carved out, other than planning my last day to be within a pay period - my last day being the anniversary of the federal clean air act. (the accounting department was a little annoyed at the mid-pay-period departure.)

on my first day of voluntary unemployment, (a) i drove up to orange county (california) for my first contract position, (b) i didn't wear pantyhose or a bra - unlike my former corporate job, and (c) i started thinking about how to engage my mission | vision | values. thanks to the initial inspiration of several solo business owners and small business owners, and thanks to many firms that didn't hire me because they thought my ideas of the future of the electric industry was crazy, i spent 13 years successfully serving as a consultant to those needing assistance with their air quality, energy projects, and environmental communications activities.

i started my business in the 90s, serving a variety of private and public sector clients and volunteering for various organizations. i liked the first-hand experience of running a business, working with people i respected, seeking interesting projects, traveling and speaking, and improving relationships among those involved with strategic environmental decision-making. ultimately, i decided to move back to northern california to be closer to family and to maintain my practice. however, in 2007 i put my business on-hold and re-entered the government system with the intent of continuing to engage my mission | vision | values. i am now a staffer at a government agency in san francisco - i work in cubeopolis - i am now a cubester.

every now and then, i reflect - for me, i believe strongly in the following (also shared here) -

MASTER THE ART OF LIVING

The person who is a master in the art of living makes little
distinction between their work and their play,
their labor and their leisure, their mind and their body,
their education and their recreation,
their love and their religion.

They hardly know which is which.
They simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace in whatever they do,
leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing.

To them, they are always doing both.

- where work is an expression of my life's passion. i am told by other cubesters that they are thankful for my excitement in engaging my mission | vision | values, and i also am told by other cubesters that work-is-work and that's all. where for me there may be a confluence of work and life - all i ask of myself and ideally hope for others at work is engaging the golden rule -

treat others as you would like to be treated

- and for me, i am challenged daily to remain connected to my values and principles (part of the 1994 epiphany moment)

The CATALYST’s VALUES are based on the following RELATIONAL ELEMENTS:

• Catalysts RESPECT that an individual is a member of multiple COMMUNITIES – FAMILY, SCHOOL, FAITH, EMPLOYER, TOWN, NATION, and WORLD.
• Catalysts ENCOURAGE each individual to be RESPONSIBLE for his or her community.
• Catalysts CHALLENGE each community to be ACCOUNTABLE to each individual.
• Catalysts APPRECIATE each individual in a community is UNIQUE yet shares common goals.
• Catalysts ACKNOWLEDGE that each community has a FINITE mix of individuals.

it is important to me to be part of a community that shares similar principles and values. i have seen the success of respectful and mindful communications in often divisive and litigious circumstances. and i have seen the hurt and sadness of those affected by difficult decisions and events.

as i am now pondering my querencia, i am looking forward to what events, activities, people, and simple moments come my way - so that i am aware and accepting that such experiences truly are opportunities to master the art of living.

nevertheless, whether work-is-work to allow for one to live or work is an expression of one's play - in cubeopolis, i have seen adults act and behave in mannerisms i am fairly certain they would not want their own children to act or behave.

how will you engage in life?
what are you ready to choose?
who is around you that is a teacher?
where can your talents be celebrated?
when will you start?

girlnutkin is just a prolific writer and a quirky chick. the formulaic bantering shared in this post is that of the author - dedicated to shiny penny andy. the banter is not a message to cubeopolis or cubesters - except for ...

thanks shiny penny andy
for making cubeopolis funner!

my little addiction ...

books ... i love to read, but more so, i enjoy going to the book store for my down time, especially after some sort of intense information processing - preparing for taxes, researching data, receiving emotional news, cranking on my cubeopolis project, or simply participating in my saturday class.

my retail therapy ... for some reason, walking through stacks, searching for a book or three, and reading book jackets of books i may read AND those that i would normally not read quiets my mind somehow (or maybe just allows me to process information differently - who knows?!).

and along with books, as shared in #10 of my 25 blah-blah things, i've dabbled in the more conventional retail therapy for wallets, purses, or shoes (fluevogs, of course), as well. (fortunately, i have been curbing the purse tendency with my little policy of buy one purse, release two purses.) but i digress.

bookcase buddies ... new, used additions (via half price books) to my bookcase (and nightstands, coffee table, end table, ...) - a somewhat random collection of books - two books which i was looking for, one i've thought about getting, and others that caught my cubeopolis-eye and may or may not be relevant at this time -

• vonnegut's player piano
• brooks's world war Z
• rousseau's the social contract and discourses
  
• magnetic quotes and humor's office wisdom
  
• de bono's six frames
• pierre's the artist in the office

random? ... perhaps. looking forward to seeing which books are keepers and which will be passed along.

got servant leadership? ...

foundations ... with @greenleafcenter and other participants, this saturday morning will be my first of 5 saturday morning classes in the foundations of servant leadership in the coming months with the greenleaf center for servant leadership.

blog post introduction ... although i did provide a short bio and a few comments on our course wiki, i figured i also would share a little more through my blog.

synchronicity ... in 1999 while i had been running my consulting practice for about 5 years, another small business owner, ron, introduced me to joseph jaworski's synchronicity: the inner path of leadership. ron and his management team and staff were given several books to read as part of being on a consulting team for a relatively large, international corporation that was preparing to expand their business to include cleaner energy sources such as renewables. jaworski's book, among several others, was mandatory reading. i was very intrigued that this kind of team building and foundation was happening as part of a consulting project. and although i was not part of that consulting team, ron's recommendation to read the book was enough for me to give it a whirl.

my leisure reading ... i took jaworski's book with me as part of a little 10-day vacation in July '99 - the first real vacation since leaving corporate america. part of my reason for leaving corporate america? my 1994 epiphany.

during my vacation, i was fascinated by what i read. and while jaworski mainly discussed his path, journey, moments, and insights, he also provided a bounty of resources and references - quite the bibliography. as a result, my book collection grew over several weeks. and even with my consulting practice on-hold, i certainly enjoy and continue reading various business, self-improvement, philosophy, and the occasional woo-woo books that, it turns out, are quite in line with servant leadership principles.

getting started ... at this point, all i can say is that i am intrigued and excited about engaging in this program. because i signed up a little later than i had intended, i am power-(re)reading don frick's robert k. greenleaf: a life of servant leadership, which i received this week, along with other class material. (thank you!) and as inscribed on a ring that i wear -

be the change you want to see in the world

uncharacteristically blog-quiet ...

indeed ... 5 posts over the past two weeks?! yes indeed - quite uncharacteristic. time for shirlnutkin to get back to characteristic. time to gather some nuts (again)!

for starters ... social food fun and yip-yap on saturday - a been-a-long-time breakfast buds morning, so the quiet will slowly let up. although not at much ruckus as breakfast buds new year's napkin fun at ella's, we caught up at 900 grayson - catching up on dating, non-dating, and what's dating(?) stories. trips planned and still in the planning stages. learned what it REALLY means when the host's mutters "it may be about 1 hour and 20 minutes". and finally, knowing that without planning a breakfast buds moment, there will be other breakfast buds moments in the future. (always fun times!)

side note: always love 900 grayson (on yelp and their site). it's not just their cheese grits - it's their almond macaroon, alfajores, specialty sausage offering, fresh ingredients, and fun-fun-service (which includes the decoder ring).

nudge from a friend ... thanks to my buddy, yvette, who gave me a little nudge saturday afternoon - "i hope that's simply because you're busy with other stuff and isn't reflective of discouragement of any sort."

my response ... my note back to yvette included words and phrases such as - "work ... pretty major ... sick mon + tues ... bundled up ... bit of discouragement .. slow train wreck ... catch-up ... life observed ... regular fun/creative things ... housecleaning ... funky-ness ...". with cubeopolis life being quite the contributor to how i spend my time - day-time AND a few evenings here and there - the past 2 weeks have spoken ... get clarity and (re)focus!

a bit o' social stuff ... however, amidst the meh-blogging over the past 2 weeks, i have had a bit o' social activities that have included attending comedy shows last week, a very awesome brunch where i met my friend's baby girl (10-months old) for the first time, happy hour and dinner with a buddy, and breakfast buds yip-yap (which included chomping on a TASTY(!) alfajor). ALSO, i have LOVED the flurry of FB fluevog sisterhood shares and comments among glady, dorothy, and joanne.

reconnecting with what i've missed ... as i am playing catch-up, i realize that it is time to reconnect and get my ass in gear. for good or bad, i'm still in the search mode as i was back in mid-january. time to get jump back onto love2011 and health month posts, and given the out-and-about food stuff i've been doing, a few food posts are in the future. the daily reverb10 has evolved into a monthly reverb11 or re11, with my contribution to february's prompt over here, and a yet-to-be-posted-response for the march re11 prompt (hmmm ... what a prompt?!)

i am a couple of months behind on my nutshells, with january as the most recent nutshell (though february is teed up somewhere in my drafts). and for me, there is the catch-all yhd2011, for which i recommitted in march. B3 (or blogger gals) is still a go (yippee!!!), and although kit's cyccyl (on facebook and yet-to-be-revamped site) is in hibernation, i still keep my kit kick going on. and in the world of cubeopolis, intending to continue to be involved activities that make the workplace an enriching experience.

and a few adders in the mix ... with my recommittment to yhd2011, i am using my droid's springpad and thinking space (mind mapping) much more so i can capture, organize, share, and act on ideas that keep flying ... and just in case my phone is not around, i've got my purse-friendly paper-pen moleskine grid journal and action runner notepad. while doing a bit of human-spring-cleaning, i am getting read to work with human performance expert, tracy, at t2 performance solutions, and i am signed up for a greenleaf center course on the foundations of servant leadership, which i was introduced back in 1999.

to r|cat or not to r|cat? that amidst cubeopolis ... and go figure, for whatever reason, i have been pondering a complete overhaul of r|cat - not at all what it once was, while retaining the same vision and values. dunno where that's coming from, but i'm going with it for now to see what pops out at the end. meanwhile, yes, i'm sticking with cubeopolis.

oh those?
that's the pair of fluevogs i'll own
after this week's cubeopolis
OR MAYBE
i'll get them sooner and
sleep with stare at them
THEN
wear them after this week's cubeopolis

gathering nuts: shirlnut-WHO?!

girl nutkin ... who the f**k is shirlnutkin, anyway? and what the F**K is this girlnutkin thing she blogging about?

no answer key, yet ... i am still working on an answer(s) beyond what my header to this blog says ...

"... random yippity-yap stories & ponderings & discoveries about transforming, pop culture, writing, cubeopolis life, and relationships"

and beyond my girlnutkin who? blurb.
(help me, spock!)

and if you DO NOT want to read about my morning neurosis ... skip to the bottom for what it all means? (though i still don't have an answer,yet) all the other stuff in between is just my brain-dump about my not-so-consistent message about what girlnutkin and shirlnutkin are all about.
this past friday's happy hour blah-blah ... alex and michelle asked what i blog about. with no help from the margarita (on the rocks, with salt, thank you) i cradled, i attempted to recollect my blog's header and my little blurb. poorly answered, i babbled about ...

"... it's just random. it's like a life journal. blah-blah-blah-diddy-blah-blah ... dating. stuff. blah-blah, blah-blah-blah. ... you know ...? i like to write. it's like blah-blah long emails. oh! i had this one post about blah-blah. (insert laughter) and then i like posting about food and restaurants. (oh my gosh! i'm still talking!!! i'm-getting-tired-of-my-voice-and-myself. snooze.). and like, oh! i lived in san diego. here's why i started a blog. (shit! i'm answering a question they didn't ask. blame it on the margarita.) moving ... but then there was this eviction ... (they stopped listening. good. i can stop now.) so, you know. my blog. yeah ... you know ... ?!"

NO! if i don't know, then alex and michelle are not going to know (or give a rat's ass).
technorati-what? ... meanwhile, this week, my technorati claim was complete. i don't even know why i did this, other than someone told me i should do so for my random-blog-topics blog. so i did. check marks a task completed on my springpad.

here is my show & tell. someone want to tell me what it means? (i don't read owner manuals, so i haven't read up on technorati.) here is the description i provided - albeit something i can later edit ...

"girlnutkin in the BA is a journal-type blog of random yippity-yap stories & ponderings & discoveries about my interests in transforming, pop culture, writing, cubeopolis life, and relationships. transforming includes self-improvement and self-reflection through promoting a cultural transformation, spiritual awareness, and creative expression. pop culture includes all things entertainment, fashion, art, and nostaligika. writing includes my expressing myself and exploring my writing abilities. cubeopolis life includes perspectives (serious and snarky) of the conventional work-force environment. relationships include perspectives and experiences with dating, family, and friends. girlnutkin also is a an on-going collection (aka flashbacks) of former blogs' posts."

(too many words. i'm tired reading. i stopped after the first sentence.)

blogger bosom buddies (or B3) ... then there is this fabu foursome of B3 of which i feel fortunate to have been invited to be part! kay, rebecca, yvette, and i comprise B3.

kay did a FABU post of our group (over here or click the image to the right). i like what she shared about girl nutkin ...

"Shirley has been using her blog as a way of connecting and getting inspired by others who think alike. In the past she had done a lot of brainstorming via email with friends and is now sharing via her blog. She describes her blog as "random yippity-yap stories & ponderings & discoveries."

side note: B3 humble beginnings ... yvette brought the four of us together (virtually) late last year. we met on monday, jan 3 (telephony). we started B3 at the beginning of the year and plan to meet weekly, holidays aside. (yes, that means 2 meetings to date.) from the two 30-min teleconference calls (colorado and california) we've had, we have already accomplished quite a bit -getting to know each other, setting weekly goals, email exchanges, group name, a google group, and because we each have a bit of project management in us, we are establishing a general framework to support each of our interests, while supporting each other.
this morn's attempt at shirlnut-WHO? ... i shared with B3 yet another version of what my blog is about, within the context of how any of the B3 gals getting traffic to our blog, which actually has NOT been an objective of mine ...

"my blog's purpose is not to get traffic. the purpose of my blog? ... and I do **not** have a message - other than I crack myself up and I have alot of sh** in my head that I enjoy writing about. I have **not** tried to market my blog (myself), which is more of a "Life Journal" - life observed / experienced. It's really (as I described to Yvette at one point) another "email" to my friends. I have dear friends on the East Coast that check-in. It's another place I can point friends to things that make me laugh, my rants and raves, whatever topic is on my mind, etc. Or if someone has a topic related to my interests that they want me to write about, then I do."

however, i also reminded myself of branding and shared a previous post (over here) about the value of branding.what does this all mean? ... i am in a creative space - open to ideas! i am in this funky fun space where i have this compulsion to "gather my nuts" so to speak - and have a clear message (even if it is just a life-journal) about my girl nutkin blog (so i don't bore me and others ... more .. when i describe my blog).

AND i am endeavoring to develop a separate blog with a message - my message. i envision my message to be the bigger umbrella over my idea about cultural transformation & apprentern shared as part of my post on tyler's guerrilla influence formula post and to be part of my core story (reverb10), and to bring together my yhd for 2011, especially, creative expressions, relationships, work, and special intentions.

wishing myself focus and fun!

* happy hour, technorati,
blogger bosom buddies (B3),
librarything, more B3. this post.

f|break + f|back: me next, i have a credit card

remember the my life, my card campaign by american express years ago? i do. i remember first seeing a magazine ad with ellen degeneres. back in 2006, i decided that although i was likely NOT to have an ad placed with my answers, i would interview myself; my repost of that is below. but first, remember the fun ellen amex commercials? i do. loved the animals commercial. and about ellen degeneres? love her. LOVE. HER.

enjoy this fiber break + flashback with ellen (over here)
for ~2 minutes with a great cast of animals!

"craig ... shelly ... francis ... carol ... roger ... frank ...
... darryl ... andy ... shelly"
"does this side look heavy to you?"

(repost from 12/20/06, with a few updates)

my name: shirlnutkin

• childhood ambition: to learn how to draw, write nifty stories, and shuffle cards like the casino folks (!!!)
  
• fondest memory: walking back from brunch w/my folks, while they visited me in san diego (circa 1995), and my dad totally congratulates me on taking the first step to start my own business ... after i scribbled ideas & stuff on the paper place mat.
  (well, then there were also the family dinners over holidays (or any dinner, actually) when my brother asks, "pull my finger!")
• soundtrack: off top of my head, two come to mind - Garden State ... Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
• retreat: why yes, i would like one!
• wildest dream: (i got this covered!) maybe not "wildest" but is memorable and "huh? what was that all about?!" kind of sentiment upon waking up ... walking around in a park area where there is a swimming pool full of floating, rolled-up pairs of white tube socks and a hot dog cart nearby ... and i'm trying to get to a building behind the pool that has used office furniture that i can purchase ... and to do so, i have to rock climb up the side of the funky building with the office furniture ...
• proudest moment: graduating from college (phew!!!)
  
• biggest challenge: staying focused (sort of) (... and keeping my car's back seat clutter-free)
  
• alarm clock: no machine for me; just something internal - and i'm usually up & about not later than 6:30 AM on weekdays and not later than 8 AM on weekends (and i don't even have a dog, yet!)
• perfect day: waking up with option to do whatever it is i really just want to do that day - with no external (or internal) pressures ... and as part of that day --- walk around freely in sun, shade, and mild weather ... smell of the ocean, grass and trees ... doing a l'il reading of something ... spend some time with friends/family and make new friends, perhaps ... laugh heartily over a meal ... and at some point during that day, being able to say "thank you" to someone and saying "you're welcome" back to someone else. a simple day can be just the same as a perfect day! (oh yeah, and i'm on vacation, too!)
  
• first job: cashier at The Treasury (a now defunct department store), and if i was really lucky, i also worked snack bar!
• indulgence: laptop bags, hand bags, backpacks, plumber bags, and those things to carry my wallet and/or my computer
  
• last purchase: an alien bobblehead (souvenir) from space aliens grill & bar in bismarck, north dakota
• favorite movie: splendor in the grass
• inspiration: harold and his purple crayon ... and pigdog
  

my life: is in transition
my card: is really nice looking (for a business card; thanks, tanya!)

240 questions later ...

my top five strengths,
aka signature strengths ...

• zest, enthusiasm, and energy
• fairness, equity, and justice
• bravery and valor
• creativing, ingenuity, and originality
• gratitude

wanna take the on-line test? ... this is the result of taking an on-line questionnaire, VIA survey of character strengths, from the university of pennsylvania's authentic happiness over here. it's part of positive psychology. (first learned about this from 80 20 time.)

of the 24 strengths - with the top five listed above - the remaining 19 strengths in descending order are as follows:

Nos. 6-12 ... humor and playfulness (#6) . capacity to love and be loved (#7) . curiosity and interest in the world (#8) . kindness and generosity (#9) . leadership (#10) . love of learning (#11) . honesty, authenticity, and genuineness (#12) . . .

Nos. 13-18 ... hope, optimism, and future-mindedness (#13) . perspective (wisdom) (#14) . social intelligence (#15) . forgiveness and mercy (#16) . judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness (#17) . citizenship, team work, and loyalty (#18) . . .

Nos. 19-24 ... industry, diligence, and perseverance (#19) . appreciation of beauty and excellence (#20) . spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith . (#21) . caution, prudence, and discretion (#22) . modesty and humility (#23) . self-control and self-regulation (#24).

just a l'il fyi from penn's authentic happiness website about Dr. Martin Seligman ... "Positive Psychology, a new branch of psychology which focuses on the empirical study of such things as positive emotions, strengths-based character, and healthy institutions. His research has demonstrated that it is possible to be happier — to feel more satisfied, to be more engaged with life, find more meaning, have higher hopes, and probably even laugh and smile more, regardless of one’s circumstances. Positive psychology interventions can also lastingly decrease depression symptoms. The research underlying these rigorously tested interventions is presented in the July/August edition of the American Psychologist, the journal of the American Psychology Association." and when i took the authentic happiness questionnaire this morning, compared to others (e.g., age, gender, etc.) who have taken the web-based test, my score was in top 10 percentile of the answers.

remember, it's okay to be happy!
(thanks for visiting my blog ...)

it's why i chose cubeopolis ...

... so there! and please don't be a dream zapper (defined over here).

my wishy-washy-when|how-should-i-leave-cubeopolis-and-why-am-i-here annoying blah-blah (a self-imposed energy/psychic vampire speak) has been tempered. last week i expressed my interest in a position elsewhere in cubeopolis. and by expressed - i mean that i submitted cover memo, a 1-page career history, and my mission|vision|values statements to another part of cubeopolis.

this is a major milestone ... not because it may look like i want to leave my current position and not because it may look like i want to go to another floor in the building. it is a major milestone because my stream-of-consciousness writing of my cover memo resulted in my writing why i felt a could bring a unique perspective to the position ... and i was reminded about the primary reason why i (re)joined cubeopolis after nearly 13 years of business ownership (which, for the record, is on-hold). there are many other reasons - however, i realize those are secondary.

a little background ... i have been at cubeopolis for a tad bit more than 3 years since starting back in late 2007. i often would answer questions about how long i have been at cubeopolis by noting the number of years, weeks, and days. (my 2-weeks-after-i-started thoughts over here) i have found myself occasionally frequently questioning not only my re-entering the traditional workforce after almost 13 years of being self-employed but also questioning why i should stay in the position i'm at and stay in a cubeopolis life-style.

stream-of-consciousness writing ... my transmittal cover memo was a product of stream-of-conscious writing. however, that product came out only after about a 2-hour period of on/off attempts at writing a transmittal memo that spoke to the job description elements. i realized as the submittal deadline approached, my writer's block would do me no good, and i resorted to the obvious - type what's in my heart and make my head write it relatively clearly and concisely (enough clearly and enough concisely).

the result? ... below is the content (for the most part) of the transmittal cover memo with a few redacted-ish/edited parts (in italics) for a more blog-friendly post.

Thank you for this opportunity to submit my resume. I am interested in being considered for the cubeopolis position announced. I am currently with another part of cubeopolis downstairs from you all. Although I have only been with cubeopolis since September 2007 and have not had frequent interactions with your cubeopolis or other grand poobahs, I believe that in addition to my knowledge of the shit i know REALLY well – a discipline area where this regional organization and the organization's mothership are faced with several complex and high profile issues – there are at least two reasons for which I can bring a unique perspective to your cubeopolis:

• I have had experience as a business owner.
• My personal mission, vision, and values are well-suited for your cubeopolis.
  

For these two reasons, I explain each in more detail below. I also have attached* the following:

• a one-page career history, and
• two pages presenting my mission, vision, and value statements.

Business owner experience
My experience as a business owner demonstrates several qualitative, quantitative, and human resource skills advantageous for the cubeopolis position announced. In short, through my business experience, I have demonstrated my abilities for working with a variety of people, along with the proverbial wearing many hats, juggling several balls, fighting multiple fires, and herding cats (and wet cats, nonetheless). I understand the necessity of being focused on goals and objectives, adhering to commitments, and managing expectations, while assuring contingencies for potential worst-case scenarios. References from former clients, subcontractors, prime contractors, agency staff/management with whom I interacted, and interns can be provided upon request.

As background, prior to joining cubeopolis, for 13 years I actively ran my own consulting practice, kick-ass-shiznit, that provided air quality services with particular emphasis in the energy industry, especially as the industry continued to evolve through electric utility restructuring. When I started as a solo-practitioner in 1994, I primarily served as a one-on-one consultant to small businesses, other consultants, and environmental professionals faced with air permitting and compliance issues. Eventually, within 4 years, I evolved my practice into regularly teaming with other colleagues who specialized in environmental services, risk management, and health and safety. By 2007, kick-ass-shiznit teams were known for our ability to work collaboratively across disciplines – building lasting, productive working relationships among our clients, customers, and agency staff/management.

With respect to my role as an environmental professional and business owner, I served as project or task manager, as well as a team member on many environmental-related projects – often being directly involved in day-to-day decision-making and hands-on activities, entrusted by my clients. Beyond air quality issues, I worked directly or indirectly with other environmental discipline issues, e.g., hazardous materials, storm water, hazardous waste, emergency response, health and safety. I also worked among construction management, project financing, and project commissioning teams.

As a business owner, my success at executing tasks was coupled with my ability to run a successful business – marketing, business development, scheduling, strategic planning, and coaching and mentoring. A unique aspect of my consulting practice was an internship program that I designed where volunteer interns received direct, applicable, and challenging experience that has positioned them well for subsequent job opportunities. And finally, as part of my involvement in the energy sector, I was an active, volunteer participant involved with conference program development and co-conference chairing of several earlier conferences of the former california organization addressing distributed energy, which has been transformed to a new named-organization still addressing distributed energy.

My personal Mission, Vision, and Values Statements
Regardless of my professional affiliations, involvement with volunteer organizations, and internal or external customers for which I have served at any given time, since 1994, I became keenly aware of my commitment to the environment and the need for productive and open communications. To reinforce my commitment, I have held to a set of mission, vision, and values statements.

In 2007, I made a purposeful decision to join cubeopolis. Applying for the position was not a decision I took lightly; accepting the position also was not a decision I took lightly. However, because I believed that cubeopolis would be a place where I could continue to exercise and grow my mission, vision and values, while also learn from many others who are equally passionate about the environment and have chosen the role of a civil servant, I share these statements as the second reason for which I believe I can bring a unique energy and a type of creativity to the cubeopolis position announced at your cubeopolis.

the milestone, you ask? ... no more energy/psychic vampire-ing. this gave me the opportunity to express in writing a part of who i believe i am (my little narcissistic moment) being invited to interview would be icing on the cake.

see ya energy/psychic vampire!
(now i gotta learn now to manage dream zappers)

*i'll later post
my mission - vision - values statements
in a blog post ... gotta get my commute to cubeopolis on!