Dont Be Defeated - Be Empowered

Taking a job out of fear and desperation will never satisfy you for very long, nor will it last all that long either, and before you know it your back to square one. As I said; a job is nothing more than "just over broke", and who wants to live like that!

I realize how desperate situations in life can be; I lived that existance for many years, fighting and struggling just to make ends meet, if I was lucky. Many of the jobs out there have little to no growth. You can't see a future there, and for many of the JOB's out there, you probably wouldn't want too. You chose that position, for lack of a better word for one reason; a PAYCHEQUE. Not because you found an exilerating rush from waiting on people. or sitting at a desk and staring at three cubicle panels, or praying for the sale that would put your pay over the four hundred marker on next weeks paycheque. I know this because I did all of these things, and guess what? I got a great big "YOU'RE FIRED!" from everyone of them.

Eventually, I started to figure things out. I didn't want to hear the words "YOU'RE FIRED!" again. So who could I work for that wouldn't fire me no matter how badly I screwed up? ME!! I am my perfect boss.

Don't get me wrong here, the road to being self employed was no picnic, but neither was the life I had before. So, I had to make a decission. "Do I want to live in fear of not performing or living up to someone elses expectations, and always wondering when I would hear the two dreaded words? Or, did I want to feel empowered, secure and confident every morning when I got out of bed and ready and eager to get to work on something that I was doing for me?"

First I asked myself, "Self; what makes me unique and different from everyone else? What are my strengths and weaknesses? And what can I do that will get me excited every morning and keep me motivated to want to work so hard? Once I started to think about it, I was amazed at the answers I found. I used those answers and formed a list of all the qualities I possess. All my positive qualities on one side and all my negative qualities on the other. Once I completed my list I realized that in order for me to have any share of success with my new business, I had to also have success in my personal life. That was the scariest part of this process. I had to look at the good, the bad and the ugly. Believe me, there was alot more bad and ugly, than I ever cared to admit. But ultimately, that was the problem; I never changed my situation,because I never wanted to change myself. I didn't want to admit that I had flaws, even though they were staring me square in the face on a daily bases.Once I narrowed down who I was and what I was dealing with, and what I wanted to do with my life, and what I wanted to do with my life, I quickly started to see major changed in myself. The positives started to out way the negatives. I made a decission to achieve the things I wanted in life, which was difficult for me, because I never stuck to any decissions I made. But I did it, and those negative character flaws, turned into positive character attributes. I was now able to make a strong confident decissions that turned my life around. I finally added value to my life, and everyone in it.

Whenever I started to feel negative or defeated, I simply reminded myself of the obsticles I have overcome and was able to see a clear path to where my life was heading. I would often tell myself whenever I fell into a slump, "the only one who will hold you back is you, so stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back to doing what you love to do!" That couching always got me through the tough times and still does today. I needed to build the foundation of my life, my family and my business. I stopped living my life feeling defeated and I started living my life feeling empowered and determined.

This is an excert from the book "YOU'RE FIRED!" written by author Tristan Becker, at http://www.yourefiredbooks.com. This is an powerful and inspiring book about adversity and the willingness to make changes in your life. Turning negative situations into life changing positives. This book is also available in print version at http://www.lulu.com in the self-improvement section.

Tricia Bowers


More Resources

Youre Bright And Talented -- TooT Your Own Horn --
Obviously, there are RIGHT ways to move UP the ladder. Being in the right place certainly has tremendous benefits.
60 Hour Work Weeks - Can You and Your Career Survive Them
In the 80s while I was an account executive for AT&T most people in my organization worked normal (for then) business hours. By that I mean they arrived close to 8 or 8:30AM and left between 5 and 5:30PM.
Listening for Interview Success
Yes I know that we usually think of interviews as us doing all the talking, but the reality is different. At least 40% of the time we should be listening, and what we hear will have an enormous effect on what we say.
Surviving in Corporate Amercia: Part 1 - Email
There is a saying that goes, "The best offense is a great defense". Nowhere is that applied better in the corporate world than in the intelligent use of email.
Helping Mid-Life Employees Find Meaning
People work to live, but most also live to work. A study on the meaning of work conducted back in 1987 revealed a strong attachment to work as a way of life.
Searching for Jobs Online
Searching for jobs online is easier than ever, but also more confusing than ever. Any Internet user doing a job search online will find that they can choose from hundreds of national employment listing web sites and the numbers can often be staggering.
Your First Summer Work in the UK - Picking Strawberries The Right Way
Most jobs on farms in the UK involve picking strawberries or berries in general, raspberries and possibly other berries with which I have not have the lucky chance to pick.Picking strawberries is very demanding and hard work and if this being your first summer job, then it will take lots of patience and clear mind.
The Five Most Common - And Most Avoidable - Résumé Errors
Writing an effective résumé can certainly be challenging. There are numerous rules and none of them apply 100% of the time.
Personal Contacts: The Key to Successful Networking
When the word "networking" is used, we tend to think of upwardly mobile college graduates with a bursting day timer in hand chatting up the competition at business meetings, conventions, or workshops. The average blue/pink/white collar worker disconnects, feeling that they could never be that pushy, don't know enough people to even start the attempt, and that the method only works in competitive business environments.
Retirement: Is It A Career Change Option?
Retirement might be the answer when you ask yourself "why do I want to make a career change" and you decide that what you actually want is not so much a career change as to stop what you've been doing altogether.This may be a good choice for some - those who can afford it - but not necessarily the right choice for all.
Competency Based Interviews - 6 Steps to Success!
Competency based interviews are intended to get the best from you, the candidate, whilst also fulfilling the needs of the organisation to get the very best person for the job. There are some easy steps to make the most of yourself and have a much better chance of success.
Successful Job Interview Tips
Congratulations! You've finally landed that job interview you've been waiting for. Now the real work begins! Remember, resumes don't get jobs; they merely get you in the door.
Mystery Shopping for Fun and Profit
How would you like to get paid to go shopping? That's right! Get paid to shop for clothes, eat in restaurants, watch movies, play golf, travel, and so on.You can have your cake and eat it too! Enjoy the best ofboth worlds.
Job Interviews: Answering Whats Your Greatest Weakness?
Many interview guides advise candidates to answer the common "What's your greatest weakness?" question with a positive trait disguised as a weakness. For example, "I tend to expect others to work as hard as I do," or "I'm a perfectionist.
The Computer-Friendly Resume
The evolution of technology is changing the traditional methods for job searching and recruiting. More and more companies are now relying on computers to initiate the process of hiring and are filling their database with candidates with skills that are easily searchable.
Genes and Work Ethic
If you have good genes, you are blessed. If they are exceptional, you might be successful on that alone.
Job Hunting Tips: Organizing Your Attack
Looking for work is an energy-devouring ordeal, often leading to running in circles and not getting anywhere. A systematic approach can help you focus on your goal, avoid wasting the energy you need to conserve for interviews and employer contacts, and lower your stress level.
Your Salary: What Are You Worth?
Why is it a good idea to determine your worth? Whether you plan to stay at your current job or seek employment elsewhere, your assessment of your worth can become a bargaining chip should you choose to negotiate for higher compensation. It's a reference point on your way to improving not only your standard of living but your sense of self as well.
Business Experience is YOUR Security Cover
Some may want to interpret "independent" to mean WITHOUT others. None of us are truly independent or able to make it in life alone.
Cover Letter Sample -- For the Corporate Flight Attendant
Writing a cover letter to send with your résumé can be both confusing and frustrating. What exactly should you say? Are you saying too much? Are you only speaking about your needs vs.

More Careers & Employment Information:

Related Articles

Can Nurses Be Entrepreneurs?
Yes, Nurses can be entrepreneurs. In today's market place nursing has a unique service to offer not only to hospitals but nursing homes, private care and doctor offices.
How to Change Career Horses in Mid-Stream
You'll get wet but the reward just might be a more fulfilling ride!In Survival is Not Enough, author Seth Godin says change is the "new normal." Rather than thinking of work as a series of stable times interrupted by moments of change, Godin says we "must now recognize work as constant change, with only occasional moments of stability.
Rich Career, Poor Career
What makes for a rich career? It is more than just the salary and benefits. A rich career is one that suits your talents and provides an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution, as well as one that provides the right compensation.
Stacking The Deck In Your Favor
Many people do not bother to look at their own magnificence and without that view it is not likely that we will recognize the need for strategies to maximize our strengths. When we buy an outfit for a special affair, we automatically try to coordinate each piece so that they enhance one another and amplify our sense of "looking good" from head to toe.
Learning a Foreign Language
Many people love learning languages or would like to learn a language and use their language skills in a job. In today's global economy the demand for language skills continues to grow as governments, businesses and organisations build relationships with foreign interests.
Is Your Resume Doing ITS Job?
Is it opening doors to new opportunities? Does it compel the reader to think, "Hey! This applicant can ?put that one on top of the 'call in for an interview' pile!" Does it showcase what you have accomplished for past employers as well as what you can accomplish for the potential employer?Your resume is your personal marketing tool that must immediately convey to the reader that you CAN and WILL be a positive driving force to further their organization's mission. They have a need to QUICKLY get thru all the resumes received in response to their job posting so you've got to QUICKLY grab their attention.
So You Want To Be a Nurse When You Grow Up?
You're interested in becoming a nurse. How do you get into the field? First of all, you need to assess your basic interest.
Handling the Dreaded Why Did You Leave? Question
If you left your last job under less-than-ideal circumstances, you probably dread the "Why did you leave?" question that almost always comes up at job interviews. Here's how to handle it.
Career Searching: A Vision Without A Plan is a Hallucination
Success is not always something you necessarily find when you arrive. It may be the journey that gets you there.
Want to Work for Yourself? Those Dream Jobs Dont Just Happen, Theyre Created
While traveling in northern California last October, I happened to tune into a local newscast. The newscaster was telling his co-anchor that the speaker at that morning's Rotary Club meeting had to cut his presentation short because he was being flown down to Disneyland to carve elaborate Halloween pumpkins for the park festivities.
Business Dress for Women: Making Impact
Buying a suit can be an important investment when you are trying to improve your look for business or career advancement. Wearing a standard off-the rack suit for business or a job interview does not always mean success.
Create A Rappin' Resume
(Percussion sounds emanating from who knows where while you listen to the cadence of the words below.)It's time to sell yourself.
Dissatisfied With Your Job? Stop Putting Your Attention on What You Dont Want!
If I were to ask you the percentage of time you spend thinking about what you don't want, what would it be? And the percentage of time thinking about what you do want?Experience with my clients has shown me that most of us spend a lot more time thinking about what we don't want. Some examples when it comes to our job include:-I hate my commute.
Writing CVs and Resumes for Professionals with Examples
Tips on writing your Skills and Achievement Based CV (ABCV) by Mike Kelley at First ImpressionsConducting a job search is like marketing and selling a product -- with YOU as the product. The best way to market yourself is to go through this sales sequence.
Five Mistakes That Can Derail Your Job Search
No matter how much time and energy you invest in job seeking, critical mistakes can derail your efforts. Consider the following job search scenario.
Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps
The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over.
For Effective Decisions, Look Beyond Career Stereotypes
You've probably been taught not to stereotype people based on race, religion or sex. But when you make a career or business decision, do you still make decisions based on stereotypes?"Insurance sales reps must be gregarious.
4 Niche Job-Search Tips
Looking for a job on the Internet can be daunting. Where do you start? What Web sites are best for your industry?If you're suffering from "job search overwhelm," take heart.
Tips for Terrific Telephone Interviews
Telephone interviews don't just happen; they are the result of action you have taken. For example, when you are networking and the company representative becomes interested in your skills; when a company representative calls you in response to a résumé you have sent; or when you have previously set up the telephone meeting.
Out Recruit The Competition
We hear from our clients that they "hope the candidate takes the job." Hiring a candidate shouldn't be a guessing game.