3 Tips to re-interpret the apparent slump

Discouraged job-seekers and transitional career people approach me for advice. They frequently ask if there isn't something wrong with them.  After all, they say they set career goals and find themselves repeatedly put off or discouraged by prospective employers. These seekers focus on what they sense is lost or missing. If you feel stuck in a rut or like you're going nowhere fast, consider these tips:

1)Examine your patterns. Its easy to assume not getting what you think you want in a job or career means you're doing something wrong. Its common for people to self-criticize, punish and self-reprimand when goals aren't reached as planned. It makes sense to deduce you have something to do with your results.  Yet, couldn't you perceive things differently? What if you began to realize not getting certain jobs was a blessing? What if you realized you've been developing transferable skills you didn't notice before? What if the Universe is nudging you in more suitable directions? Rather than jump to conclusions about your glass of skills and abilities being half empty, you can decide to see your glass of potential as being more than half full. This invites you to make choices to boost esteem and project greater self-worth.

2) Raise self-awareness. You may think you want to land a particular job, but you may also be unaware that the vibes you send out say the opposite. When behaviour you project contradicts your beliefs, that can come across as less-than-convincing to prospective employers. How well you know yourself influences your sense of success in any workplace. If you force yourself to apply for jobs in environments where you feel uncomfortable, where you don't feel good, where you're not being true to yourself, then this explains why you aren't getting more positive results. Why not regard each job, each interview, each application process, as a learning experience? Its also helpful to take steps to raise your awareness about why you are in your current conditions and to re-evaluate this in relation to where you wish to be.

3) Seek external guidance. Each of us can evolve and learn about ourselves on our own. Yet, it can also be helpful to reach out and ask for assistance. Everyone benefits from help sometime. It may require that you swallow your pride and admit you could be more effective with help. Remind yourself successful people understand the value of advisors and specialists to guide them. You have lots of options. Ever consult career counsellors? You can do assessments to narrow the focus of your true skills and interests. Career fairs, conferences, or exhibitions on subject areas of interest are great networking venues. You never know who you will meet or how they could open your mind to possibilities.  Keep an open-mind.  Internet forums can be useful too.  Forget about your local libary? You may also choose to hire a coach to guide you on a focused self-analysis. You are only limited by your own mind.

Open your mind to a new approach

Wealth creation is a concept that invites you to gain new insight into your deepest resistence. Rather than aggravate your seemingly natural desires, this post offers you occasion to reflect on your motives, underlying beliefs and what you really want:

1) Take steps to understand why your life is not more abundant. Abundance presents itself in different packages. Its grounded in your perception and levels of self-understanding. The opposite of abundance is scarcity. If you sense scarcity in your life, and desire to create more abundance, this relates back to reasons why you don’t love yourself. That’s right. Lack of self-love and lack of unconditional self-acceptance simply invite more forms of wanting and poverty. How you feel mirrors what you project and experience. Rest assured, anyone can reverse an apparent trend or pattern in themselves. Acknowledging what you don't want is growth.

2) Learn to relieve your burdens. Whatever you think you wish for, from things like more money, material objects and relationships you don’t have, to more seductive lifestyles and conditions, it may seem reasonable. Yet, such a focus is ego’s way of distracting you from key confrontations with self-conditioned beliefs that keep you where you are. Why do you think these perceived forms of wealth have strings attached? You can only achieve such wealth provided you retain your long-standing beliefs. You're not allowed to change. What is the alternative? Are you willing to refine your vocabulary?

3) Let go of what you think you want. You may have heard that if you follow your passions, listen your true self, then, opportunities for wealth will arise. Before you notice them however, you must be in the mindset that allows you to notice and seize them. Giving up ego is the issue. As you learn to relinquish visions of what you think you want, you begin to develop a new kind of trust and faith that your life will evolve in your best interest. What you get are a myriad of learning opportunities to empower you in new ways. This implies you’re ready to transcend certain fears.

4) Realize the benefits of giving up defenses. It pays to evolve to where wealth creation becomes something you associate with strengthening your core identity. It’s not something tangible you’re given or, that you reach for as a means of turning away from who you really are. Procrastinating, complaining, making excuses, all come back to the issue of avoidance. The more you refuse opportunities to build abundance, the more you postpone valuable life lessons and the basis for real fulfillment. Exert effort to defend your current position as long as you like. Each of us learns at our own pace. Giving up defenses is part of embracing who we are.

5) Embrace a shift in consciousness. Abundant wealth arises as you realize goodness and prosperity are already within yourself. True wealth isn’t external. It isn’t generated on the stock market or anywhere described in words by three-dimensional thinking. Wealth originates in other dimensions, those that teach you to experience and to know love help you believe you don’t need anything else. The truth must be felt to be real. Other things that come are simply icing on a cake.

Get to the crux

Some people get confused about the requirements for success.  It doesn't mean you have to foresee and control each step of self-development.  Who you see reflected in the mirror isn't the only influence on the direction of your life. 

What if you began to understand success means far more than your state of mind?  What if each of your thoughts and behaviours was engaged in a much larger process aimed at prompting you to give up what you assume are fundamental beliefs?  Would you get to the crux?  Would you confront your fear of being successful?

1) Free will.  If you are to change any aspect of yourself or your life, then this must be your choice.  As far as your ego is concerned, 'success' means encouraging you to stay as you are.  Left to your own ingrained desires, you might not choose to confront issues or situations which would enable you to redefine success.  You get to decide what will happen.  Which direction beckons?

2) Rediscover yourself.  Success doesn't require you to become something you're not.  Its all about deciding its safe and desirable to let go of and relationships, beliefs, feelings, conditions or emotions that aren't you.  Evolution is a gradual process.  Its a matter of rediscovering what you already sense in your awareness but have temporarily forgotten.  Give up what you have been conditioned to assume. 

Re-assess what you really possess

You may come to view situations you don't love or appreciate as problems, headaches, or even nagging distractions. Yet, what if you reviewed these supposed problems and reframed them as lessons instead? The nature of your awareness would begin to sense problems as opportunities. How would this step change you life?

Consider states of being like our completeness and perfection are unchanging. Human beings evolve with opportunities to become more conscious of such reasons for inner peace. Yet, many people grow up to live in ways that separate them from original connections with their spirit. Since you're still learning, this includes you.

Beliefs are human inventions. What you learn from parents and society about views of right and wrong all contributes to your learning process. You learn from how you're treated, how your emotional needs are defined, ignored or repressed. You deduce whether your sense of identity is acceptable, or whether you should feel dissatisfied, frustrated, incomplete and unworthy. In essence, humans grow to create and reinforce false beliefs about themselves. Now, what can we do to shift mindsets?

Imagine that you exist to learn to let go of and disassociate yourself from what you believe. Would it be unthinkable to accept that your fears about what you're not create all your issues? One thing you can do is teach yourself any feelings of discomfort are burdens you can release. They stem from situations and perceptions that aren't really yours. Reassess what you really possess. It isn't what you assume.

Petrified hedgehog

Analysis of the week on dream submitted by Anonymous in Melbourne, Australia.

Dream-   Various animals moved quickly around a room. Most of them avoided the fireplace. A black shade was pulled down in front of that opening, almost to the floor. Yet, a curious hedgehog bent over to look underneath the shade. He saw a light and became petrified stone. Other animals avoided him. His transparent soul floated through the stone but animals couldn't see this. Then, people entered a nearby room. Opaque, spider web-like film covered their bodies. They emerged transparent with deep, blue eyes that stared ahead. They no longer sense as before.

Predominant Emotions- fear, conformity, enlightenment.

Interpretation- Animals draw attention to particular physical or behavioral traits, basic desires, and sexuality. You have choices to stick with the crowd or go out on a limb. Not everyone fears getting burned by taking risks.   You no longer shade yourself from meaningful opportunities.  Non-conformity is crucial to raising your self-awareness. The petrified stone may be a metaphor for your initial fear of the unknown. Although others aim to reject and repress things into their subconscious, you have moved beyond that to deepen your self-awareness. You no longer fear losing your identity. Rather, unbeknownst to people in your entourage, your destiny has suddenly revealed itself. The question is, are you ready for what's next?

To detect obscured vision, or problems with your eyes, means obstacles in your path. You may be highlighting the need to re-evaluate your own criticism, judgement and feel guilty about drawing attention to faults in others. Remember, what you perceive is a choice, based on what you’re ready to understand.  Increasing clarity reflects an enlightenment and empowerment process. Tackle perceived reasons for suffering or sympathy so you can see clearer.