Tuesday, January 01, 2008
my 2008 wish for you
My New Year's wishes for all my loved ones are more or less the same wishes I have for myself: a life well-lived, full of love, bliss, grace, compassion, success and peace of mind.
2008 is going to be our best year yet. I can just feel it. My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you faithful readers for helping me through 2007 and making it memorable and mostly positive. May we each continue on our individual paths of personal growth and fulfillment in 2008, with new breakthroughs and ever more profound epiphanies.
I send my love to you and to those who only read rarely or not at all. We create our own destinies, and 2008 will surely be a year of fulfillment of those amazing, terrific, empowered destinies.
Please use the comments to set your intention for the year and share it with others so that we may all be inspired by it. My biggest intention for 2008 is to manifest the resources and the courage to create the life for myself that I want to lead, which may or may not take me to NYC permanently.
Your turns.
2008 is going to be our best year yet. I can just feel it. My most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all of you faithful readers for helping me through 2007 and making it memorable and mostly positive. May we each continue on our individual paths of personal growth and fulfillment in 2008, with new breakthroughs and ever more profound epiphanies.
I send my love to you and to those who only read rarely or not at all. We create our own destinies, and 2008 will surely be a year of fulfillment of those amazing, terrific, empowered destinies.
Please use the comments to set your intention for the year and share it with others so that we may all be inspired by it. My biggest intention for 2008 is to manifest the resources and the courage to create the life for myself that I want to lead, which may or may not take me to NYC permanently.
Your turns.
Labels: celebration, growth, hope, moving, new year, New York, opening to grace, personal, strength, success, transformation, wisdom
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
home (for now)
My flight arrived about a half hour earlier than scheduled. Jason and Brandon came to pick me up. I'm home now with a very appreciative and affectionate cat. That helps me be less sad about being back in Tucson.
I have to extend thanks yet again to Miriam for her hospitality throughout the last week, to Damon and Tamara for traveling from Philly to spend time with me, to Marla for helping me ring in my 30's just the way I wanted to, to Debra for the wonderful birthday massage, to Mell for dinner and the great conversation, to Teddi and Jack and David for being so pleasantly surprised to see me, to Mitch for being Mitch, to Hillary for taking care of Leif and taking me to the airport - I literally couldn't have taken my vacation without her, and to Jason and Brandon for being the friendly faces I needed to see when I got back to Tucson.
On the flight home, I kept getting a little teary. Not out of sadness at returning, mind you, though I would rather still be in New York. No, I'm misty even now at the realization at just how lucky I am to have people like these in my life, even if I rarely get to see them. I'm fortunate to have the means to take a trip like this. I'm truly blessed in so many ways, and I'm so fucking grateful for all of it. Cat included (he's sitting next to me purring as I type this).
When I was in JFK waiting to board and searching desperately for New York anything-edible to bring in for my client, I realized why New York's siren song calls to me. There's just an sense there that anything is possible, which, coincidentally, has become my mantra over the past year. It's a hard feeling to hold onto in a place like Tucson, where the options tend to be limited. I'm trying to stay positive here, because I've certainly managed to create wonderful opportunities for myself out here. But am I truly living up to my full potential? Or is there more for me?
My 30's are going to be the best decade yet for me. To make that happen, I have to be positioned appropriately. It's like Tucson is missionary and I like more kink out of life. There's nothing inherently bad about the missionary position - it gets the job done. It's just not always the most fun way to do it, and it's certainly not very imaginative.
I've said it before on this blog, that I moved to Tucson for the wrong reasons. But moving to New York feels so right to me. I'd be moving for me. Now all I need is a job when I get there and at least $5,000 in the bank. How hard can that be?
I should probably just go to bed. I'll upload pictures in the morning. Pinky swear.
I have to extend thanks yet again to Miriam for her hospitality throughout the last week, to Damon and Tamara for traveling from Philly to spend time with me, to Marla for helping me ring in my 30's just the way I wanted to, to Debra for the wonderful birthday massage, to Mell for dinner and the great conversation, to Teddi and Jack and David for being so pleasantly surprised to see me, to Mitch for being Mitch, to Hillary for taking care of Leif and taking me to the airport - I literally couldn't have taken my vacation without her, and to Jason and Brandon for being the friendly faces I needed to see when I got back to Tucson.
On the flight home, I kept getting a little teary. Not out of sadness at returning, mind you, though I would rather still be in New York. No, I'm misty even now at the realization at just how lucky I am to have people like these in my life, even if I rarely get to see them. I'm fortunate to have the means to take a trip like this. I'm truly blessed in so many ways, and I'm so fucking grateful for all of it. Cat included (he's sitting next to me purring as I type this).
When I was in JFK waiting to board and searching desperately for New York anything-edible to bring in for my client, I realized why New York's siren song calls to me. There's just an sense there that anything is possible, which, coincidentally, has become my mantra over the past year. It's a hard feeling to hold onto in a place like Tucson, where the options tend to be limited. I'm trying to stay positive here, because I've certainly managed to create wonderful opportunities for myself out here. But am I truly living up to my full potential? Or is there more for me?
My 30's are going to be the best decade yet for me. To make that happen, I have to be positioned appropriately. It's like Tucson is missionary and I like more kink out of life. There's nothing inherently bad about the missionary position - it gets the job done. It's just not always the most fun way to do it, and it's certainly not very imaginative.
I've said it before on this blog, that I moved to Tucson for the wrong reasons. But moving to New York feels so right to me. I'd be moving for me. Now all I need is a job when I get there and at least $5,000 in the bank. How hard can that be?
I should probably just go to bed. I'll upload pictures in the morning. Pinky swear.
Labels: celebration, challenge, change, friendship, hope, Jason, Miriam, moving, New York, sex, strength, success, Tucson
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
my crippling debt suddenly doesn't feel quite so crippling
Excuse me, 'debt with disabilities'.
Since getting laid off at the end of July, I've been avoiding looking seriously at my financial picture because I was afraid of what I might see.
You see, thanks to my severance package and a lucrative consulting practice, my bank account has actually been healthier than it's ever been. And I like having that extra cushion. So I have been a little slow in paying some bills. That's not really new, but the beefed-up bank account has been helping me psychologically through an uncertain period of quasi-employment.
But the persistent and obnoxious calls from my creditors was starting to be too much to handle - there are only so many times a day I want to be interrupted in what I'm doing so I can hit the ignore button on my cell phone.
So I sat down tonight to look at my finances through the end of this calendar year. Turns out, I'll continue to be fine. I can afford to take that birthday trip, and I could also, as it turns out, afford to pay off one of my credit cards entirely. Combined with paying off my computer last month, I'm now back down to one credit card with a balance on it, and I may even be able to pay that one all the way off by the end of the year too.
Financial insecurity, which plagued me most of the time I've lived in Tucson, when I made far less than I was worth at a job I stayed at far longer than I should have, is now a thing of the past, at least for now. And I attribute this newfound freedom at least in part to my yoga practice, which has taught me the fine art of letting go and flowing with grace.
I should write a book.
(I am, actually, writing a book proposal, but that'll be on communications strategies for smaller non-profits)
Since getting laid off at the end of July, I've been avoiding looking seriously at my financial picture because I was afraid of what I might see.
You see, thanks to my severance package and a lucrative consulting practice, my bank account has actually been healthier than it's ever been. And I like having that extra cushion. So I have been a little slow in paying some bills. That's not really new, but the beefed-up bank account has been helping me psychologically through an uncertain period of quasi-employment.
But the persistent and obnoxious calls from my creditors was starting to be too much to handle - there are only so many times a day I want to be interrupted in what I'm doing so I can hit the ignore button on my cell phone.
So I sat down tonight to look at my finances through the end of this calendar year. Turns out, I'll continue to be fine. I can afford to take that birthday trip, and I could also, as it turns out, afford to pay off one of my credit cards entirely. Combined with paying off my computer last month, I'm now back down to one credit card with a balance on it, and I may even be able to pay that one all the way off by the end of the year too.
Financial insecurity, which plagued me most of the time I've lived in Tucson, when I made far less than I was worth at a job I stayed at far longer than I should have, is now a thing of the past, at least for now. And I attribute this newfound freedom at least in part to my yoga practice, which has taught me the fine art of letting go and flowing with grace.
I should write a book.
(I am, actually, writing a book proposal, but that'll be on communications strategies for smaller non-profits)
Labels: finances, New York, personal, success, yoga
Friday, July 13, 2007
dick cheney and i finally have something in common
We're both lame duck Vice Presidents.
Of course, I'm the not-batshit-bloodthirsty-insane one.
Due to the merger of the two Planned Parenthood affiliates in Arizona, my position has been eliminated and the new position for which I interviewed has been given to someone else.
I'm actually doing just fine and am looking at this as a great opportunity to find a new and even better path. I respect the decision and the decision-makers, and I trust that the universe will give me everything I need.
Here's the text of the e-mail I sent to friends and colleagues this afternoon after I was given the news:
Please leave job leads for me in the comments of this post or e-mail them to me at michael -at- m2powered -dot- com. My preference would be something in the non-profit sector with supervisory responsibilities and in a senior leadership role.
Namaste.
Of course, I'm the not-batshit-bloodthirsty-insane one.
Due to the merger of the two Planned Parenthood affiliates in Arizona, my position has been eliminated and the new position for which I interviewed has been given to someone else.
I'm actually doing just fine and am looking at this as a great opportunity to find a new and even better path. I respect the decision and the decision-makers, and I trust that the universe will give me everything I need.
Here's the text of the e-mail I sent to friends and colleagues this afternoon after I was given the news:
Dear friends,
As many of you know, my job has been in a state of limbo for a couple of months now as both Planned Parenthood affiliates in Arizona proceed with merging. I was told today that I will not be continuing with Planned Parenthood in any capacity moving forward. I have at least two weeks left here, though I've asked to remain employed for a little longer as I find my next opportunity.
I certainly appreciate all your well wishes and kind thoughts over the past few months as I've lived with the ambiguity. I'm actually doing well with the staffing decisions that were made and I'm optimistic about what the future will hold for me. There is severance, which should carry me through for about a month or so as I peer into the future. Layoffs happen to thousands of people every day, and it's certainly not the end of the world. I choose to look at this as a sign that I'm not doing what I should be doing and as an opportunity for me to find my next big thing.
That said, I'm appealing to you for help during this transition, particularly by way of feeding me any job postings that may be appropriate. I'll attach my resume to this e-mail to provide you with a more complete view of my professional and volunteer experience.
As you also know, I operate a small consulting practice and specialize in helping non-profit organizations and leaders communicate more effectively. My rates are highly competitive, so if you, you organization, or someone you know is looking for graphic design, speaker coaching, young leadership development, or sexuality/gender or disability awareness trainings, please visit my website (www.m2powered.com) for more information.
Working for Planned Parenthood has been a wonderful experience for me, and moving here from the Center Against Sexual Assault was absolutely the right decision for me at the right time. I wouldn't change that decision, even if I had known then what I know now. If you've been a supporter of Planned Parenthood in the past, I hope you will continue that support in the future, and if you haven't been a supporter, I hope you'll consider supporting the organization now, regardless of their decision about my position. There are far too few local organizations willing to stand up and take risks for progressive causes, or that give young people true positions of leadership within the organizational structure.
Thanks so much for your ongoing love and support. I feel truly blessed to count you as my friends.
Take care,
~ M
Please leave job leads for me in the comments of this post or e-mail them to me at michael -at- m2powered -dot- com. My preference would be something in the non-profit sector with supervisory responsibilities and in a senior leadership role.
Namaste.
Labels: career, challenge, endurance, friendship, hope, jobs, journey, opening to grace, personal, self-care, strength, success
Monday, July 02, 2007
five years
Today is the fifth anniversary of the day my dad and I drove into Tucson from our last stop in Las Cruces, NM in the big yellow truck that carried all my earthly belongings.
I'm having a little bit of a hard time believing that I've stayed in Tucson this long. That day five years ago was filled with such hope and excitement and that nauseating sense of, "oh fuck, what have I just done?!"
For a variety of reasons, I've never particularly loved this place. I just don't find the desert beautiful, as so many transplants do. To me, it's just barren, boring dirt. And the sunsets don't wow me either. They're nice, sure, but they're no better than sunsets in Hawaii or Ithaca.
I don't relish being so down on Tucson. I'm trying to look for the good (it's part of the "flowing with grace" part of my yoga practice), and for the most part, the good is in the people I've met here. They're the reason I've made it through five years here. I'm grateful, even blessed, to count some truly wonderful people as my friends (even if some of them moved away and left me here - you know who you are!).
I'd like to not be here in another five years, but who knows what the future holds? If I'm to make another major move, I intend to do it differently, to have a job lined up, and to do it for concrete and valid reasons.
My life is pretty good. But it could be and deserves to be great. I've taken lemons and made lemonade in the five years I've been here, but I can't help but remind myself that I'm not following my own advice by staying here:
The time may be ripe for me to start making some apple cider.
I'm having a little bit of a hard time believing that I've stayed in Tucson this long. That day five years ago was filled with such hope and excitement and that nauseating sense of, "oh fuck, what have I just done?!"
For a variety of reasons, I've never particularly loved this place. I just don't find the desert beautiful, as so many transplants do. To me, it's just barren, boring dirt. And the sunsets don't wow me either. They're nice, sure, but they're no better than sunsets in Hawaii or Ithaca.
I don't relish being so down on Tucson. I'm trying to look for the good (it's part of the "flowing with grace" part of my yoga practice), and for the most part, the good is in the people I've met here. They're the reason I've made it through five years here. I'm grateful, even blessed, to count some truly wonderful people as my friends (even if some of them moved away and left me here - you know who you are!).
I'd like to not be here in another five years, but who knows what the future holds? If I'm to make another major move, I intend to do it differently, to have a job lined up, and to do it for concrete and valid reasons.
My life is pretty good. But it could be and deserves to be great. I've taken lemons and made lemonade in the five years I've been here, but I can't help but remind myself that I'm not following my own advice by staying here:
When the world gives you lemons, don't make lemonade; take those lemons back and demand the apples you wanted in the first place.
The time may be ripe for me to start making some apple cider.
Labels: change, contentment, fear, friendship, jobs, moving, not really newsworthy, opening to grace, personal, relationships, self-awareness, self-care, success, Tucson
Thursday, April 12, 2007
richardson's website worries
I've touched on this on some previous posts - Bill Richardson's website for his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President. I'm supporting Richardson because I feel he's the absolute best prepared candidate (of either party) to lead this country out of the woods we've been wandering around for the past six years. It's a good thing that preparation doesn't hinge on an internet presence.
First of all, take a look at the URL's for most of the Dem candidates:
One of the first rules of having a successful web presence is having a web address that's simple and easy to remember, or one that you assume people would intuitively type into the address bar without having to Google it. When I first looked for information about Governor Richardson online, I typed in "www.billrichardson.com" into the address bar, only to get directed to an unregistered domain. "Richardsonfor president.com" is not intuitive. I had a science teacher in eighth grade who loved to remind us to KISS - keep it simple, stupid. Governor Richardson's internet team definitely missed the boat on that one.
I'd also be concerned that the campaign hasn't bought that domain name. As the Governor starts to catch fire, it will be incredibly easy for his opponents to buy the guy's domain name right out from under him and fill it with misleading or inaccurate information. I seem to remember somebody did the same thing to George W. Bush when he was running for re-election a few years ago.
I also have a problem with the website's blog, which does not allow comments. One of the reasons Howard Dean became so popular four years ago was because his campaign leveraged emerging technology to help build a sense of community and facilitate his supporters connecting with each other. Blog for America and MeetUp were key components of that campaign. The other leading Democratic candidates understand this. Why doesn't Governor Richardson?
Mark my words (I love getting dramatic like this), if Bill Richardson has any intention of moving up out of the second tier, he must leverage established and emerging internet technologies so we, his supporters, can start building the kind of grassroots communities absolutely vital to his success. I've already e-mailed the campaign with that suggestion, but never received a response.
Come on, Gov, get smart with your online campaign!
First of all, take a look at the URL's for most of the Dem candidates:
www.BarackObama.com
www.JohnEdwards.com
www.Kucinich.us
www.RichardsonForPresident.com
www.HillaryClinton.com
www.JoeBiden.com
www.ChrisDodd.com
One of the first rules of having a successful web presence is having a web address that's simple and easy to remember, or one that you assume people would intuitively type into the address bar without having to Google it. When I first looked for information about Governor Richardson online, I typed in "www.billrichardson.com" into the address bar, only to get directed to an unregistered domain. "Richardsonfor president.com" is not intuitive. I had a science teacher in eighth grade who loved to remind us to KISS - keep it simple, stupid. Governor Richardson's internet team definitely missed the boat on that one.
I'd also be concerned that the campaign hasn't bought that domain name. As the Governor starts to catch fire, it will be incredibly easy for his opponents to buy the guy's domain name right out from under him and fill it with misleading or inaccurate information. I seem to remember somebody did the same thing to George W. Bush when he was running for re-election a few years ago.
I also have a problem with the website's blog, which does not allow comments. One of the reasons Howard Dean became so popular four years ago was because his campaign leveraged emerging technology to help build a sense of community and facilitate his supporters connecting with each other. Blog for America and MeetUp were key components of that campaign. The other leading Democratic candidates understand this. Why doesn't Governor Richardson?
Mark my words (I love getting dramatic like this), if Bill Richardson has any intention of moving up out of the second tier, he must leverage established and emerging internet technologies so we, his supporters, can start building the kind of grassroots communities absolutely vital to his success. I've already e-mailed the campaign with that suggestion, but never received a response.
Come on, Gov, get smart with your online campaign!
Labels: Bill Richardson, Pres-08, social networking, success, web developers
Saturday, February 03, 2007
ithaca pride
I just got done giving my about page a long-overdue overhaul. In clicking through the links to make sure they all work, I headed over to my alma mater's website.
Ithaca College produces some kick-ass graduates (if I do say so myself). Two of them are currently in very unique and distinct spotlights:
Gino Bona '95 is the winner of the first-ever NFL's "Pitch Us Your Idea for the Best Super Bowl Commercial Ever. Seriously" contest, and his ad will air at the two minute warning in the fourth quarter tomorrow. I may actually tune into the Super Bowl for the first time ever to try and catch a glimpse.
Kevin Greene '06 is one of the finalists currently appearing on NBC's reality show "Grease: You're The One That I Want" about the casting process for this summer's new Broadway revival of the most popular musical ever. "Grease" isn't my favorite musical, but it's cute and fun and I'll start watching the show so I can vote for Kevin. I don't know him, but we Ithacans have to stick together. This isn't the first audience-selected casting that an Ithaca alumnus has participated in.
Speaking of Ithaca alumni and "Grease", there's another notable alumni who I DO know. Matt Cavenaugh '01 is currently appearing on Broadway in "Grey Gardens" as Joe Kennedy. Matt and I were the same year at IC until he took a year off to appear in the national tour of "Grease". We really didn't know each other until my senior year, when he was cast in the lead role in the mainstage production of "Babes in Arms" and I happened to be the Wardrobe Supervisor and his personal dresser. He certainly deserves all the success he's earned so far. You really couldn't ask for an easier actor to work with.
And to think, the most famous IC alumni I used to brag about were Gavin MacLeod '52 and Ilene Graff '70 (you get extra points if you can identify in the comments who she is and what she's known for). There are now many other notable IC alumni doing wonderful things all over the country. I'm proud to be one of them.
I'm still not willing, however, to publicly admit that Bob Iger '73 is one of ours too.
Ithaca College produces some kick-ass graduates (if I do say so myself). Two of them are currently in very unique and distinct spotlights:
Gino Bona '95 is the winner of the first-ever NFL's "Pitch Us Your Idea for the Best Super Bowl Commercial Ever. Seriously" contest, and his ad will air at the two minute warning in the fourth quarter tomorrow. I may actually tune into the Super Bowl for the first time ever to try and catch a glimpse.
Kevin Greene '06 is one of the finalists currently appearing on NBC's reality show "Grease: You're The One That I Want" about the casting process for this summer's new Broadway revival of the most popular musical ever. "Grease" isn't my favorite musical, but it's cute and fun and I'll start watching the show so I can vote for Kevin. I don't know him, but we Ithacans have to stick together. This isn't the first audience-selected casting that an Ithaca alumnus has participated in.
Speaking of Ithaca alumni and "Grease", there's another notable alumni who I DO know. Matt Cavenaugh '01 is currently appearing on Broadway in "Grey Gardens" as Joe Kennedy. Matt and I were the same year at IC until he took a year off to appear in the national tour of "Grease". We really didn't know each other until my senior year, when he was cast in the lead role in the mainstage production of "Babes in Arms" and I happened to be the Wardrobe Supervisor and his personal dresser. He certainly deserves all the success he's earned so far. You really couldn't ask for an easier actor to work with.
And to think, the most famous IC alumni I used to brag about were Gavin MacLeod '52 and Ilene Graff '70 (you get extra points if you can identify in the comments who she is and what she's known for). There are now many other notable IC alumni doing wonderful things all over the country. I'm proud to be one of them.
I'm still not willing, however, to publicly admit that Bob Iger '73 is one of ours too.
Labels: alumni, fame, Ithaca College, personal, pride, success
