The Payoff of Persistence

The Pursuit of Happyness

The saying goes that things often get worse before they get better. How true that is when we are trying to pursue our dreams! Financial problems. Emotional meltdowns. Lack of confidence. Questions from friends and family. Wondering where your future is going and when this trial is going to end.

Yet in the midst of all this pressure comes a resolve. It’s the kind only born out of adversity. It’s the kind that has come too far to quit trying. And it’s the kind that I see embodied in a man named Chris Gardner.

Back from a Hiatus

Laura J. Bagby

Can I be honest with you for a moment?

I really debated whether I should just let this blog lie fallow until I got that awesome full-time job and then pick it back up once I had “arrived on the other side.” That seemed reasonable in light of my own job interview process, which I am currently still going through.

Knowing that professionals would be reading this blog made me a bit nervous about how I might be viewed by potential employers, so I took a long pause. And thought… and thought… and thought some more. Plus, the ideas were just not flowing and I didn’t think I had much to say.

And then there were other issues.

‘Auto Pilot’ Wisdom

I am a big believer in divine encounters. And for some reason transportation plays a role whenever I recognize God’s heavenly setup.

Happens a lot when I am riding around in a cab while traversing a new city. My cab driver tells me his whole life story and I come away with incredible knowledge about another who holds amazing hopes and plans.  Sometimes there is even prayer and a feeling like the time was well spent.

And it often happens when I am driving my car in for repairs at my local dealership.

Several weeks ago, I had to get some major repairs done on my car and wasn’t relishing plunking down the big cashola to get the necessary issues fixed.

Though I had the money in savings, spending my reserves made me nervous, especially without a job.  Dave Ramsey might say, “Well, that’s what your emergency fund is for!” But then again, that emergency fund is running my life right now. So, in essence, anything and everything can be an emergency.

When God Stirs the Waters

God is totally able to change my situation by granting me a job. The question is am I truly willing for Him to do that?

I was reading a portion of Scripture today about the sick man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:2-9. He had been sick for 38 years and had spent much of his time sitting at this pool of healing watching all his other friends get healed while he remained the same.  Riddled with excuses and pain, when Jesus asked the man, “Do you want to get well?” the man didn’t say a hopeful “Yes!” He instead told Jesus why he had been sick all these years.

Spencer Johnson on Life’s Ups and Downs

When I need to get creatively inspired, I tend to go to one place in particular – my local Barnes & Noble. I either head to what I call the “wall of music” in the back, where I can camp out for an hour and listen to every new and eclectic sound imaginable, or I peruse the stacks and tables of latest books before I make a bee-line for the business/motivational books.

In that section, you will find inspiration from books like the Four-Hour Workweek, Dan Miller’s offerings, and all kinds of advice from John Maxwell (the guy is prolific!). But this time I saw a new one from Spencer Johnson, the author who brought us Who Moved My Cheese?

What I Learned from ‘Jerry Maguire’

I hadn’t been feeling well this week – some kind of cold/allergy thing. On my worst day, I went out to get cold medicine (by the way, the whole rumor about Zicam isn’t true) and grab a quick movie. That old favorite Tom Cruise flick Jerry Maguire was on sale so I bought it.

It’s funny how God can sometimes use media in the form of movies and books to help you when you are struggling. Now, that isn’t to say that this film is godly, by any stretch of the imagination. I had forgotten just how many shots of — uh-hum — male backsides were showcased. And I had forgotten some of the bad language, too. Ugh. However, there is something that sparked my attention.

The David Mentality

 

Me at the mic at The Current FM.

Well, I finally have the official radio clips (with a little editing) from the last installment of Joy for the Jobless, as heard on local radio station Positive Hit Radio The Current with hosts Amanda Fox and Leo Marks of “FM in the AM” at the end of May.

 

This is a two-parter. Both audio files tell how the story of David and Goliath in the Bible can encourage you on the job search. 

Enjoy!

Segment One:

The first section is around 5 minutes and details takeaway points 1-3. 

Segment Two:

The second clip is shorter and discusses points 4-5 and the wrap-up.

– Laura J. Bagby

Think Like a Kid

Yesterday I spent some time at a park that’s only five minutes from my house. I go there often to get away from my computer and the stresses of trying to find full-time work and just think, pray, and burn off calories.

As usual, when I got there, lots of families were out enjoying time with their kids.  Just the day before we had had a torrential rainstorm and were expected to get more the following two days, so many folks were out just like me taking advantage of the dry weather.

I tend to get a lot of blogging ideas while I am walking furiously around the ringed path. They tend to drop into my mind as I am enjoying the beauty of nature. But this time, the illustration came not from my imaginations, but from an example in real life – from one small, happy kid.

See What Sticks

You ever heard someone say, “I don’t know what to do, exactly. I just throw my efforts into lots of things and see what sticks”?

OK, maybe not those exact words, maybe something a little cooler or more eloquent, but I bet you might have even tried this method at some point in your life.

If not, you might want to—especially now.

You Are More Than Your Job

The other day, I had to head back to my old workplace to pick up something from a friend. I didn’t think anything about how I might feel about being in that building again – this time as an outside visitor.

So, I really wasn’t prepared for those negative thoughts racing through my head. Thoughts like, “All these people I used to know probably think I am a loser now because I still don’t have a job. I sure hope they don’t ask how I’m doing.”