Smiling in the midst of clouds

You work hard, you prepare, you set goals and try to meet them and then feel like you suddenly hit a wall. When I was younger, my parents drilled into me the importance of hard work. However, this is one time where I felt that hard work did not pay off. 

If you are a long time follower, you know that in addition to being a Christian, wife and mom, I also work full time as an IT Project Manager. 

I have been doing it since 1998 when I graduated from college and practiced it through graduate school until now so I guess you can call me a "seasoned Project Manager."

I know Project Management and love what I do and even though I sometimes complain about it, it really suits my life because I love to keep things organized. I feel like when things are organized, you can better plan and other things around you just make sense. 

The cloud:
I have been praying and working hard towards the next level in my career. I had some interviews a few weeks ago that I felt quite optimistic about. I was sure that one of them would result in a job offer. But then I found out a couple of weeks ago that I didn't get any of the jobs. To say I was very disappointed and let down would accurately describe how I felt. I decided to take a break from blogging for 2 weeks because I just did not feel like I had anything positive to say and I try to stay positive in my posts.

I understand that at the level I am, it is often about networking/who you know in addition to your experience. I am often friendly with people. I am also a go-getter and want to see things completed/accomplished. However, the one area that I just can't find the time right now is networking outside of work. Since I primarily work outside of my home, it is important for me to spend time with my kids after I get off work. The occassional happy hour is not an option for me given my 1+ hour commute each way and my husband's sometimes unpredictable schedule. Throw in the fact that we pay by the hour for childcare and you can see where outside of work networking can be a challenge. 
But I have worked hard and felt that it should count for something. 

Reasons to smile:
In the midst of my "pity party", something remarkable happened! I got several orders in a row for AyoBE Boutique. What makes this situation unique is that the last time I received a "thanks but no thanks" notice for a job I interviewed for was in early May and the same thing happened! When J and I pray each day, we ask God for direction and focus. 
These orders definitely gave me a reason to smile and caused me to take a moment to  refocus and to come up with a new strategy for career success. 

I plan to continue to work for the foreseeable future. That's not going to change unless we hit the lottery. However, I also plan on using my free time in the evenings and weekends wisely by focussing more on my family and on my business. It is great to have a career but it is also great to have an outlet and having an outlet that not only allows me to express my creative side but also to earn some change :-). 

I remind myself that not everyone is creative, not everyone has a career they love and while I am not where I want to be with my career, I am where I want to be with my thriving business and I am head over hills in love with my family. I am learning that no matter the situation, it is all a matter of shaping your thoughts. 
Focusing on the positives and work on overcoming the challenges. I know I'll make it to the next step someday. It might not be in the time I initially planned but I will get there and will appreciate it more. In the mean time, family is my #1 priority and growing my business is my #2 and these are great reasons to smile. 

Have a wonderful week and remember to smile through the clouds. Because as the Annie song lyric says, "the sun will come out tomorrow!"