So much has happened in the last two weeks. To recap - 1 week in beautiful Algarve Portugal surrounded by gorgeous beaches, hott bodies, lots of dancing, and delicious food; followed by a week in historical Lisbon and more siteseeing in the cities around Lisbon. Meeting new people, networking, and making friends have been as easy as breathing. I have never had so much fun and thought so much about my future all at the same time before... It was seriously go-go-go! Now I'm back in Figueira with my family and it seems like someone lifted an emergency break on the fast paced life I was experiencing for a while there. The figurative whiplash is taking it's form as constant naps and a neverending blank stare. But no worries, now it's time for updating my resume, writing cover letters, translating them to Portuguese, and sending them out! Thanks to amazing friends I already have a long list of places to send resumes. Every day I feel more and more like I made the right decision by coming here!
My next post will be concerning ideas on how to improve my blog... but before I start writing, does anyone have any ideas that may help me out? I am a woman on a mission... a mission for success!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Taking 100% responsibility for my life
One of the main concepts most people say about becoming successful is that you need to take 100% responsibility for everything that has happened to you, and everything that has yet to happen to you. If you think positively and ask for what you want, if you dream big, and if you only talk about good things, then you'll receive only good things in your life... you see only opportunity. On the other hand if you think about negative stuff, daydream about things you don't want to happen, and basically focus your energy on what you don't want then you are attracting only obstacles. Thoughts are powerful and someone who masters his/her thoughts is the master of his/her life.
Therefore the first major thing I want to focus on is learning to only think, dream, and say positive things. I don't even want to think about what I don't want... I only want to think about what I do want. Then I will be able to focus my actions on what I do want. I also accept everything that has happened to me up to this point, and accept complete responsibility for all my success and failures. I want to understand how the thoughts that led to my actions have resulted in everything I have now... only then can I learn to receive more. Another part of taking 100% responsibility comes from knowing and asking SPECIFICALLY what you want. For instance, instead of saying I want to be a writer I should say that I want to be a novelist of mystery and romance; I also want to write about aquatic conservation and begin my own website and a type of online magazine.
I began a while back by writing down everything I want in full detail, from the type of house I want to the type of man I want. I wrote down how much money I want saved by 35 years old and which assets I want to have by then. How I will look and feel physically, what type of activities I will participate in, and how often I will see my family and friends. I have also started to look for jobs based on the career I want, and in the areas I want the jobs in (I've narrowed down my search to Oregon, Massachusetts, the United Kingdom, and of course Portugal).
On that note, another thing I want is to enjoy every minute here. Starting tomorrow I will be galavanting south Portugal, from Lisbon downward. I cannot wait!
Therefore the first major thing I want to focus on is learning to only think, dream, and say positive things. I don't even want to think about what I don't want... I only want to think about what I do want. Then I will be able to focus my actions on what I do want. I also accept everything that has happened to me up to this point, and accept complete responsibility for all my success and failures. I want to understand how the thoughts that led to my actions have resulted in everything I have now... only then can I learn to receive more. Another part of taking 100% responsibility comes from knowing and asking SPECIFICALLY what you want. For instance, instead of saying I want to be a writer I should say that I want to be a novelist of mystery and romance; I also want to write about aquatic conservation and begin my own website and a type of online magazine.
I began a while back by writing down everything I want in full detail, from the type of house I want to the type of man I want. I wrote down how much money I want saved by 35 years old and which assets I want to have by then. How I will look and feel physically, what type of activities I will participate in, and how often I will see my family and friends. I have also started to look for jobs based on the career I want, and in the areas I want the jobs in (I've narrowed down my search to Oregon, Massachusetts, the United Kingdom, and of course Portugal).
On that note, another thing I want is to enjoy every minute here. Starting tomorrow I will be galavanting south Portugal, from Lisbon downward. I cannot wait!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Hand-washing woes
So, things in my life are certainly never boring. Last week I got stuck in the library with a dead cell phone and no way to call my parents to pick me up and no way to get home (I don't drive manual cars - which of course is what my parents drive). Luckily then I had wireless internet connection, my laptop, and facebook to help me out. This week, today, was washing clothes by hand.
Now my mom and stepdad have a washing machine, of course. But I like to wash/rinse out my bathing suits by hand... and seeing as how we live by the ocean, I am at the beach fairly often. We used to have a stone basin to hand wash clothes in the laundry room... you know, the kind with the ribbed side to do some hard core scrubbing. Well my stepdad recently replaced that one for a normal sink. Little did I know that the pipes to this normal sink were not in place.... therefore, rinsing out my bikini resulted in a flooded laundry room (of course I caught on to what was happening quickly, but you know how water just spreads.. even when it's only a little).
Bah....that's what I get for not paying attention I suppose.
Now my mom and stepdad have a washing machine, of course. But I like to wash/rinse out my bathing suits by hand... and seeing as how we live by the ocean, I am at the beach fairly often. We used to have a stone basin to hand wash clothes in the laundry room... you know, the kind with the ribbed side to do some hard core scrubbing. Well my stepdad recently replaced that one for a normal sink. Little did I know that the pipes to this normal sink were not in place.... therefore, rinsing out my bikini resulted in a flooded laundry room (of course I caught on to what was happening quickly, but you know how water just spreads.. even when it's only a little).
Bah....that's what I get for not paying attention I suppose.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
I love Portugal!
And the work starts. I don't mind writing work and not fun because in Portugal every day is fun, even if nothing is going on. I am so lucky for an opportunity to live in a place where people vacation and in a house with the most gorgeous view imaginable. Life is good!
My mother and stepdad have made me feel extremely welcome - it's like I have always been here. I have seen my dad once so far and will hopefully be seeing him again soon. After 6 years of living apart from my parents, I am very grateful for this opportunity and have realized just how important being close to them really is to me.
The country is gorgeous of course. On my drive home from the airport we passed an old castle - still the only I've seen so far - and was in awe. I am amazed every time I see one. Of course I love the USA, it's my home and always will be, but Europe is absolutely breathtaking and full of history. I always wonder what it must have been like to live here even 50 years ago... Incredible.
On the job searching front - I have begun to contact people this past week. I am not exactly sure what I want to do with marine biology yet, except I know it's going to be in the area of coastal conservation. I still like the idea of wetland protection and restoration, along with beach restoration. Now it's time to see if I can find a job in that area and gain experience!
Everything else is coming along slowly. I want to keep positive and not complain, therefore I won't get into the things that have been annoying/worrying me *cough* student loans *cough*. Maybe I can find a bookstore in Coimbra that sells books in English, so I can find some uplifting positive things to read.
Most importantly, now that I am here I can focus on my writing and researching different aquatic conservation/restoration programs that are happening, and news in the world of aquatic biology world wide. Of course, that's what I ultimately want to do... Bring awareness to the general public about what is happening in the world of aquatic biology. Wish me luck!
My mother and stepdad have made me feel extremely welcome - it's like I have always been here. I have seen my dad once so far and will hopefully be seeing him again soon. After 6 years of living apart from my parents, I am very grateful for this opportunity and have realized just how important being close to them really is to me.
The country is gorgeous of course. On my drive home from the airport we passed an old castle - still the only I've seen so far - and was in awe. I am amazed every time I see one. Of course I love the USA, it's my home and always will be, but Europe is absolutely breathtaking and full of history. I always wonder what it must have been like to live here even 50 years ago... Incredible.
On the job searching front - I have begun to contact people this past week. I am not exactly sure what I want to do with marine biology yet, except I know it's going to be in the area of coastal conservation. I still like the idea of wetland protection and restoration, along with beach restoration. Now it's time to see if I can find a job in that area and gain experience!
Everything else is coming along slowly. I want to keep positive and not complain, therefore I won't get into the things that have been annoying/worrying me *cough* student loans *cough*. Maybe I can find a bookstore in Coimbra that sells books in English, so I can find some uplifting positive things to read.
Most importantly, now that I am here I can focus on my writing and researching different aquatic conservation/restoration programs that are happening, and news in the world of aquatic biology world wide. Of course, that's what I ultimately want to do... Bring awareness to the general public about what is happening in the world of aquatic biology. Wish me luck!
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