where is the joy?

Most agree that economically speaking, 2011 hit many all-time lows. Being in Nevada meant that we were harder hit than many. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment rate in Nevada was 13% for 2011, which ranked us as highest in the country. With one in every 115 households facing foreclosure, Nevada also ranks one of the  (if not the most severe) states for foreclosure.

Surrounded by loss, it can be difficult to find a bright point. There seems to be no end in sight to the financial conundrum we find ourselves in. Houses in Reno line the streets with various for sale signs. I know several people who have turned their keys in and walked away from their homes as values dropped by more than half.

wait there is more…

Reno/Tahoe is known as a winter recreational destination. We boast some of the West’s premier ski resorts in the country. To top it all off, there is no snow in the Sierra’s = no skiing = hurts economy even more. Also it is a total bummer when you bought a season’s pass and haven’t been on the mountain yet this year (actually we bought 4; one for each of us).

what lies ahead?

My daughter is currently a junior in college. What opportunity awaits her upon graduation? It is not sufficient to achieve merely a bachelors degree for many professions. Does this mean we will have to support her indefinitely while she continues her education? Probably.

The good news is that by the time she is finally done, the economy should not be so bleak. There is still hope for her future. My own education is a bi-product of the flailing economy as well. Is it really a bad thing when hard times means you take the time to work on yourself?

lesson learned: there is still joy to be found

I may complain about the current situation (especially the total lack of snow!), but the reality is that it can also be a highly productive time for personal growth. In place of snow sports, we are cycling (weird as it is) through the winter months. We can still be active regardless of the weather.

When the housing bubble was at its height a few years back, we decided to stay put in a home we could afford and were comfortable in. Thankfully, my family is in a better financial place because of our restraint. We recently purchased a new home with nearly double the living space of our old one for a bargain price.

I find joy in simple pleasures like enjoying a bottle of wine with friends. Staying home with my husband and kids watching a bad movie on Netflixis a favorite pastime of mine. Blogging has given me a wonderful outlet for spilling my guts. Knowing that when I get up in the morning I am fortunate enough to have a job that I love is joyous as well.

the 3 banana girls enjoying ourselves at Starbucks

It is through adversity that we find out what we are really made of. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I don’t remember who originally told me that gem. As a kid, I used to hate it when people told me this. In my adult form, I finally understand its true meaning. What has tested your capacity to find joy? What did you learn about yourself through the process? Share your thoughts and stories.

 

Related articles

• Computer glitch delays Nevada jobless benefits (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Is Nevada recovering? Depends on who you ask (sfgate.com)
• Is Nevada Recovering? Depends on Who You Ask (abcnews.go.com)
• Sierra resorts wait for snow as Christmas nears (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Reno Can Do Better (10march2004.wordpress.com)

MBA here I come!

hanging out at the knowledge center

Sitting in the University of Nevada‘s  library knowledge center for the last time as a graduate student feels good. Everything I have worked for has come to a head. I wait impatiently (patience has never been a strong point for me) for my last final to begin tonight. Let me take a trip down memory lane as I reminisce about the past few years…

let’s take a trip back in time together to 1985

I am one of those people who went to college right after high school only to find myself unfocused and unprepared to commit to an education. After two years in school, my future seemed nebulous as I got married at age 20 (yeah I know it is young) started a new life as an entrepreneur, then a mom, single parent, newly remarried, etc, etc.

Fast forward 20 years to 2005 (sound effects should be beeping as we travel in time) First, where did all the time go? I don’t feel that much older. While I was skating through life, my husband completed his MBA and passed all the CPA exams. His accomplishments were amazing. He was amazing.

Yet for all of the admiration, I was bitter that I never finished college. Not completing a degree felt like I was missing something big. As one chapter in life closed (Formals Bridal), another was opening (Miriam Gomberg; student) right in front of me. Rather than sulking or hanging out at the gym, Robert sent me back to school to finish the education I left incomplete 20 years earlier.

In 3 years I had a BS in health science. Did I just do that? Now I was amazing too. I cried like a baby during the graduation ceremony. This was a colossal accomplishments. One problem was that I graduated in 2008 right as the economy was falling apart. Better to stay in school and keep going. After all, if I didn’t continue while in the mode, I probably wouldn’t ever go back again.

what did I get myself into?

Enter the MBA program at UNR. I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the program after taking the GMAT 3 times (yeah, I felt dumb too). The difference was that not only was I a wife, mom and student, but a full time retail manager as well.

It was expected for students to work in the field, but in retail, there is no office in which to do homework during off-times. Long stretches of time are spent on your feet and the hours can be crazy as well. This was to be a bigger challenge than earlier expected.

girls in hoods

Yay! I’m done!!

December 10, 2011 was graduation. It was exhilarating putting on the cap, gown and hood. Funny I didn’t cry at all during this graduation. The past few weeks have been unbearable in that I suffered from an acute case of senioritis.

I always prided myself in the quality of work I presented while in school. College is a privilege, that I did not take for granted. There are not many people who are allowed the chance to return to school after a 20 year hiatus.

lesson learned: I can do anything (with perseverance of course)

A substantial lesson I hope to pass on from this is what it takes to complete something as important as higher education. There were sacrifices I made, along with family and friends in order to make the dream a reality. My children saw how hard I worked for the past several years and that even when I would complain, I never gave up as It was never an option.

So where do I go from here? Which path should I take? At this point, my future is still cloudy. There are no guarantees that people (employers, etc.) will find my  education or services valuable. Just because I graduated, does not mean I will discover a dream career right away. It is all part of the journey, and it fulfilled a personal need to grow. What else could I possibly ask for?

Related articles

• Foreign Enrollment Surges at U.S. B-Schools (businessweek.com)
• Is MBA your ticket to a bright future? (rolipolli.wordpress.com)
• I’m getting an MBA? (travellearnlove.wordpress.com)

An Unexpected Leader

Madeline Burak, Miss Reno-Sparks 2011

Where do you find inspiration? I have spent much of my life seeking a magic catalyst for action. So far, I have not found the great discovery of a motivational quick fix, yet I find inspiration in the most unlikely places.

The other night my dear friend’s daughter Madeline, stopped by to borrow some piece of technology from my techie husband Robert. Her intended brief visit lasted over an hour. We discussed many topics including: her starting college in August, living in the dorms, possibly rushing (something I strongly recommend, by the way) and other tidbits of small talk.

Duh! Aren’t you forgetting something?

While we were chatting, I suddenly realized I was forgetting something big that recently transpired! Madeline is no ordinary 18 year old incoming freshman; she holds the title Miss Reno-Sparks. This was the chance I had been waiting for. I had to find out what drove her desire to compete in a pageant?

A worthwhile day #trust30

enjoying a worthwhile moment on my bike

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Let’s face it, there are days which are more worthwhile than others. In the not so recent past, when I felt overly anxious, I would drown out melancholy sitting for hours playing Farmville (nothing worthwhile in the activity). I played until it was dark outside.  Effectively I ignored my family for hours, and was no less stressed as a result of fake farming.

What I consider worthwhile

Prior to beginning the arduous task of completing an MBA while working full time, I frequented the gym an average of 4-5 times per week. Exercising not only helped maintain a healthy body, but it was also a great tension-reliever.

When it warmed outside, my pigtails and lavender helmet were instantly recognizable as I rode my bike around town. I rode with my husband Robert and/or my friends for 40-50 mile rides several times per week. My favorite route began at our house in South Reno and meandered alongside I-80 to Verdi, Nevada. On the trip home we would stop for iced coffee and bask in the glory of our successful excursion.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self Reliance Prompt #11

Surprise by Ashley Ambirge

breaking the bonds of bridal

I will not hide my tastes or aversions. I will so trust that what is deep is holy, if we follow the truth, it will bring us out safe at last. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think of a time when you didn’t think you were capable of doing something, but then surprised yourself.  How will you surprise yourself this week?

(Author: Ashley Ambirge)

Sob story

Imagine this picture: I had just closed my business two months ago and was hanging out at the gym every day. I did not know which direction to turn, as I felt completely lost, as if my legs had been cut out from under me. For the past 15 years, I was identified as the owner of a thriving bridal shop in Reno Nevada. Now I was just another loser sitting at home feeling sorry for herself.

My husband Robert knew that if he didn’t act quickly, I might stay in this funk for a long time to come. At the time I was seeing a therapist (I am not embarrassed to admit this. I needed the help at the time) and Robert went to a session with me to discuss next steps for. Robert brought up the idea of me going back to school. Don’t get me wrong, I was not totally opposed to the idea, but I had just closed a major chapter in my life and wanted to de-compress for a while longer.

What what what?

 Half-expecting my therapist to side with me  on starting a new life at a later point in time, he totally threw me under the bus when he agreed with Robert that I needed to start school ASAP. They both felt (and I later agreed, but much later) the best thing for me was to dive in with both feet. The new semester was beginning in one week. I hadn’t registered for any classes, but that was not an obstacle either. I was not only expected to go to school, but crash classes in order to get in. Could this get much worse?

Surprise!

The first day of school rolled in, and I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. At the time I was 37 years old. How was I expected to sit in a class full of 18 year old kids? Fear was about to overtake me when Robert reached out and told me to get in the car; he was driving me to the first class. Robert guessed there was a 50% chance I would actually go to class. By taking and sitting with me, I had no choice.

What I didn’t expect was to love school from the start. I felt a great surge in energy from this new found passion. No longer some loser alone in the world, I was a college student. Fast forward three years later, and I walked as a college graduate. I did not think it was ever going to happen for, and had accepted my fate. Giving up the chance to complete my degree when I was younger, that chapter had closed permanently (or had it really?).

As a result of that fateful day in the therapist’s office, I was able to do something I never thought possible. Further education was next for me. Upon graduation, I immediately entered the MBA program at the university. I knew if I didn’t dive right in, I might never go back again. Another three years has gone by and now the MBA will be complete in December. Pretty good for someone that didn’t think it possible to even sit in a college class again.

Next surprise?

OK, now I am being challenged to surprise myself this week. After graduation, I want to work somewhere in social media. I will surprise myself by again jumping in with both feet and find a way to incorporate my customer experience knowledge and people skills and my love for social media into a career. Let’s see what happens when I put myself out there to the universe. If I can go back to school, get 2 degrees in 6 years, I can do anything.