The Outdoor Shower
November 1, 2009 at 7:14 pm 3 comments
It seems like every where you look these days its doom & gloom….
… foreclosures, jobless reports, retail sales down, property values decline, bailouts, unemployment rates, divorce, plant closures, tax increases, politics, crime rates…..
Feel yourself getting consumed? Over whelmed with bad news & forecasts?
STOP for minute.
It’s far to easy to let all the bad news get to you & this will only show during that important interview. Or it will come out in your job performance or worse yet your personal life.
Sometimes it helps to go back to your roots. Something that grounds you, gets you out of the bad news rut. This takes me back to the VERY old farmhouse where I grew up. A farmhouse with the shower outside. Rain or shine.
As primitive this shower is, there is nothing more liberating & refreshing than warm water hitting the chill of your skin under the moonlight. It takes you back to a simpler time.
Reaching for shampoo, you pray that thing you just brushed off the bottle was just a leaf….. you may have seen a huge garden spider earlier in the day.
My point is simple; if YOU let stress rule your life it will control YOUR situation.
It’s up to YOU to get it back.
I realize that things might not be going your way. It’s really bad for a lot of people right now, but what YOU can do today will ultimately dictate a good outcome. You might not be able to make that perfect job materialize but you can control your attitude & action plan.
Go to YOUR outdoor shower.
What YOU can do is take a step back, clear your head & regain your professional and/or personal footing.
Sometimes this means taking a “job” that’s not your “career”. It pays those monthly bills so that you can take a financial breath while you continue your “career” hunt. Or maybe it’s taking a trip back to mom & dad’s house for an emotional break & some good home cooking.
OR It’s a great time to have coffee with that old friend you haven’t had time for in years. That old friend takes you back to a simpler time & place which helps you regroup with a little inflection.
Maybe YOUR outdoor shower is an art class that you’ve been too busy to take. Art can be an excellent form of expression & it may just provide you with that sense of accomplishment you need right now in your life. OR you could find a new career path develop out of a hobby.
I’m thankful my mother finally put a door up.
What does your outdoor shower look like?
Entry filed under: Job Hunting. Tags: job hunt, outdoor shower, stress relief.
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Heather Gardner's Recruiting Bloggity Blog 
1.
neiljg | November 23, 2009 at 4:27 pm
i think it is great that you are taking this type of attitude during these times. more people need to enjoy the little things in life instead of trying to analyze and fix the big picture.
it’s funny that you mention an outside shower as your slice of heaven because I’ve had a few friends with beach houses who installed outdoor showers. i must say there is nothing better than spending a relaxing day at the shore with friends, then rinsing off the sand under the clear blue late afternoon sky of mid july while listening to crashing waves and seagulls…
2.
richard789 | November 23, 2009 at 6:45 pm
It is about time, Heather, that someone finally takes the initiative to explain how the stress of professionalism and our country’s current situation can affect your personal life and your overall job performance. I commemorate you on pioneering this idea of “Getting back to your roots” and finding something that relaxes you, to soothe the stress of our everyday lives. Not only will you feel better after the built up stress is released, but the affects of this will definitely take its toll in the work environment and in turn it will allow you to cope with situations dealt with at work much easier.
3.
mkeeffer | February 18, 2010 at 6:42 am
Yes, it’s an inside job. And it’s so important to stay close to family and friends.
Volunteering to help others is one of the ways I’ve gotten back to my roots.