The Principle-Based Job Search

The Principle-Based Job Search Warning: this turned out to be a harshly-worded rant.  I would tone it down, but Im passionate about the message. In my speaking and my writing Ive been known to refer to a principle-based job search. Every once in a while someone asks what the heck Im talking about.  Ill tell you When I was in my job search I did what I thought was right.  I spent time on my resume (doing it wrong), I spent tons of time applying to jobs online, I spent time avoiding networking events, because I was too good for that (I was convinced my resume would show how amazing I was). My job search was NOT principle-based.  It was based on assumptions, and whims, and outdated information. Eventually, I went to a two-day job search workshop, and I learned about the principles involved in a job search. And my entire job search, and my efforts, changed.  It was a much-needed change.  It was principle-based, goal-oriented (not get a job, but daily and weekly goals that moved me in the right direction). I think one of the biggest reasons job seekers are not finding jobs (or, alternative income streams) is because they are doing the EASY stuff: I applied to 20 jobs this week and heard nothing! Dude, seriously, isnt everyone telling you to NOT use the job boards? I dont have time to go to a networking meeting. Of course you dont  You are focusing 90% of your time on what works for 5% of people (like I did.  Look how that turned out for me.). I dont need help I know what Im doing. Yep.  Just like I did.  For weeks I was spinning wheels. To get unemployment insurance I only need to meet two new companies a week.  The state says thats a job search, so Im doing alright. No, you are just playing the game to get the crappy little pittance the state gives out to those who apply.  You are telling me you will blame the state, and their standard, for your prolonged job search? Im reminded of Staples Easy Button campaign. I see too many job seekers who I want it easy. They dont want to spend too much time. They dont want to get out of their comfort zone.  They dont want to do something hard or unusual (book recommendation: Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters).  They dont want to accept much responsibility for their actions or reactions (instead focusing blame on things outside their control, like THE ECONOMY!). Let me put it this way. JOB SEARCH IS NOT EASY. CAREER MANAGEMENT IS NOT EASY. Get over the easy button idea. Get to work!  Roll up your sleeves!  Brush your teeth and put on nice clothes and get out of the freaking house, and go to networking events!  Pick up the phone!  You are not allergic to making phone calls!  Get informational interviews! DO THE RIGHT, PRINCIPLE-BASED STUFF! And then, get better at it. Get better at networking. Get better at communicating. Get better at informational interviews. Get better at picking up the phone. I got news for you: This is the new normal.  Even after you land your dream job, you need to continue most of the job search stuff you are doing now, because your next transition could be right around the corner. So get good at it, and get serious about it. This, my friends, is called career management. Youll know you have arrived when you actually enjoy doing it. /rant The Principle-based Job Search Yesterday I posted 21 Surprising Ways To Waste Time In Your Job Search. Its easy to see a list like that and then wonder okay, what should I be doing then??  That post is incomplete it needs a complementary post which says heres what you should do. The problem is that the should do could vary based on your location, industry, level, background, experience, etc.  But the bottom line is that there are certain principles you can apply to the successful job search.  Many of them tie into networking, relationships, follow-up, persistence, having a good attitude, having correct branding, etc. Ive said many times that if I were to start a job search today, 90% of my time would be spent on informational interviews (you can watch my Informational Interview course free on Pluralsight).  Doing informational interviews correctly involves networking, branding, persistence, follow-up, etc. Using JibberJobber to track, know where you are at, follow-up, etc. would also be a part of a principle-based job search. Having a schedule, and daily grooming, could be part of a principle-based job search. Spending a lot of time on job boards, applying like everyone else is, is not part of a principle-based job search. The problem with listing things that are part of a principle-based job search is that they all look very cliche.  You would look at them and think its more of the same but many things that are principle-based look cliche.  They trick is putting them into practice, consistently over time. Create a system and then work the system.  A professional speaker (Kathy Loveless) once said create the system and honor the system.  Same idea. Folks, my job search system was anything but principled. I invite you to list the things you do in your job search, eliminate the stuff from yesterdays post, and then figure out if the rest are like comfort foods there to just make you feel better, or if they are really things that will help you get an interview.  Dont hide from the real job search by doing the comfort-food activities they might make you feel better, but if they dont get you closer to employed, ditch them (or do them after hours). The Principle-based Job Search Yesterday I posted 21 Surprising Ways To Waste Time In Your Job Search. Its easy to see a list like that and then wonder okay, what should I be doing then??  That post is incomplete it needs a complementary post which says heres what you should do. The problem is that the should do could vary based on your location, industry, level, background, experience, etc.  But the bottom line is that there are certain principles you can apply to the successful job search.  Many of them tie into networking, relationships, follow-up, persistence, having a good attitude, having correct branding, etc. Ive said many times that if I were to start a job search today, 90% of my time would be spent on informational interviews (you can watch my Informational Interview course free on Pluralsight).  Doing informational interviews correctly involves networking, branding, persistence, follow-up, etc. Using JibberJobber to track, know where you are at, follow-up, etc. would also be a part of a principle-based job search. Having a schedule, and daily grooming, could be part of a principle-based job search. Spending a lot of time on job boards, applying like everyone else is, is not part of a principle-based job search. The problem with listing things that are part of a principle-based job search is that they all look very cliche.  You would look at them and think its more of the same but many things that are principle-based look cliche.  They trick is putting them into practice, consistently over time. Create a system and then work the system.  A professional speaker (Kathy Loveless) once said create the system and honor the system.  Same idea. Folks, my job search system was anything but principled. I invite you to list the things you do in your job search, eliminate the stuff from yesterdays post, and then figure out if the rest are like comfort foods there to just make you feel better, or if they are really things that will help you get an interview.  Dont hide from the real job search by doing the comfort-food activities they might make you feel better, but if they dont get you closer to employed, ditch them (or do them after hours). The Principle-Based Job Search Warning: this turned out to be a harshly-worded rant.  I would tone it down, but Im passionate about the message. In my speaking and my writing Ive been known to refer to a principle-based job search. Every once in a while someone asks what the heck Im talking about.  Ill tell you When I was in my job search I did what I thought was right.  I spent time on my resume (doing it wrong), I spent tons of time applying to jobs online, I spent time avoiding networking events, because I was too good for that (I was convinced my resume would show how amazing I was). My job search was NOT principle-based.  It was based on assumptions, and whims, and outdated information. Eventually, I went to a two-day job search workshop, and I learned about the principles involved in a job search. And my entire job search, and my efforts, changed.  It was a much-needed change.  It was principle-based, goal-oriented (not get a job, but daily and weekly goals that moved me in the right direction). I think one of the biggest reasons job seekers are not finding jobs (or, alternative income streams) is because they are doing the EASY stuff: I applied to 20 jobs this week and heard nothing! Dude, seriously, isnt everyone telling you to NOT use the job boards? I dont have time to go to a networking meeting. Of course you dont  You are focusing 90% of your time on what works for 5% of people (like I did.  Look how that turned out for me.). I dont need help I know what Im doing. Yep.  Just like I did.  For weeks I was spinning wheels. To get unemployment insurance I only need to meet two new companies a week.  The state says thats a job search, so Im doing alright. No, you are just playing the game to get the crappy little pittance the state gives out to those who apply.  You are telling me you will blame the state, and their standard, for your prolonged job search? Im reminded of Staples Easy Button campaign. I see too many job seekers who I want it easy. They dont want to spend too much time. They dont want to get out of their comfort zone.  They dont want to do something hard or unusual (book recommendation: Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters).  They dont want to accept much responsibility for their actions or reactions (instead focusing blame on things outside their control, like THE ECONOMY!). Let me put it this way. JOB SEARCH IS NOT EASY. CAREER MANAGEMENT IS NOT EASY. Get over the easy button idea. Get to work!  Roll up your sleeves!  Brush your teeth and put on nice clothes and get out of the freaking house, and go to networking events!  Pick up the phone!  You are not allergic to making phone calls!  Get informational interviews! DO THE RIGHT, PRINCIPLE-BASED STUFF! And then, get better at it. Get better at networking. Get better at communicating. Get better at informational interviews. Get better at picking up the phone. I got news for you: This is the new normal.  Even after you land your dream job, you need to continue most of the job search stuff you are doing now, because your next transition could be right around the corner. So get good at it, and get serious about it. This, my friends, is called career management. Youll know you have arrived when you actually enjoy doing it. /rant The Principle-based Job Search Yesterday I posted 21 Surprising Ways To Waste Time In Your Job Search. Its easy to see a list like that and then wonder okay, what should I be doing then??  That post is incomplete it needs a complementary post which says heres what you should do. The problem is that the should do could vary based on your location, industry, level, background, experience, etc.  But the bottom line is that there are certain principles you can apply to the successful job search.  Many of them tie into networking, relationships, follow-up, persistence, having a good attitude, having correct branding, etc. Ive said many times that if I were to start a job search today, 90% of my time would be spent on informational interviews (you can watch my Informational Interview course free on Pluralsight).  Doing informational interviews correctly involves networking, branding, persistence, follow-up, etc. Using JibberJobber to track, know where you are at, follow-up, etc. would also be a part of a principle-based job search. Having a schedule, and daily grooming, could be part of a principle-based job search. Spending a lot of time on job boards, applying like everyone else is, is not part of a principle-based job search. The problem with listing things that are part of a principle-based job search is that they all look very cliche.  You would look at them and think its more of the same but many things that are principle-based look cliche.  They trick is putting them into practice, consistently over time. Create a system and then work the system.  A professional speaker (Kathy Loveless) once said create the system and honor the system.  Same idea. Folks, my job search system was anything but principled. I invite you to list the things you do in your job search, eliminate the stuff from yesterdays post, and then figure out if the rest are like comfort foods there to just make you feel better, or if they are really things that will help you get an interview.  Dont hide from the real job search by doing the comfort-food activities they might make you feel better, but if they dont get you closer to employed, ditch them (or do them after hours).

10 Morning Habits of Wealthy Entrepreneurs

10 Morning Habits of Wealthy Entrepreneurs How does your morning ritual compare to some of the worlds  biggest  business hot shots? After mastering the art  of  getting out of bed (easier said than done), your next moves are crucial to setting you up for success. Theres no one-size-fits-all method to getting the most out of your morning. Different  people will  reap different rewards  from different rituals. Whether youre all about reading, riding, running, showering or eating its up to you to strike your  perfect balance. If you  feel  your current routine is flawed, or just fancy a morning makeover, Dreams  has compiled some inspiration from some  seriously successful entrepreneurs. Spoiler alert: there  is no mention of long and lazy lie-ins. 1. Make like Mark Zuckerberg Facebook Creator (worth £22.3bn) It turns out time is of the essence when youre strategising social revolution  . His tip? Wear the same shirt every day to save time deliberating options.  Your guess is as good as mine as to whether he: a) Literally has one shirt and wears it every day, or b) Buys  multiple copies  of the same shirt and rotates accordingly  perhaps  a realistic equivalent is choosing your outfit the night before? 2. Roll like Richard Branson Virgin Group Founder (worth £3.2bn) Forget putting your ears through a painful alarm tone, Richard wakes up to natural sunlight warmly kissing his face. He also exercises and eats a healthy breakfast. Please note, if  youre lacking your own island to kite surf around, swimming or running is an easy alternative. 3. Power through like  Simon Cowell X-Factor Creator / Judge (worth £211m) Slowly does it, Simon  uses the  snooze button to wake up in a happy mood. As for whats on the menu, he makes sure theres oatmeal, not 1 or 2 but 3 smoothies, papaya juice with lime, and tea. 4. Get in the zone like Indra Nooyi PepsiCo CEO (worth £12m) Here we have a classic case (or kegg) of the early bird gets the worm. This means waking up before 4am and being in the office before 7am. 5. Be Strong like Tim Armstrong AOL Chairman and CEO (worth £265m) Just like Indra, Tim beats the crowd and starts his day early. He rises at 5am and gets straight into things. He attends to emails, reads and tests products. 6. Pep yourself up like Peter Jones Investor on Dragons Den (worth £475m) Yes! Coffee finally makes an appearance, but not before a speedy 20-minute pamper session including a shave, shower and some cereal. 7. Break the day like  Tory Burch Tory Burch LLC CEO / Fashion Designer (worth £726m) Tory is all about multitasking. She has three boys to get up and ready, but she also finds time to squeeze in some exercise and check work emails. 8. Leap into it  like Lord Alan Sugar The Apprentice Host / Business  Mogul (worth £900m) On mornings where he doesnt have to be  up and working at the crack of dawn, he swaps the boardroom for the countryside and cycles for 50 miles.  In the absence of sprawling hills and valleys to ride through, one can  just invest  in an exercise bike  and a really good imagination. 9. Do it like Jack Dorsey Twitter and Square Co-Founder (worth   £1.5bn) Jack wakes  up early to meditate and jog. Simple yet effective. 10. Have it like Ariana Huffington Huffington Post (worth £23m) There is a recurring  theme here morning  meditation! Ariana swears by a good 30-minute session,  to top off a good stint of beauty sleep. When it comes to morning routines, sharing is caring here. Ariana backs the benefits of meditating so much she offers classes to her employees. So  there you have it how  the heavy-hitters  wake up. Now Im dying to know, whats YOUR  secret to a successful start to the day? Courtesy of: Dreams  /  Top  image:  Shutterstock

Personal Branding Cosplay - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Cosplay - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Every year, San Diego opens its doors to the nerds of the world with the world famous San Diego Comic Con (SDCC). A weekend long gathering of movie stars, comic book artists and the fans that adore them, it has grown in size so much that major movie corporations save special movie previews to release just at the event alone. Yet even with all the media hype, there’s a subsection of goers that like to enjoy the convention dressed up as their favorite characters. Each year, cosplayers, as they are known, come dressed in costumes they’ve been working on for sometimes a year or more. Ranging in beautiful detail to tongue in cheek humor, many have actually forged careers off of their ability to create realistic looking costumes based off of their own personal flair and brand. The Magic Touch How does a cosplayer create a brand when they dress up as other people? The answer to this question is far from easy to answer. Where some women make a habit of always putting their chest on display no matter what the actual costume is supposed to look like, others have honed their craft to be able to add intricate, realistic detail to everything they build. Bigger operations often employ an entire group of people so as to create a costume that has the best of everything. Newer cosplayers tend to go for the easier costumes while trying to add a little humor so they can stand out from the crowd. However, the entire brand doesn’t sit with just the cosplayers at the convention. In fact, the best continue their show year round through Instagram and Twitter. Here, through social media, they keep their names in the spotlight. Current fans get excited as they post costume evolution while those newer to the fan base can quickly and easily learn what these stars of the nerd world are about. For this, though, it is extremely important to have a good camera and to actually have decent looking costumes. Otherwise, it will not garner the type of respect that increases attention. Background Effects As stated earlier, the vast majority of professional cosplayers treat their hobby as a profession. Knowing they can’t do it all alone, they enlist the help of other talented individuals to help make the outfits a reality. Once crafted, it’s then off to have makeup professionally applied and pose through a photoshoot with a professional photographer. After all, most fans are more than happy to pay for prints of these photos. It’s this back end work that really creates the brand. At a convention, like the San Diego Comic Con, you are only one of tens of thousands of other cosplayers who are as good as or better than you. On the internet, you have the power to have a unique voice backed by a personality, a color scheme and, more importantly, a business model. Beyond the Costume Featuring key players of comics, movies or cartoon shows that are popular, audience members are treated to intimate discussions followed by a question and answer section where audience members have the chance to ask anything they want. Often times, these panels will also feature new movie previews or sneak peeks at future content regarding the topic of the panel. This year, the biggest release was the upcoming Wonder Woman trailer, though Marvel certainly had its fair share of announcements. Other dominant topics revolved around the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers reboot and the smash hit game Pokémon GO! As a cosplayer, you also have the opportunity to have a voice in the convention.   You can also be featured on a panel if you’re able to show how you cosplay in a way that’s authentic to the original character and to your personality.   I’ve seen great cosplays of Wonder Woman yet formatted in a fashion mirroring Dia de los Meurtes . Conventions are a fantastic way to bring together a community of people that share love for similar things. Because of this, people come from all over the world, paying thousands of dollars just to experience this collection of nerdy ideas just once. Whether they choose to show off their love of a franchise by carefully crafting a costumer or simply by partaking, the San Diego Comic Con remains one of the top destinations for nerds everywhere to attend in summer. Every year it has seen growth and future years look just as bright.

When Bad Brands Happen to Good People - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

When Bad Brands Happen to Good People - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career It started when I saw the recent banner headlines about the government’s crackdown on hedge funds for insider trading. “Oh, my. Here are a bunch of innocent people that work inside of the company who will be branded as unethical even though any potential problems probably stem from just a few bad apples.” Bonuses and bailouts This reminded me of holiday parties last year when anyone who worked on Wall Street was attacked for their excessive compensation and bonus, regardless of whether or not it was relevant. Good people are affected by bad company brands, regardless of whether or not it’s fair. You own your company’s brand How does your company’s brand affect you? Companies and products had brands long before we realized that we do, too, so any time someone looks at your resume or asks you, “Where do you work?” you’re surrounded by the halo or dark cloud of the company you keep. What to do if your most recent company isn’t helping you build the brand you’d like to create? Four strategies can help: 1.  Change your resume format. Employers are skimming resumes. They don’t bother with the small print unless the big picture catches their eye. Make the name of your company plain text, and put it under your title, which is boldfaced. An example from a resume format in The New Job Security is: Director of Public Relations Kitchen, Etc., Dedham, MA, 2006-present My client was changing industries so she used this format to downplay the industry she had been in and play up the transferable part (her title). The re-formatting works if you want to downplay your company name as well. 2.  Describe your industry. When talking about your work to others, you don’t have to mention the actual name of your company, but can describe the industry instead. “Where do you work?” can be answered with “A large, international oil company. What about you?” You didn’t say “British Petroleum,” but could choose to go there later. You also deflected the topic by asking an immediate follow-on question. 3.  Bury it. Let’s say that your current company isn’t helping you in your job search. It’s at the top of your resume, however, and you don’t want to quit your day job before you have your next income stream coming in. You’ve already re-formatted your resume, per the first strategy, but want to take extra precautions such as refreshing yourself. What can you volunteer for, do on the side, initiate over the internet, consult for, enroll in, etc. that gives you an additional identity? Warning:   the answer  shouldn’t go against any company non-compete policies or be in a field that isn’t related to where you’d like your next job to be. Either one will just get you into more trouble with your current or your future employer. Put your more recent activity at the top of your “Experience” section on your resume, then bold face anything in it that you want to catch the employer’s eye. 4.  Make it irrelevant. David Kochanek, now publisher of jobsearchdigest.com, worked for 8+ years for Arthur Andersen as a Business Consulting Manager. “It used to be quite a feather in your cap to work for Andersen,” David reported, “prior to its downfall due to its work with Enron. Thousands of talented people, 99% of the firm, had nothing to do with Enron.” Although David had left the firm prior to the debacle, its name was still on the first page of his resume. “What was once a great asset turned into a negative conversation.” David took a different tack. David  became an  entrepreneur. He took his marketing and recruiting expertise and started an online service to help professionals in the private equity, investment banking, and hedge fund industries find work. Arthur Andersen’s name on his resume became irrelevant because he took control. Above all else, protect your brand You now have your best defensive strategies. The best proactive one is to anticipate when there might be problems and start identifying alternative companies immediately if you can’t reverse what’s happening. Your brand is too precious to waste with a company that might hurt it (and you) by virtue of association. Author: Pam Lassiter is author of the award winning The New Job Security and Principal of   Lassiter Consulting, a career coaching firm doing outplacement or internal growth programs for companies or individuals.

A Guide to Writing a Resume and an Interview

A Guide to Writing a Resume and an InterviewWhat to do when you are doing a hiring process interview? If you are in the writing process for job interviews, you are going to need to take note of how much time you can allot for your writing. It is important that you understand that you are in charge of what you put in the resume so make sure that you are putting in the important information that is necessary.Now that you know what to put in your resume, the next step is to figure out what to do with that information once you have it. There are several things that you can do to make sure that the hiring manager gets the most from your resume and that you get the most out of the hiring process.For one thing, give the interviewee some time to digest what you wrote. You don't want the interviewee having to go back over your work and think about what you wrote. By giving them time to digest what you have written, they will be able to remember it better and be able to properly use it during the interview. You don't want the interviewee to just get up and leave because they read something they didn't like.Making a mistake during an interview is not a bad thing; it happens every day. You need to be careful to follow all the rules. Even if you just have one error in the application, if you are leaving it until the last minute or even worse, not answering a question, there could be problems.The final tip for writing a resume and an interview is to have a good resume. Remember, what you put on your resume is going to be used by the hiring manager and the hiring personnel. When you have a good resume, you will be much more likely to get hired if you have been successful in the past.The hiring process is a numbers game. The more resumes you get filled, the more likely you are to get hired. The more people you get hired, the more likely you are to get hired.Hiring is a numbers game. The more resumes you fill, the more likely you are to get hired. The more people you get hired, the more likely you are to get hired.Writing a resume and an interview is not an easy process but it does get easier as you get better at it. Know the rules and know what to do with the information so that you don't have to answer a question later on when they bring it up. Once you understand the rules, you will be able to write well and you will be in good position to get hired.

52 countries - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

52 countries - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog I am back from doing a workshop on happiness at work for the staff at the Cambridge International School in Tashkent. This was our first gig in Uzbekistan and that means that weve now worked with clients in 52 countries!!! Heres the full list: Antigua, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Croatia, Curacao, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Guatemala. Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam. Read more about our keynotes and workshops and book us here. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

A New Season In Life (Update After a 7 Month Hiatus) - Cubicle Chic

A New Season In Life (Update After a 7 Month Hiatus) - Cubicle Chic A New Season In Life (Update After a 7 Month Hiatus) Home Life, Life as a blogger, Lifestyle November 11, 2019 1 Comment  It’s been 7 months since I last opened my WordPress editor. Let’s just let that sink in a little bit……Before this hiatus, I blogged almost non-stop for 4 years. What a strange seven months it’s been, with me not having produced a single article. Today, it’s with a heavy heart that I share this with you guys, my dear readers…  I’ve had nothing to say.  Did you think I was gonna say I’m shutting the blog down?   Oh, no. Never. I worked too hard all those years for Cubicle Chic to suffer the death of unknown causes. Sure, being a full-time Mom takes up all the time and energy I can muster. Sure, I set out to become a full-time blogger 2 years ago and have come short in every way imaginable. Sure, I’ve had a major case of an identity crisis because of owning a blog name Cubicle Chic and having no cubicle to call mine. But here’s the thing…Even when I had nothing to say, I still have this burning desire to write. To create. To produce. To leave something behind. Call me crazy.All of this got me thinking about something tangential yet sobering. People say social media is for the superficial and that it’s all about showing off. It’s easy to categorize it all as egotistical Millenials putting up a glamorous front by curating every envy-worthy detail of their life and neatly packing them into the 9 squares accompanied by carefully researched hashtags. It’s not a wrong statement to make and most of us are guilty of it at least at some points. But I think it taps into something deeper and more primal.A poet writes, a sculptor creates, a photographer captures what he/she sees in the world and a writer writes. When it’s a singular, recognizable, and “respectable” skill (the kind that takes time and effort to develop), the output of it is deemed artistic and productive.   The problem with creating anything on social media when you are a layman is that it seems like it tak es no effort. It’s easy because Facebook has made it easy for you to showcase photos, writings, art or anything that you want to share with the world. And after the post becomes public, you receive “likes”. The Godforsaken likes. Likes that ruin everything. Likes that taint the purest of intentions. Likes that mask the desire to create and make it look like you’re groveling for attention.But it’s not that simple. At least not for me. There is joy in the act of creating something. Choosing the right word to convey my thoughts. Putting phrases together that sound beautiful. Obsessing over the order of sentences for more clarity. This is why I write.Which brings me to the future of Cubicle Chic.I still want to add value and be of service to my readers. But going forward, I’m going to write things that I have personal interests in. Books that inspire me. Ideas that invigorate me. People and stories that bring me to tears. I want to write about things that uplift me, and hope fully, through my writing, I can uplift you, too.In the meantime, I’d like to share a few things that have been enriching my soul lately.  Four Things That Brought Me to Tears Last MonthIt’s a collection of a book, a Facebook clip, a TV series, and a movie. If you enjoy things that make you think while shedding a few tears, click on each of the thumbnails below or just bookmark them. You don’t regret it, I promise.  1.  Call Me American; 2. Ray Chen â€" The Swan; 3.  Modern Love; 4.  Last Christmas 1. Book: Call Me American by Abdi Nor Iftin. This was a momentous book not only because it gave me a thorough understanding of the atrocity that has been ravaging Somalia, but the humanity that perseveres in the face of pure evil. It also shows me how similar we all are, regardless of our culture, religion, race, and life goals. It’s the most beautiful book I’ve read in 2018. 2. Facebook video: A short clip of him rehearsing with a harpist before a big concert at the Walt Dis ney Concert hall a few days ago. Even though there are people talking in the background and some general noise, he played so beautifully it gave me goosebumps and made me cry! 3. TV Series: It’s an Amazon Prime TV series based on the New York Times column with the same name. Many of them are about unconventional love and love that are beyond just romantic. My favorite one is episode 1! 4. Movie: It’s a simple Rom Com that anyone would enjoy. But there are some good messages that the movie is conveyingâ€" helping others is ultimately what brings you happiness. It also happens to be the first movie I’ve seen with the husband in theater in this entire year. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie including the 10 minutes I spent crying and sniffling!  Stay tuned for more. Thank you for reading!