I thought it might be a good idea to have a "state of the union" or "year in review" post, to catch everyone up and set the tone for how 2019 will go.
So how did Michael Sheldon Reed's 2018 go?
1. Health concerns. In late January/early February I was hospitalized for a week with what was diagnosed as non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. I had been feeling extremely tired for several weeks prior, after battling flu-like symptoms during much of the holiday season. According to the doctors my heart was only working at 10-15% of capacity, a life-threatening situation. I was placed on medical leave from my job (with the State of Arizona) and was out of work the entire spring and summer, while I recovered from the condition, began an exercise and medication regimen, modified my diet (mainly by drastically reducing my salt intake) and basically took a forced "vacation." I feel significantly better now.
2. Loss of my job. In late March, I was informed that my department (with the State) was being eliminated. The State would keep me on until I was medically cleared to return to work. (An ICD device, similar to a pacemaker, was inserted in my chest in mid-June.). The official separation occurred in July.
3. Amtrak trip to Houston. I cashed out the funds saved in the state pension fund. With that, I was able to survive until late October, as my short-term disability payments came to an end in July. With some of those funds, I went to Houston to see my son Noah for a week, and took Amtrak to get there; it was a very enjoyable trip. I also took a Labor Day weekend trip to Las Vegas.
4. New job came and went. In November, I was hired as a customer service rep at State Farm Insurance in their regional HQ in Tempe. Things were OK but just last week I decided it really wasn't for me, for reasons I will go into in a later post, and voluntarily resigned. I have relaunched my job search and have several promising leads. I have started the application process for a few of these potential new jobs. I think this coming week (the week of January 10) will see some major movement on this front; I expect to hear back from at least two or three of these companies if not several more. Five of my job applications are for positions with the State of Arizona, and it would be awesome to be rehired as a state employee.
5. E-books. I wrote three e-books, one under my name and two under a pen name, and used the website Draft2Digital to place them for sale on all the major bookstore websites for purchase/download. One copy has sold so far. Will this be a good way to earn extra income? Is this a failure? I'm not sure. I paid for a professional to redesign the covers, which hopefully will help sales, but no increase in sales yet.
What I want for 2019:
1. A new day job with a great company with great working hours, great amenities and great benefits, especially medical. State Farm frankly disappointed me in this regard, I expected better from a company of that caliber. Again, I'll go into my reasons for leaving a little later, when I've had a chance to really think about things.
2. My e-books to sell hundreds of copies.
3. The ability to take a summer vacation to Tucson this year.
4. More posts to this blog.
So, in general, I'm happy to be alive. I'm not happy to be unemployed again, but on the other hand, glad I made a change before I became unreasonably unhappy at State Farm, which would most certainly affect my day-to-day performance.
More updates to come. Stay tuned to this blog.
Sunday, January 06, 2019
Saturday, January 05, 2019
Happy New Year: Oh, by the way, I'm unemployed again
I hope everyone had a good conclusion to the holiday season, and that 2019 will be the year great and glorious things happen.
As for me, I have resumed my employment search. In November I was hired by State Farm Insurance in their customer care center in their $600 million, recently-completed regional headquarters in Tempe. Earlier this week I voluntarily resigned from the position. It was an OK position and the work was bearable, and I was doing OK with it, but I never fully clicked or got comfortable in that environment. I can do the work, but I need to be doing it in the right environment where I'm comfortable and feel like I'm part of a team, and the surroundings are awesome.
I've sent several resumes out in the last 72 hours, and completed an online assessment for one that I think will be promising.
The employment market here in the greater Phoenix area continues to be relatively strong with many companies looking for people and the salaries continue to be acceptably high.
This is happening at the time I am planning to sign a new 12-month lease at the apartment complex where I'm currently living.
Today I sent an online prayer request to a few organizations. I no longer identify as a "Christian" per se, but I do still believe that there is some merit to positive energy being called upon in the universe on my behalf, and I thought this is a great time to call upon that energy. Here's the prayer:
I am believing that I will find a new employment situation within the next few days that not only pays the bills, but also gives me a sense of satisfaction and belonging, one where I feel welcomed, accepted and part of a team. I want to use my skills and talents to make a positive difference in peoples' lives and I want to do it as part of a professional "family." I believe that where one door closes, another one opens, leading to something bigger and better. I believe I am intended to live the best possible life and serve the highest possible purpose, and make a positive difference in the lives of those I come in contact with. I am asking that the next job opportunity reflect this in every possible manner.
We'll see how this goes.
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By the way, my novella, Yellow Diamond Eyes is still available as an e-book download for a reasonable price, so check it out when you get the chance. Reader discretion advised.
https://www.books2read.com/b/38rqnO
https://www.zazzle.com/the_i_love_arizona_t_shirt-235225397049067212
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