Thanks for cheering me up, Robbie

This song makes me remember a vacation trip when the kids got a cold with fever one after another. I had to stay with a disappointed sick kid in the hotel room. All I could do was to take some short walks when they took a nap.

I realized that this song is great for walking uphills! Thanks Robbie for cheering me up at that particular time and other times too.

To defend a politician can be tricky

In order to defend a politician who had been influenced by enterprises in a questionable way, a leader in a morning paper brought up another politician who might have been influenced by the opinion of some voters! Seriously?

Even small girls change when they grow up

Some days, like today, I wonder what happened to that shy little girl who spent too many years listening to others. And where did that woman come from who can't stop herself from blogging, writing e-mails or talking especially in a group of people listening to someone lecturing for hours about interesting things but maybe not that complicated...

No safe track

Now people start giving me the advice to take a safe track. "Why don't you become a teacher?", they say. I'm trying to remember other occasions when I received similar type of advices, don't take any risk, don't buy too large, go for a safe job etc, and how I usually regretted having "played safe".

I have no desire whatsoever to become a teacher. I believe there are already too many uninterested teachers in the world, who rather would have liked to do something else. They stay at their jobs in school and maybe spoil some of the fun for the pupils. I have no plans to become one of them.

However, I need to focus on the right things, in order to become successful in "not following the safe track".

Writing here is typically not one of them... but I do it anyway.

The secret of selling

I have seen professional sales people in action. A successful sales person doesn't reveal to the customer what the purpose is, to sell. On the contrary, the goal should be something else, like give information and help the customer in some way. The goods could almost be shown by accident before the sales person leaves. The goods should of course be perceived as very attractive and almost impossible to get.

A good sales person typically doesn't shows off and brag, but makes people feel comfortable. The customers should typically be a little bit flattered, but not too much so the purpose of selling becomes obvious. The customer should appreciate and trust the sales person. That's very important!

The best sales argument is of course customers who have been fortunate to have the sales person helping them with their problems and made them even more successful.

The best sales people get customers to come running after them and to beg for the goods and the services they offer!

Maybe I need to learn how to sell in order to get some income. It's going to become tough, because I usually tell people my opinion and what I think they should do. Guess I need to practice.

Let's see. I mainly wanted to explain this to myself, and I'm sure that you as an experiences and intelligent reader already are well aware of how to sell. There is no need to share my humble opinion. Good luck with your sales, friends, I'm sure you're doing fine.

explanation on recent blogging

Why was I so sad during the week? What was the drama about?
I was just suspecting that a person let me down, when it came to supporting me on a job opportunity. First of all, I am not sure what really happened. Jumping to conclusions is something I do. Sometimes I'm right, but I need to remember that I'm not always spot on. Maybe I wasn't right, maybe it wasn't an opportunity for me.

I'm really happy for the people who do support me these days with good advice and inspiration.

Thanks for being there! Let's hope I can be there for you too...

Chopin as a private time machine

Music is like a time machine. This song makes me remember what thoughts and feelings I had during the period of time when I played it many years ago. It is one of my Chopin favorites.

More sadness

More Peter Cincotti. A very sad story as from the text. "Peter wrote this song for his dad. At the age of 13, he played in a New York club and between sets his father died of a heart attack on the doorstep of the club... "
Compared to him I'm not at all sad because I don't have any such reason to be sad.



I heard him live once and he made an impression...

Backup plan?

The number of people I can count on is decreasing.
Emigrate to the moon, maybe?

Who am I?

Am I the little child who come from a certain family
Am I the teenager and the young girl
Am I the student and the young woman
Am I the mother and the white collar worker

Am I everything that has happened to me?
No, I am the little child, who played different roles
and survived those things that happened to me

My plans? To grow older but not pretend I'm not the little child.
To play the role of a grown up woman and a mother I suppose
Otherwise I'm curious.
How about you?

Take a chance

Take a chance on me
Gonna do my very best and it ain’t no lie
If you put me to the test, if you let me try
Take a chance on me



(quote from ABBAs song)

Kind of empty song

It's not because of the dance I include this video on my blog. I'm not sure I fully understand the lyrics. But there is something about having everything and yet asking yourself "what is this and how did I get here?" that gets to me. It gives me such an empty feeling. The same feeling I get when people talk as if only status matters.

Horoscopes, oh no

I am into science. I am the one who always question things and want to see sources and evidence. I think astrology is just superstition. Horoscopes are for ignorant people who are easy to fool.

Then can anyone explain why I read my horoscope? And why I pay attention to it?

- Because I feel helped by it. It makes me think. There are often coincidences.

Could I replace the horoscope I get via mail with a book with wise words, one for each day?

- Nope.

The conclusion must be that I'm superstitious, ignorant and easy to fool. I hate to write that.

But at least I'm aware of it.

East and west are different!

The cultures in the East and the West are much more different than we can imagine. I have some personal experience from the cultural differences from when I was working in a global company.

At one time I was working with a group of people in the large country in the West. I had the task to advice them in a delicate matter. I went there, I listened to their plans, and I told them to change direction and the reasons for it.

After some tough argumentation, they listened to me and my colleague, who was helping me with arguments. The responsible manager was open for our arguments and finally changed the direction. He was very grateful to us for revealing information, for giving advice and "telling the truth", even if the change was somewhat awkward for them. I was treated like a hero, who stood up and argumented for what I believed was the right thing to do.

Another time I was working with the large country in the East. In this case I had certain responsibility to review things and participate in decisions. Here I found some serious issues and reasons to highlight that a change was needed. Here I was also participating in some tough argumentation, but this time I was alone, since my colleague here did not dare to back me up. However I felt the people on the floor were supporting me for highlighting important things and they were impressed that I dared to bring up unpleasant facts; to tell "the truth".

When the argumentation in the West had been open and focusing on the issue, the argumentation in East was initially also dealing the real issues, but the difference in culture was revealed when it became a management issue. When the management in West was interested in taking the right decision, the management in East was only interested to look good in front of the headquarters. When they didn't succeed to persuade me to agree and be as loyal to them as my colleague already was, they used all possible provocations to make me feel uncomfortable and try to get me out of balance. They were even posing threats at me.

Since I didn't give away, they later managed to destroy my career with in the company. I guess the management made sure at least nobody in their organization would ever dare to "tell the truth", and make them look bad again.

My learning from all this is "you can't change anything in the East if people loose their face". What looks like exactly the right thing to do in the West, isn't necessary the right thing to do in the East!

I guess they don't have the same experience in Norway.

Seeking advice and taking decisions

I usually ask people for advice. I want to know other peoples opinions. I who always have an opinion about everything, usually want to make sure I have understood several different viewpoints before taking decisions.

When I look back on the decisions in my life, it is with mixed feelings. I can clearly see that sometimes I've been following a strong feeling, sometimes I've been influenced by someone's opinion and other things have just been coincidences.

To follow a strong feeling can't be wrong, can it? Of course it can, but a strong feeling is at least true and genuine, if you think you are aware of where it comes from or the reasons why you have it.

It annoys me when I afterwards realize that I've been maybe too much affected by other people's opinions in important decisions.

I also regret being shy and for having fear. Sometimes we don't do things because we have fear. That's always a bad excuse, isn't it?

When it comes to my career, I look back and think; "why didn't anyone give me advice?". Experience it something we seldom have when we are young.

The conclusion is that when it comes to personal matters one should always take complete own decisions, but when it comes to career, one should listen carefully to others. That's my general thumb of rule. And to never have fear, of course.

For us who are still around

These days I let my thoughts go back a year. Let us remember what we have got, all of us who are still alive.

It's a good idea to try to stay healthy but also try something new for a change and to have some fun while we can.

We just need to be there for the kids and the young ones. That is what matters.

Wonderful advice for job seekers on TV show

My mother was helpful and telling me about an ongoing warm up show on TV I should watch. The show told us how to prepare before a job interview between topics such as cooking, dog dieting, circus and interviews with a couple of artists. Job seekers have apparently become an interesting target group also for TV shows for women!

I learned that I need to put an effort on my hands and feet, and wear nice underwear in order to feel good at a job interview. It was very important to have beautiful hands. Good to know! I guess I had the completely wrong focus when I bought a new pair of boots to match my suit, but I should have spent money on manicure instead. The boots can at least be reused...

Sorry, but I think they are completely out in the bushes. A nice outfit is good to have, but it must be much better to study the company and be prepared with some questions, than to spend time on shopping and beauty.

Or maybe there is some truth in it after all? Maybe I need a new haircut, some beauty salon treatment and some new makeup... and I definitely need a new handbag. Shoes? Yes! And isn't my suit a bit old?

Maybe I should consider to take a trip abroad to get those things? The question is if I even have time to apply for jobs! Thanks for the job coaching, TV4, and for giving me the right priorities!

Does unemployment indicate wrong priorities?

Once in a while people arrive late for work. Few people look relaxed and say "today I decided to spend an extra hour in bed and it feels great". No, they usually make sure they have a good excuse talking about some car breakdown, commuting problem or accident.

I'm starting to believe it is a similar phenomenon when being unemployed. Why are all these recruiters so terrified to hire someone who has been unemployed for some time? Is unemployment seen as a proof for being lazy and not making a big enough effort?

You have been making an effort, but you can't say "I've been trying like hell and nobody wants to hire me". If nobody else wants to hire you, then they have obviously found something wrong with you....

You also can't say "it's been great and I've finally had time to find myself." Are they afraid you have found something else to be important in life apart from work? Are they afraid for getting people who have tasted the forbidden apple, to prioritize sleeping an extra hour in the morning?

Keep applying

I'm applying for jobs where they look for someone else. Then I try to look like someone else. Sometimes I find job ads where they look for me. Exactly for the skills I have and for someone with my experience. Let's see if I get called for an interview now or not. I had to fill in my date of birth, of course. They asked if I speak Russian. Eh, no...

A former colleague asked me if I had had any trial periods of employment. What? I've hardly even been to any interviews. People tell me my CV looks great, so the question is why.

To use old contacts? Some of them don't answer mails. I shouldn't take it personal but if we used to be good friends, I do take it personal. Guess they are busy. Quite a few friends have disappeared while others are supporting. Good to know which ones the few good ones are. I believe they think "if could have been me". The ones that have disappeared probably think they better stay away otherwise they might catch it, as if it was some sort of disease. Guess they knew the winning concept of having successful friends.

I need to try to do something that there is a demand for. So there will be many opportunities. Something where my age isn't a problem. I don't need much money. How hard can it be?

Now I'm lying. I've had some simple jobs long time ago that I didn't like much. I want to do things I'm good at. I want to have some challenges. I want to learn new things. I want to love my work. Guess I'm all spoiled. Maybe we all are.

Idol

Jihde is cool and Idol is magic. It's amazing how many talented young people there are in this small country. And they are good looking too (the difference is striking when watching the American Idol!)....