Erich Stauffer

Tag: Desire

  • Running into the Future

    This is a guest post written by Zac Parsons:

    I do not have the body of a runner.  I barely have the body of an athlete.  When I see video of myself in physical activity, I wince like most of us do when we hear our voice on a recording and think “Is that really what I am like?”.  But, for whatever reason, in every stage of my life, I have run.  Today, I ran to the beat of this song, by Panic! at the Disco:

    The drum beat has fantastic cadence for my running stride.  I love letting the image of the video run through my mind as I run through the streets.  The Sgt. Pepperish outfits are a throwback to the 60’s, and the song dances back and forth with talk of the past and the future.  Even the title asks some clever questions:  “At what point would 9:00 ever be considered the afternoon?”  and “Is the afternoon the end of your daily rhythm, or the beginning?”

    In researching for this article, I discovered the band has since split up since writing and recording this song.  The remaining members (the drummer and the front-man), just released a new single entitled “New Perspective”.  The song doesn’t grab me right away, but the title and some of the lyrics seem to indicate a view towards the future and what could be, juxtaposed with what was.

    We’ve all heard the phrase “time marches on”, and it certainly does.  I sometimes wonder if growth and maturity are inevitable based on the ticking of a clock and the movement that must take place in the midst of the march.  In many cases, time does drag or push us into the future, whether we wish it to or not.  And that seems to be the difference: our wishes and intentional movement.  There is a future to be entered into, and it can be our choice of how and where we enter.

    I have this picture in my mind myself walking through life in between a set of parentheses.  If I start to feel sorry for myself and sit down to pout, the parentheses keep moving.  Eventually the lagging one is upon me and dragging me through the dirt, forward through life.  It’s when my focus is on the leading one when I am most content and at peace with life.

    Hope abounds.

    Optimism rains from the sky.

    Energy fills my heart and mind, and my body runs toward the future.  I think that this is part of the reason why most children are happy as a default setting in their lives.  With less to look back on, there is the future waiting to be entered into.  I also think this is why the phenomenon of a mid-life crisis is so rampant, and legitimate.  After getting “over the hill”, many of us want to scramble back to the top and enjoy the view.  Or even to climb back down to a part of the trail where the peak is still ahead on the horizon.

    Time is marching on.  It’s my responsibility to stay on my feet.  Right now, I’m running.

  • Can’t land a new job? Maybe he’s just not that into you.

    Last night, I finally watched New Line Cinema’s movie:  “He’s Just Not That Into You”.  It was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on June 2, 2009.  The movie was recommended to me by my ex-wife, commenting that there was a character in the film that reminded her of me.  Since you just read the “ex” in front of “wife” in the previous sentence, you probably understand why I was intrigued to find out which of these characters was so similar to me, and if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

    The movie contains a fairly notable cast, with Jennifer Anniston, Jennifer Connelly, Ben Affleck, Drew Barrymoore, Bradley Cooper, and Scarlett Johansson all a part of the ensemble cast.  The main thrust of the movie is this:  when signs seem to be pointing towards something negative, are you the exception, or the rule?  The answer to a question like:  “Why won’t this guy return my phone calls?” may be:  “He’s just not that into you.”  When things seem to line up favorably in your mind, are you operating in the hopes of being “the exception” or “the rule”?  Most people would agree that if somebody wants somebody else in some way, that they will do something about it.  Doing little or doing nothing seems to prove a lack of interest (in most cases).

    In light of our economic recession, which may last for many more months or even years, many of us are looking into career changes.  Some by choice, others by necessity.  Most people currently employed would be wise to dust off their resume, as the layoff bug has bitten many different industries, and some without warning.  People are reevaluating what is important to them in a career.  Is it stability?  Personal fulfillment?  Financial gain?  Something else?  What seems clear to me, is that the people who will succeed through this recession, are the ones who know what they want.

    Now, what does this romantic comedy have to do with business and vocational success?  To me, they both underscore the importance of DESIRE.  It may not matter what makes sense on paper, or if you have all of the qualifications that a job requires.  If an employer can’t see that you WANT the job, they aren’t going to hire you, unless nobody else wants the job, and then you would become the exception to the rule.  If you hit an employer with your resume and do nothing else, you may never find out how many other resumes were received, or even if yours was received.  A follow up phone call, email, or professional letter shows desire, and you will be noticed.

    But, the same is true on the employer’s side.  You have to be wanted back.  You must be attractive to your prospective employer.  If you know of a company’s specific needs, then tailor your resume to show how YOU are the solution.  Even with your best efforts, you sometimes just have to let a potential job go.  If a job you seek is filled, but you feel that you put your best foot forward, a follow up call to the hiring manager to ask for interview feedback could be the valuable information that leads you to become a better interviewer and helps you land that job.  Try not to take it personally if you put yourself out there, just to find… he’s just not that into you.