Just Jenney

Ever since I was about 9 years old, I've had a yearly tradition of looking up my horoscope in the Washington Post on my birthday. Here's what it says for this year:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042201185.html

"TODAY'S BIRTHDAY (December 7). Whisper your wish to the stars tonight. Desire grows over the next three months, and because of this, all of your energies focus to the end of bringing it to life. A fated chain of events helps you forge a new partnership that will last for years to come. Business success sprouts from community spirit. Love with Taurus or Gemini is golden. Your lucky numbers are: 8, 14, 51, 27 and 30."

Now, I'm not one of these people who follows astrology and has my numbers read and all that stuff -- it's just something I do on my birthday for fun. But then I always wonder just how true some of these predictions might be.

I've been out from work since the end of August because of work-related stress which caused severe anxiety and panic attacks. (I'm a supervisor at a credit card call center.) Through no fault of my own, my disability claim was initially denied so I haven't been paid in over three months; I'm now appealing that decision. My doctors, family and friends all agree that I need to find a different, less stressful job. I've been thinking of what I'd like to do, and I'm leaning towards something to do with helping people, perhaps in a nonprofit organization or a university setting. I'm not sure yet, but in addition to getting this disability claim resolved, changing jobs is my overriding priority right now.

So here I read this horoscope and it's saying how in the next three months I'm going to be focusing my efforts to make a goal of mine come to fruition, and also that "business success sprouts from community spirit."

Wouldn't it be so weird if by March or so I DID get a new job, and it has something to do with the community -- such as working with a nonprofit like I've been thinking about? I mean, I know that my emotional and mental health -- as well as Mark's, for that matter -- will continue to deteriorate if I stay in my current job. That's why looking for a new job is at the top of my list of priorities right now. And I've always been inclined to work in an arena where I'm involved in doing good in the community. So maybe that's what this horoscope is referring to??

Spooky!

~ Jenney

Pigtails

Wow, what is it about your job that causes that level of stress?

Just Jenney

Well, it wasn't ALL work-related stress, but that was what tipped it for me.

As a call center supervisor, I get "escalated" calls -- that is, the customers are already so pissed off that they want to speak with a supervisor. Company policy prevents me from disconnecting a call for ANY reason -- customers can call me every name in the book, scream at the top of their lungs, constantly interrupt and refuse to listen to anything, etc. It's verbal abuse, day in and day out. People say things to me that I KNOW they wouldn't say to me face-to-face. They seem to forget that there's a person with real feelings on the other end of the phone. Months and months of this takes its toll, and I just couldn't take it anymore.

~ Jenney

Bob

Happy birthday

And you might get a giggle from the birthday thread I started in the lounge...

Maggs

Hi Jenney

I also found myself in a situation similar to you although less of the stress rather more of "what can I do as an RN in the US when I'm not licensed and don't want to be licensed"! I got a job as a medical assistant and although I enjoyed it for a while it wasn't really what I wanted to do. I've always had a job in a health care/care environment and was stumpted as to what I could do.

I took a long look at what I liked doing and apart from caring for humans I loved caring for my pets, 2 dogs and 2 cats. I wondered about dog walking or pet sitting and after much research I have decided to start a pet sitting business. I don't think there is mega money to be made but a huge amount of job satisfaction in caring for lovely animals and being paid for it (soon I hope)! I am just about to get my marketing campaign going and hopefully I'll get a few clients soon! I worked in the NHS for over 20 years so I understand how work related stress can affect someone and it's horrible. Whatever it is you are looking for I hope you find it and I hope you enjoy doing it.

Good luck
Maggie

meauxna

I've been meaning to Happy Birthday you all day!

Happy Birthday!!!

I hope your 'scope comes exactly true this year

NC Penguin

Except nobody should be surprised when the exact horoscope is recycled and appears a little over a year later in the same publication.



NC Penguin

Just Jenney

Thanks for the encouragement. I know exactly what you mean about wanting to do something that's fulfilling, even if it means not rolling in the dough. The only reason I took the call center job was to meet the minimum income requirements for Mark's K1 visa sponsorship -- three years ago! Before that I was a framing designer and really enjoyed it, but the pay was crap so I had to leave. I'm actually thinking of going back there, if only because it would be an easier transition for me into a new job environment.

Mark is worried, though, because if I take a job for less money we will have a hard time climbing our way out of the financial mess that was created when my disability claim was denied. (Not to mention the almost two-year period that Mark didn't work -- that's another story.) And the benefits I get at my current job are excellent, so it will be hard to find something comparable. But I'm trying to stay as positive about it as I can. I'm under so much stress as it is that I have to hope that there's something good for me out there somewhere -- I just have to find it.

~ Jenney

Just Jenney

Thanks!

~ Jenney

Just Jenney

Well, there's nothing wrong with positive thinking, right?!

~ Jenney

Chorlton

Thats useful to know, I always thought they'd hang up on me if I really got into it with them

I've done the customer service and it sucks. I can't understand why anyone would want to do it. I do try to be nice since I'm usually just speaking to a rep, not whoever was responsible for the problem (unless they start off with an attitude...).