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Interviewed.

An interview is a very interesting social ritual. You are asked to come in to prove to a prospective employer that you are worth something. That your experience will make you an excellent employee. That your temperament will work well with others within the organization and department. You have an hour to prove yourself. You leave. Those that interviewed you discuss you and your qualifications. You send a thank-you not. Your prospective employer may ask for a second interview. You oblige. You either get the job or you don’t. You move on with a new job or continue your search for something that will pay the bills.

I just had an internal interview the other day -- within my own organization. I was a bit nervous going in. I was not very confident, which was odd. I tried to feel out my nervousness, let it settle in so I could have a chance at overcoming it. I asked myself why I was nervous, why I had butterflies, and why I was not looking forward to being interviewed by people that I already work with.

I came up with an answer and it did not settle well with me. It still doesn’t. I felt like I was not being authentic. The whole interaction forced me to put on a mask and push forward an inauthentic version of myself. One that has to prove that I have done something with my life. I had to prove to my colleagues that already knew me that I was the best thing that will ever happen to them.

The whole interview was odd. Not only did it make me feel like I was presenting an inauthentic version of myself, one that forced me to silence my personality and push forward something false, but I was being treated like a stranger by the colleagues that were interviewing me. Colleagues that I have known for almost 3 years. It was odd to say the least. I had to prove to them that I was a hard worker, when they already knew it.

Why do we waste time trying to follow a norm that an unhealthy society has defined for us? When do we break free? When do we finally figure out that we don’t have to do the same things the same way to achieve successful results?

The interview continued. Questions were posed. I answered. Interview ended. And you know what it felt like after I left the room? I felt judged. I felt judged because I was not the choleric-tempered leader they might have been conditioned to be looking for. But the reason that I felt judged was because they already knew that. They knew I am mild-tempered, yet they expected me to take on a role I was not true to who I am.

Since when did a calm and mellow personality become the antithesis of a leader? Since when was the definition of a leader altered to fit only one kind of person? I argue that the interview forces you to become someone you are not, and this is the problem. Organizations should want to get to know the authentic you, not force you to fit the mold.

Kindness is not weakness. Not speaking up does not mean you are not aware. Being yourself is not wrong.

#interview #career #blog

traitspourtraits

elizareads

booksdirect

“You had me at ‘I love reading’.”

Fate laughs in the face of plans.

Anon.

Consciousness is spiritual.

-Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Reflections on a day in nature

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. - Thoreau

More often than not, my thoughts about nature are linear. I get very restless in the city, even the suburbs, and yearn for an escape. One that will take me away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, of my problems, of my brother and sisters’ problems, of the worlds problems. It’s an escape route for me. What we can gather from this is that my relationship with nature is very selfish. I want to receive something from nature, but never really give anything to it. I want it to spark a sense of forgetfulness in the sense of forgetting my problems, and yet I do not want to remember nature. My relationship is not balanced. Something is wrong. These are my thoughts after a day of hiking along the Northern Californian coast with 9 friends. I feel like I did something wrong. I feel like I did not fully understand nature. That I took something from it, but I did not give anything from myself to it. At this point, the word balance means so much. If we take a look around us, all things are in a chaotic balance. This is the only way that the world has not collapsed into itself.

Balance does not mean things are symmetrical or even. This is not what I am saying at all. However, balance must be achieved through harmonious relationships between all natural things. We, our body and souls, are natural things. I think the reason I feel a bit off today is that my relationship with nature was not very balanced. I did not fully appreciate what was around me. I did not fully open my soul to the benefit that nature offers. I feel like I missed a grand opportunity that I have been really needing these past few weeks. Yes, I was in awe of the nature around me and the grandness of the trip, but really, I was closed. I did however learn a few things

So here are the things that I learned:

That our raw selves are exposed in our most vulnerable states. That what we think of ourselves is not necessarily our natural self. As we were hiking, I noticed how my state changed from one to another. I became more attentive to the needs of others. I began to notice the heaviness of my body and the deepness of my breath when I was tired. That I talk a bit more when I’m tired as a defense mechanism against my tiredness. I think nature reminds us that we are more than just robots. We are sensitive beings with powerful souls. We, in fact, are nature. Being in nature only reminds us of our own position.

That we are slaves of God. No matter how much our ego tells us that we are strong and powerful, that we can conquer anything, our bodies and humbled spirits tell us a different story after a day’s hike. We begin to realize the temporal existence of this world. We are caught in the web of worldliness and only when we are at our worst physical states can we begin to understand that we cannot depend on ourselves. Circumstances make us weak. And that is okay.

That human connection is most powerful in nature. Connecting with human souls in a natural environment where our bodies and spirits are being tested is such a unique and moving experience. You feel like you’re looking into someone’s soul, not just their eyes. You come to appreciate the person as a person because the natural environment strips everyone to an extent of all the fuss that comes with everyday life. I am in awe of how nature opens us up and forces us to expose our raw selves. We begin to appreciate the sound of someone’s smile, not their laugh. We pay attention to the sound of their breath and the steps of their feet instead of their appearances. It’s not only the physical person you are experiences, it’s the movement of their soul. The opening of their heart. This is power. This is the miraculous energy God has given us.

The three items mentioned are just a few reflections. I’m still unpacking all that I learned and witnessed yesterday.

Come let us mock at the great by W. B. Yeats

Come let us mock at the great

That had such burdens on the mind And toiled so hard and late To leave some monument behind, Nor thought of the levelling wind.

Come let us mock at the wise; With all those calendars whereon They fixed old aching eyes, They never saw how seasons run, And now but gape at the sun.

Come let us mock at the good That fancied goodness might be gay, And sick of solitude Might proclaim a holiday: Wind shrieked – and where are they?

Mock mockers after that That would not lift a hand maybe To help good, wise or great To bar that foul storm out, for we Traffic in mockery.

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: `My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away".

#ozymandias

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foolies

Holy wow that’s cute

Natural Disasters

A few nights ago, I woke up to shaking beneath me. Earthquake. It started as a low rumbling and then the shaking increased until the windows shook. My mother called for me. We grabbed our identification cards and a few other items and ducked for cover, knowing that the “big one,” the very large earthquake expected in the region where I live, is due anytime now. We waited a precautionary few minutes and then opened the doors to our home. We noticed some of our other neighbors also opening the doors to their homes. Soon, at 2:56am, there were small groups of people gathered together, just sharing a space together and experiencing the moment for all that it was: scary, uncertain, and exciting.

Memories of a life half-lived marked our faces. Our lives flashed in front of our faces. Instead of issues being pushed to the back of our minds for reflection at a later time, our entire being was thrust in front us, forcing us to accept it all at once. Could we accept ourselves and the lives we lived? Questions such as this danced on my face and the faces of my neighbors. The meaning of “natural disaster” was all of a sudden more nuanced than before. Although we had just experienced a natural disaster in the form of an earthquake, we were now possibly experiencing an even more “natural” disaster: that of our own souls. But as we asked our own soul these difficult questions, we also knew that in that shared space, we were all there for each other. That the prayers of our neighbors, the goodness that they hold, was a comforting ally in our current states. The unveiling of our own souls was easier to bear.

When we experience fear or try to under the possibility of the unknown/unseen, we reach for our loved ones at home and then turn to connect with our extended social community. Our souls yearn for connection in times of hardship and fear. That night I witnessed the beauty of humanity connecting through a shared experience. This is only a confirmation of the reality that we are all in this together. This world is temporary and may end at anytime for us. What else can we do but be there for each other. In the end, this brought us all a little closer. We saw each other as raw humans instead of the superficial beings we have become. May we share more raw moments of pure humanness with those that are close to us.

#reflection #earthquake #nature

Among those who dislike oppression are many who like to oppress.

Napolean

#napolean

Reflections on Volunteerism

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to serve in different capacities. These are just some reflections from my 5+ years as a volunteer and now 3+ years as a volunteer coordinator. Let me begin by saying that I have a huge problem with the word “volunteer” as it relates to spending your time helping a cause, person, etc. It’s very self-righteous. “Oh, let me go volunteer my precious time to help this person.” Who are we kidding here? It is our duty to make sure that we serve those around us that need help. It is an honor, a complete and precious honor to be able to help someone in need. For this reason, I tend to use the word “service” instead.

In fact, it is not the person on the receiving end of the service that is being benefitted, but rather it is the one that is offering the service that is benefitted. On this journey to enlightenment, the great traditions tell us to serve and that by serving, we repress the impulses of the lower self. I would like to argue that today, “volunteering” has become another way to feed the lower self. It’s just another line to add to your resume, another way to highlight that you are such a great person. It’s actually really interesting.

You see, the evolution of volunteerism in America began right at the beginning. The privatization and institutionalization of pretty much everything led to disconnect between the person and the service. This human disconnect is where the problem lies. We no longer have a connection to the work that we are doing, leading to a society of general unhappiness and robotic behavior. Because of this disconnect, volunteers no longer understand the word “sacrifice.” To get things done, to truly improve the state of this world, to completely transform someone’s life, we must must must be willing to sacrifice. We must sweat. We must burn. We must keep moving forward.

A way we can do this is to serve with our hearts. We need to consciously intend for good. We need to build a relationship with the people we are serving, the service itself and ourselves. I would love to see people really exploring themselves while serving. Pushing their limits. Putting in 100%. We must push ourselves to question our service. Let’s revolutionize service. Let us internalize the inner meanings of true servitude. We hope that our actions for others are only a metaphor and physical manifestation of our servitude to a Higher Calling.

#blog #volunteerism #reflections

breadonearth

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.

Kurt Vonnegut (via raspberrymilk)

#wisdom #love

Afghanness

This piece is amazing.

"I have developed my identity by pledging allegiance in the morning and watching drones kill my people at night. I’ve met my brethren through CNN and MSNBC, through reading UNHCR reports on their dire conditions, through movies and books and documentaries. I’ve developed it through xenophobic and racist comments, through the anti-anything-brown rhetoric I hear almost daily. I’ve developed it through the extensive Middle Eastern policy courses I took as an undergrad. Through speaking Pashto to my parents, Farsi to my friends, and English to the world. Through singing “This Land Is My Land”, and “Sar Zameen-e-Man". "

Read full post here: http://www.burqasandbeer.com/riding-the-hyphen-my-afghan-american-self-identity/

#afghan #culture #american #blog

“Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.” ― Stephen King

#stephen king #books #reading #wisdom

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” ― Jane Austen

#jane austen #reading #wisdom

“If you should rise from Nowhere up to Somewhere, From being No one up to being Someone, Be sure to keep repeating to yourself You owe it to an arbitrary god Whose mercy to you rather than to others Won’t bear to critical examination. Stay unassuming. If for lack of license To wear the uniform of who you are, You should be tempted to make up for it In a subordinationg look or toe, Beware of coming too much to the surface And using for apparel hat was meant To be the curtain of the inmost soul.”

― Robert Frost

#robert frost #poetry #love #reality

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