Good News....for the righteous

We're entrenched in a society that is mostly inhabited by two populations; the Problem people and the Solution people. Both occupy the same world, but see it completely different. This may be a problem, or it may be the only reason balance exists (the verdict is still out on this one). There are several defining characteristics of each group, but lets start simple. To fully understand either group, we must explore the idea behind the identities.

Problem People:

Focus on honing in on the negatives energy in their life. They fester on the problem, which in return attracts more problems to keep the other problems company. Problem people, though seemingly always drowning, love wading in the spa baby pool of negative self-fulling prophecies. They are experts at putting up facades of exhausting every avenue before coming to the "lowest point(s) of their very existence...to date." Problem people live in the land of rainbows, unicorns, and acid rain drops covered in pain and suffering. 

Solutions People:

A solutions person isn't purely characterized by intuitiveness, which usually is a main trait of a Solutions person (but not a necessity). Solutions people see the blueprints of tough situations, then identify the problem areas, and finally come out with several effective ways to combat that problem. It's impressive the way solutions people learn from their issues and generalize the skills they've obtained, through self-discovery & reflection, to other contexts/environment/situations in their life.

I jotted down most of this several days ago. It felt appropriate to expand on it today. As I've been re-evaluating my perception of the people around me, I've come to the conclusion that most people fall into the two categories mentioned above. I was able to pinpoint my frustration to people centered mainly on problems. I'm referring to some of my colleagues. They made me really upset today. I realized that, when you give others the keys to your happiness, if they wreck it, then you still pay the insurance. Today I paid the insurance for investing so much of my time in trying to prove to my colleagues that I cared about them. I realized that not everyone has good character; that was a hard lesson to learn. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt, as I'm pretty sure we all do. I didn't realize that people could take advantage of your compassion for them. I feel that the universe wants me to learn these important lessons to prepare me for my future stints with difficult people. I've listed a few thorns, so a rose would be that I'm so lucky to have friends like you. I don't past judgement on anyone, but it has to be sad to not have people with exemplary character surrounding you at all times. Kudos to you smooth dudes and cowgals.

* to wrap this up: I'm going to continue to be positive and treat those colleagues with the utmost respect. Love is sometimes hard to pay forward, but it has the best return.

A super big ROSE:

 I MADE THE FINAL INTERVIEW FOR TEACH FOR AMERICA! There's much to do before then, so I'm focusing on completing all the necessary tasks before the interview day. As always, I'll keep you guys/girls or girls/guys (if you're into semantics) posted. 

Procrastination NATION

Hey ya’ll.  I’m loving reading everyone’s stuff!  So happy to hear from so many.  I am posting this because I am procrastinating, but also because I want to test out the e-mail thingy that Mer worked out.  Also, I can enter everyone’s emails as forwarding addresses for thetargetcrosscountry@gmail.com so that you can know when comment are posted and what not.  If you aren’t into more email and just want to check in every so often, just ignore the request to become a forwarding address.  Cool?  Cool. 

The biggest thing of note in my life is, this weekend, I will be fulfilling a lifelong dream and having a “pool” party for my birthday.  I’m really going camping by the beach, but in Kentucky, a February birthday bars you from any sort of water related fun.  There will be ocean, beer, smores, and we might get muffed up (but in chocolate chip cookie form).  I’m sure I will fill you guys in on that soon. 

I’ve been taking a page out of Mer’s book and making mad to-do lists.  For your amusement, here is my day in list form.

Things I should be doing:

1. Working on the two grants I will be submitting in February.

Grant writing is my all time favorite thing to procrastinate.  It’s like anything, once I get over the inertia of not doing it, it comes really easy.  It’s just opening the freaking application document and putting my name in the blank that is so hard.  Why is that so hard?

2. Doing reading for my classes

My professor assigned us to tomes to read.  These papers are HUGE!  Also, I’d like to point out that this man has a full time professor position, three graduate students, two small children, and a puppy.  I feel he should be intimately acquainted with business. 

3. Trying to make maps for my field work in t-minus a week and a half

I’m actually excited about this one; I just don’t really know what to do yet.  I took a class last semester all about this map making software on the computer (GIS:  Geographic Information Systems).  It’s an awesome tool and so helpful to me in my project.  But like any cool computer programs, it takes awhile to figure out what you REALLY want to do, and you spend hours doing things you only kind of wanted to do. 

NOTE:  I really do love my work and all that I am doing!  It’s just like anything that is hard/ worthwhile, resistance is acting on you hard to keep you from getting your shit done.  What is “resistance?”  It’s the force in the universe that encourages you to act against your best interests.  It keeps you from getting up when the alarm goes off or writing even though you know you’re gifted.  It pushes us in the wrong direction.  Check out “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield.  JD gave it to me for graduation, and it’s all about this topic. 

Things I’ve done post getting home:

1. Eat (necessary)

I’ve been on a big cooking trip lately.  But I’m at that point where I need to eat the random stuff in my fridge.  Enter brown rice, lentils, and pasta sauce.  Noms.

2. Shower (also necessary)

 I was out in the marsh this morning, then went to spin class.  I smelled way sketchy.  Want to know what going to work looks like for me?  Check the pic. 

3. Change the turtle filter

Always an adventure, but not really worthy of elaboration. 

4. Looked at recipes I want to make on this blog fatfreevegan.com (This is my new favorite cooking blog.)

5. Creepily watch my roommate (who is a painter) paint, but she thinks I’m working, but I’m really creepily watching her.

Okay, off to do the things I should be doing....or watch NetFlix....

Peace! ~Rach Wigg

Blog Love Now Delivered

Busy day here at The TCC! I just wanted to let everyone know that the option exists if you want new posts emailed to you directly. Just sign in with the target email and it should take you to the 'Blogger Dashboard' if you click SETTINGS then the EMAIL tab, you can input your personal email addresses. Thats it!

Rach, I know you were working on this as well. Hope you don't mine that I took the liberty of posting about it. I....I needed some excuse to procrastinate being productive. :\

~M

Decisions

THIS IS REPOSTED FROM MY BLOG!!

20love have been an interesting year for me in so many ways.  Not only is it the year I’ve decided to change my life and do something that challenges me when it comes to my relationships, but I’ve also been realizing some other things about my life in general.

Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be an attorney.  I wanted to be Sam McCoy on Law and Order and fight for justice!  Soon, my passion for justice morphed into me wanting to get into politics and fight for the little person, changing the lives of many people who are forgotten in our legal system.

And while all of these ideas have been my dream for the longest time—for whatever reason I am not sure these are my dreams any more.

I applied to graduate school at George Mason University in December for Public Policy.  I’m still waiting to here back from them.  I hate waiting for things like this. 

Regardless, throughout the waiting process, I’ve begun to think about a lot of things when it comes to my career.  Right now, I’m working at the Four Seasons Hotel in Dallas and have found a niche there I really enjoy.  The company is awesome to work for.  Not only do they have amazing benefits, but the chain exists in 72 different countries stretched all over the globe in exotic and historical locations. 

Recently, I’ve been doing such a baller job with my restaurant that they’ve offered me a promotion into management over the summer, and I was recently nominated to be the employee of the month for January (I’ll find out on the 27 if I make it!!)  Even cooler, the Executive Board of Members for the Club recently singled me out as a key factor in changing the way customers view my restaurant and how positively Racquets has changed.

I don’t know if it’s because this industry is in my blood since my dad is a higher up in the hotel or if it just comes naturally to me, but I know I am good at working in a hotel.  Not only good—but I rock it out.  I actually enjoy going to work every day… and I work at 6:45 in the morning most days.  How many early twenty-something’s can actually say that about their jobs?  Nothing makes me feel better than when it’s a particularly long, grueling day where people can’t stop going to eat and once you reach close time, you realized service went off without a hitch and everyone who came in received the type of service they expect from a company like the Four Seasons. 

Now continuing my education is a different story.  I know I am good at school, I proved that in my undergrad, but one thing I am not good at is standardized testing.   The LSAT, in particular.  When I took the test, I did not do anywhere near what I was expecting, and although I did not study as much as I wanted to, the people who make the test say your scores can only improve a maximum of ten points.  The LSAT made me an anxiety filled mess, and the thought of taking it again to only get the same score would cause me to reach critical anxiety level status. 

In the end, when I think about why I had the dream to become an attorney/ politician when I was in school, I wanted to do those things so I could get money to travel and see the world.  Sure, I also wanted to help people, but traveling and seeing all of the history I studied in school was something I knew I wanted to do. 

The best thing about the Four Seasons is they are located in so many parts of the world.  Once you work for the company for a year, you may put in transfer to any property they have an opening in: Cairo, Thailand, London, Australia—all these places are at my fingertips if I stay with the hotel.  Not only that, but your get free nights at any of the hotels (which increase the longer you stay with the company!) and half off on all food and beverage! I mean LOOK at the places I'll get to go!

Four Seasons Cairo

Four Seasons Thailand

Four Seasons London

Four Seasons Sydney

If I choose to continue with my education, I’d have to wait another five years before I started to make an income… But even then it probably wouldn’t be enough to travel anywhere on because of the massive amounts of loans I would have to pay for law school… Not to mention the long hours spent at work.  I want to enjoy my twenties—and the work I will continue to do beyond them—and I’m pretty certain in order to do that I need to change the path I had always laid out for myself and commit to a career in hotels rather than pursue continuing my education. 

Some people may think I am settling, and maybe I am; but the thought of getting to go anywhere I’ve read about and get paid to do something I love doing makes me so much happier than the thought of me spending the years I’m supposed to live stuck in a library.  I know I can do this hotel thing, and I know I have the ambition and drive to get into higher levels of management.  I’m a person who likes to be the best at whatever they do, and now that I’m certain I’m going to do this for my job, I am going to be the best worker the F-season’s has ever seen.

So, in order to make me happy on day 24 in 20love, I’m deciding to change my dreams and what I want out of life.  

____

To Mer Bear-- Your couch surfing ideas sounds fun/ a tad be on the dangerous side.  I like your rebel without a cause attitude + Your drive to be the best grad student at NMSU!

To CornCakes-- Get it 

To Katie-- You got it girl, go after those dreams/ be in JD's Bosom!

To Rachel-- I'm glad things in the LB are as fierce as you!  Tell Daniel I said hiiii

To Double Dutch-- I love you... keep on the path!

LOVE LOVE LOVE/ Hope you don't mind I posted from the blog but it's something that has been on my mind/ I hope y'all approve!

Some Down Home 20Love

Hello all! 

  Let me start by saying how glad I am that y’all are all doing this and that I am fortunate enough to be a part of it. I’m so happy y’all have taken such an interest to keeping up with everyone through this incredibly accessible medium. Y’all are truly wonderful people whom I hope to never forget or be out of contact with.

  I loved seeing all of you in Chicago! As for me, 20love has been my year! Being 24 in 20love is rockin’ me out! I have absolutely decided that I am applying for the Public Allies program in Chicago; which means that I will move from Dallas when Corn and I’s lease is up at the end of July. And that makes me so incredibly excited that I don’t have words to express it! This apprenticeship is exactly what I need to be doing with my life at this point -- I feel that from the bottom of my soul! J.D. has graciously said that he would do whatever he could to put the odds in my favor regarding the application process. I have been working on the application since about a week after we got back and it’s going great. It’s really made me think about exactly what avenue of social justice policy I want to take in my life. I’ve done a lot with gender and women’s issues and I was iffy on whether to stick to that pattern or to branch off into something that I’m also interested in, such as LGBT issues. But I think that I’ve decided to stick with women’s issues because I’ve become increasingly more interested in economic development and micro-finance issues lately – and they have a direct tie to women’s issues considering most of the world’s poor are women and children.

  On the job front, I went to the swinger’s club that one of my friend’s said she could get me a job at, and it didn’t go as planned. I thought that I could handle the atmosphere, but in the end it was a little to underground for me. Plus the owner had the air of a man who has beaten on some women – maybe I’m being judgey but I’d rather be safe than sorry. So the game plan now is to continue temping and most likely apply to the steak houses around our apartment for some cash in the meantime. (I’m only thinking positively about the Public Allies program – so, I will get in!)

  In other news, I’m trying to hook up with some Dallas organizations called Dress for Success and Dallas Women’s Foundation to do some volunteer work while I’m still here. Wish me luck! DWF is being persnickety about getting back to me. Bitch, I’m trying to work for you for free – hit me up!

  J.D., I agree with Meridith. You HAVE to find a way to tape your show. I’m so excited to learn from you!! I got your voice message the other day as Corn and I were coming out of this club in Dallas called Beamer’s; it’s a black club in a huge ass building off 35. I was drunk as a skunk and didn’t even mean to be!! When you come home you’ll have to check it out. Thursday and Friday Happy Hour they have a soul food buffet and $2 wells (poured stiffly). Seriously legit. Also, you and Ryan’s dance was amazing. I’m so happy it was caught on video (thank you Meridith). Whenever I'm down in the dumps I can just click the link and be cheered up instantly!!  

  Meridith, I hope you have only amazing experiences with couchsurfing.org. That sounds awesome!

  Rachel, I hope you have an amazing semester trudging around the wetlands, as you do!! Ditto on the push to post your brother’s music; I’ve never heard any of it, I don’t think.

  I am going to make a concerted effort to post of this blog regularly. If I do not, I give each and every one of you permission to hound me until I do. =)

    Lots of down home love,

   

        Lawless  

NYE Dance Dance Resolution!

Ryan and JD's Dance 

I told Ryan I'd email this to him but apparently its been sitting in my outbox, too big to send! So here it is for everyone to enjoy again! I tried to embed it, but couldn't figure out how so its an unlisted youtube video now. Only people with this link can get to it! Sneaky, eh? Sorry about the shaky camera work, the chick I hired was drunk!

Cheers from NYE 20LOVE HQ!

Hallo you sweet souls whom I miss dearly,

I just got back from a lovely hike in a canyon not but 20 miles outside of town. I can't believe it's January 17th and already 70˚ and beautiful. I was glad to get out and stretch my legs and feel the warm sun on my skin after being a winter bear all of December (what a long winter, I know). School is starting back up and I'm determined to be the best grad student that ever grad studented at NMSU. I'm pretty sure that just involves making lists and then acting in a way so that I may cross things off my list.

I'm watching the season premiere of Big Love whilst writing this bloggity, I remember how the Target is generally a huge fan of the show. I hope you are caught up because shit is real this season. I had to pause for a moment because Nikki was being the most, like always.

One of the more interesting developments of my 20Love life thus far has been Neeshia and myself placing our couch on CouchSurfing.org. Basically happy wandering folks can request to crash on our couch for a few nights and in exchange we get to hear stories and make new friends. I had met a duo that surfed a couch of some friends of mine in the Beeg and have wanted to participate since. In hindsight, I wish the Castle's couch had been up for surfing. Next weekend we'll be hosting a 19 yr old girl and her dog as they make their way back to Nashville and another guy for two nights as he bikes across the country!

(Paused Big Love again. I hate when things get too wild. But also Love It.)

Even before we got all of that up and going, Neeshia and I had another adventure meeting new people. Soon after we got back into town, we met a young street kid named Jake. I love that Neeshia saw a dirty  dreadlocked hippie kid chilling outside of a Walmart and immediately asked to take him home with us as though he was the cutest puppy ever. In fact, he has the cutest puppy ever, but we found that out after we asked him to come kick it with us for the night. Jake and Raul the CPE were lovely house guests. Jake and I even chatted about about the Power of Positive Thought and the Secret. Truly a kindred spirit. He was making his way to Florida for some awesome sounding Rainbow Festival. We exchanged e-mail addresses, so hopefully we'll hear from him again.


In other news, I miss you all bigly and was so pleased that this blog is coming along so well! Rach, Corn, and JD I enjoyed reading all about your lives. I agree, Rach, you should post/link us to anything Jake gets up and going! Corn, I'm looking forward to your blog as well! I'll send positive Teach for America vibes your way. I hope to write/send everyone letters and photos so Corn, I'll choose and extra special photo for your board! JD, please please please get someone to tape your shows for us! I'd watch you on TV all. day. long.

Oh! Neeshia and I are going to have a radio slot on the campus radio station. Where can I get a decent file of Feeling the Heat Run Through My Body so I can PLAY IT ON THE AIR!?

Thats wrapping it up for my first ever blog post! I've got chill, its exhilarating.
Lets keep this up and join forces again SUPER SOON!

~M

MKL Day Shout Out

Hello all:

So excited that this is happening. It took me forever to figure out how to post on our "Target" blog. I am already turning into that old man who cant keep up with technology. Happy MLK Day! Today my fellow fellows and I participated in a day of service. We passed out local resource guides to organizations and residents in the Humbolt Park neighborhood and watched a GREAT PBS documentary called Citizen King. So much has happened on the T.V. since starting to write this most recent post:

First, a commercial came on advertising for an industrial ladder. The announcer literally said "made in Plano, TX this industrial ladder holds up to...". Shout out to my Plano folks!

Second, I could have sworn that I saw Raf Esparza in a TMZ clip where he was chasing down "The Situation" with a huge camera. Is it possible that I really saw Raf with "The Situation" on television? Who can I count on to do some investigation?

Yesterday I watched the Golden Globes and I cried every time someone from Glee won an award and gave a speech. I think it was because I was a bit of a drunken mess. Ricky Gervais was funny as all get out. Natalie Portman worked pregnant so fucking good. Inception was robbed on so many levels. Great night, looked like a skunk of a party!

Some funny work related news...I might be getting my own T.V. spot for 20 minutes once a month! It is this obscure cable channel called CANTV that covers nonprofit news in Chicago. They have various call-in shows that come on the air once a month about various issues. For example, they have an AIDS hotline and a show where people who are unemployed can call in. I might be covering the immigration show. I will keep you posted as I know more...FOR SURE!

SHOUT OUT TO CORN FOR MOVING FORWARD IN THE TEACH FOR AMERICA INTERVIEW PROCESS!!! It sounds like you candle is lit in 20-LOVE!

Rachel- Kudos for starting this! I cannot wait to hear your brother's new stuff. I might introduce his music to this great up and coming duo group...you may of heard of some of their newer work such as "Feeling the Heat Running Through My Body". Last I spoke to them, they were in the final stages of making their popular song into a KRUNK music video.

Others- I cant wait to hear from everyone about how their 20-LOVE is shaping out.


Best wishes,

Double Dutch

Rainbows and Unicorns

First off, I want to piggy back on some of that deep shit Rachel was spittin'. In 2011 we need to do a much better job at keeping in contact. Whether that's via e-mail, facebook, snail mail, phone, or (for those fortunate times) in person. I've totally dropped the ball on majority of these mediums of communication, but 20-love has already shown me that I need to keep up with you guys so I can keep up with myself. Amongst a few other things, you guys are what fuels my fire. SO in the words of a wise aids-ridden character from RENT "will you light my candle?"

comments to Rachel about her previous blogpost:
- I can't wait to hear Jake's new music. maybe post one of the videos on the blog?
-I feel D.Lo should, at some point, make a guest appearance on The Target Cross Country as a blog apprentice
- You'll always be a smitten kitten for those you love. It's your nature
-When you get time, e-mail me a picture of yourself that you'd like for me to put on my vision board. I'd like for you to have a say in what picture I'm putting my energy into. Collaboration baby!

Now on to a few Cornlights:

1. About a month ago I applied for Teach for America. This past week I received an e-mail informing me that I was invited to a phone interview that will hopefully lead to a final interview. My phone interview is this Thursday, so send positive thoughts my way por favor. Hopefully, I'll end up in one of top three locations: Bay Area, Chicago, or Michigan. There's  a lot of need in the Mississippi Delta region, so I may stay open to that possibility. I know the Universe will guide me to where I need to do service. She has a funny way of being able to know exactly where I need to be and what I need to be doing while I'm there. Such an intuitive Universe.

2. I'm going to launch my own blog sometime soon. I've been lagging on it, but Sergio (the guy I told you all about during the trip) is really helping me make it sparkle and "marketable." It's going to be centered around modern day empathy; our lack of it...our search for it...the result of having/using it in everyday situations. I'm excited for it to go live by the end of this month. You girls will for sure know what's up.

until next post...stay real folks.

muah.

1st Post 1st Post!!!! AHHH!

                I don’t know about all you fine folk, but I spent all of last week blabbing to everyone that would listen about our awesome Chicago adventure.  I miss you guys and gals like crazy already.  I don’t know if everyone was privy to the conversation, but a few of us talked about starting a group blog to help us all keep in touch.  I think it could be really special and fun!  I love keeping up with ya’ll (especially those I don’t talk to very regularly).   As Sam reminded me recently, you guys are my Target of people.  You are the folk I know I could call if shit was going down.  I want to keep in touch!  So, here it is!  I made the blog!  And, as this came out of my crazy brain, I will make the first entry!

                The News from the LBC:

1.       Black Swan is FUCKING NUTS!  It so beyond nuts I cannot even describe it.  Nat Port for sure took me on a journey.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.  Would I recommend it?  Yes.  Would I go see it again?  Probably not.  It was too scary for me and if I’d known it was going to be that scary, I probably wouldn’t have gone to see it.  That said, I am the biggest baby in the whole world when it comes to scary movies.  AND when I came home my roommate was gone, so that didn’t help.  Garcia and I had to curl up in bed together and try to stay connected with reality.

2.       I have one more week off then I start school.  This semester is going to be crazy for me as I am doing all of my field work in the next 4 months.  If you have a vision board and wanna’ put a little Rachel + Suisun song sparrow action up there, I would appreciate it.  I just really need things to go well so I can get done with school by next summer and go on to PhD world.  I’m  not sure what all that will entail yet, but I will update you when I know more.  :)

3.       D Lo is in Peoria at HFO this weekend.  I miss him, but I’m glad he is having fun.  He told me he saw a bunch of our old speech peeps.  I wish I could see a few people that I love to fuck around with.  I probably won’t get to go to NFA this year (because of the birdie field work), but I really want to go next year.  It could be the midpoint between New Years and seeing one another again!  Anyway, D Lo comes home tomorrow and I’m pretty ready.  Two years and some change and I’m still a smitten kitten.

4.       My brother is getting some of his songs recorded and also getting some videography done for some of them.  They will be on Facebook next week and I will share them with all of you guys.  PLEASE, share them with everyone, especially if they might know anything about the music business.  Jake is trying to turn his life in a direction of his own choosing (as opposed to just letting things happen), and I’m so proud of him!  Even if a ton of people could just comment I think it would make him feel great and help him keep going.

That’s all I can think of right now.  Here is my challenge for ya’ll.  We should all try to post at least twice a month.  It doesn’t have to be long, I just want to know about your lives!  If you write poetry, share some of what you’re working on, I would love to read it.  If you have taken some bad ass pictures, put them up!  Label your posts with your name.  Next, COMMENT so we know that we are all lovin’ on one another and in one another’s lives.  If this isn’t your thing, no worries and no pressure!  :)  Finally, I have something I would like to know.  I did this with the roomies before they left Chicago.  Try to describe your New Year’s adventure in a single word or phrase each day and comment on this post with your words.  Mine are as follows:

Dec 29^th: Muffed UP!

Dec 30^th: Shoppin’

Dec 31^st: 4 Locos

Dec 1^st: Fuckin’ cold!

Dec 2^nd: xoxo

5.       I’m already missing my family quite a bit (see the picture below!  Aren’t they perdy?!).  If you are living near your family, make sure and give them a hug for me!  And then hug yourself and that one is to you from me!