Monthly Archives: November 2018

Grateful for all, the good and the not so great!

21 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me

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“Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.”  – ― Maya Angelou

This post was intended to be about Thanksgiving and gratitude but I am going to be selfish and ungrateful for a moment.  Please indulge my bellyaching.  Sometimes it feels that if I don’t talk about something my head will explode.   There are so many people out there with real issues.  But when all I want to do is cry I need to let it out.

I have never been so close to quitting my job as I am right at this moment. I normally make rash decisions just following my gut, but this time I need to really think about it.

The stick that is threatening to break the camel’s back is a new broker that has been hired in my office.  In the first few days she just seemed quirky, now I realize she is impossible to deal with.  I have been in this same job for 18 years, over 25 years in this industry and I have never dealt with someone like her before.   Immediately things became difficult.  She is so defensive.  It is impossible to talk to her.

Unfortunately I have to deal with her. This is a small place and I do everything, it is hard to avoid her. The world of brokers and traders are full of big egos that expect others to cater to their every whim.  For the past 25 years I have been able to navigate this world without losing my mind.  I did take 1 year off after my first 6 years in the industry.

“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”  -― Mahatma Gandhi

I am trying to exercise compassion towards her. I am failing.

I have been able to put brokers in their place and have them follow the rules.  Not anymore.  Now that there are more rules to be followed they all feel like they can disregard what I say. I have asked the owner of the firm to intervene and laid down the law but he has done nothing.  I think he has gotten used to me handling it all that he thought this too would pass or that I would calm down. It hasn’t and I haven’t.  There are days I get so angry that I feel I am close to having a stroke

Perhaps I am also burned out.  I need a change.  I need a break.  I am going to get a little break now.  I am leaving for Brazil on Friday for 10 days.  Will 10 days be enough to renew and love my job again?

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. 
…live in the question.”  – ― Rainer Maria Rilke

I have mentioned to some of the other partners that I am done.  That it is just a matter of when I am leaving, but they promise that there will be changes by the time I return.  I doubt it, and I wondered if, even if there are changes, if it is not a little too late.  The owner is not here at the moment but called to see if I was okay – he probably heard my threat of quitting.  I didn’t really wanted to talk to him at the moment so I just said yes and got off the phone as quick as I could.  If I started telling him how I felt I would cry, and I promised myself that I if I ever cried at work again I would quit.

Before he left on his vacation he said he would fire her.  I am sure it was just a bluff, as he knew the other partners, me included, would stop him.  I would never want anyone fired because of me. Ever!

If were not for thinking of my parents I would walk out now, but I do consider the future.  I don’t want to make hasty decisions.  I enjoy the fact that I can provide them with anything they want. I don’t live paycheck to paycheck.  If I quit I have the luxury of not working for awhile but what about later on.  Am I going to regret it?  I am a partner here, what if all of a sudden we start making real money, or we get bought by a larger company?  So many “what ifs” going around in my mind.

“Top 15 Things Money Can’t Buy
Time. Happiness. Inner Peace. Integrity. Love. Character. Manners. Health. Respect. Morals. Trust. Patience. Class. Common sense. Dignity.” – ― Roy T. Bennett

Perhaps this woman just came into the picture to illustrate that I need a change. Perhaps she is the tragedy before the miracle.

I am sending the Universe my intentions of a change, of doing something else.  Money is good, but it is not everything, and I am not getting any younger.  What would I rather be doing?

I want to be a ski bunny in some snowy mountain somewhere.  A 52 year old ski bunny with a hip problem that doesn’t even know how to ski well – picture that if you can!

Thank you for letting me vent.  I am enormously grateful for you, my friend of many years, that puts up with my typos and run on sentences. You are priceless and even included in my prayers – that is how special you are!

I wish everyone a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving!  I hope you are surrounded by love and things you love.  I hope that you are with family and friends, but even if are alone that you don’t feel alone, that you bask in the love and light.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorns have roses.” – ― Alphonse Karr

I am immensely  grateful for everything. I am grateful above all for my family and my faith in God.  I am grateful for this job, yes this job that I want to quit, that affords me the life I have.  I am grateful for having options.  I am grateful for friends.  I am grateful for life. I am grateful for hope.

I am grateful that I can help others.  This week I bought coffee/lunch for 3 people 2 different times each.  I helped a guy at the grocery store buy the juice he was leaving behind because he didn’t have enough money.  I pray that God puts in my way people for me to help.  And that is another reason I am grateful for this job that pays me well.

I am sorry for this long winded, full of typos post.

“Be still and the storm will cease” – my friend Anthony wrote me that.  Those few words calmed my heart. I stopped, took a breath and felt the anger and anxiety leave my body.

“You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.” – ― Pema Chödrön

More love, less hate

12 Monday Nov 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me

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“When they go low, we go high.”  – ― Michelle Obama

I received a hate comment last week on my last post.  Actually not only a hate comment but this person wrote a whole post on his blog dedicated to calling me names.  He called me bitch and man-hater among other things.

He said I wouldn’t have the balls to print what he said and comment on it.  While I have more guts in my pinkie finger than he has in his whole body I choose not to reveal his comment and blog and therefore give him any acknowledgment.

But I am choosing to write about it here.  This is is my blog.  This is my space.  I invite everyone to be honest when commenting and to feel free to say whatever they think.  But I expect everything to be done with respect.  Hate is not tolerated!

While my blog is anonymous I do not use the anonymity to spread hatred. I use it to give me the freedom to express myself without exposing my personal life.  While I don’t expect everyone to agree with me, I expect the disagreements to be done with respect.

I don’t hold the key to the truth. I hold the key to my feelings and I try to be as transparent as I can with them while not tearing anyone down in the process.  If someone takes offense to anything I say I am sincerely sorry about that.  My intention is never to offend or hurt.  I would invite this person to reflect upon the reason why they felt offended by the words of a stranger.  I also invite healthy conversation about any disagreement.

This is a moment in the US, and perhaps in the world where people think it is okay to attack each other and spread hate whenever they disagree with anything.  I am not going to be a part of it.  I choose to spread love whenever I can, and if I can’t spread love I choose to shut up.

“Some people have a way with words, and other people…oh, uh, not have way.”  ― Steve Martin

To anyone that let other’s words affect their day and their mood I say: don’t let it. Don’t give any mean spirited person power over you.

Here are my bullet point advices, if I can so boldly offer them.

  • Don’t take anything personally.  I am glad that I have read the book “The Four Agreements” long ago and have learned not to take things personally.  Well, I am still learning but the more I do it the better I get.
  • Consider the source.   I listen to people I respect.  I listen to people that are my friends.  I listen to people that present their disagreements with respect. If someone that doesn’t know me decides to offend, that has no room in life. Criticism is okay, disrespect not.
  • Disagree with other respectfully.  When disagreeing with someone choose respect.  Do not use your words to cause pain, use words to bring clarity. We all know how to hurt each other if we want, but how about we choose love instead.
  • Am I being respectful with my writing?  Will my words hurt unnecessarily?  Do I need to offend to get my point across?  Can I express myself differently?
  • Words are powerful! Use yours, spoken and written, as weapons for peace whenever you can.  You can be powerful without putting anyone down.  Speak less, listen more.  Perhaps sometimes we need to read more and write less.
  • Do not engage hate!  Just leave.  Leave the conversation, leave the situation, before it gets to point of regret.
  • Do not react and over-react.  Take a breather, give it time and space before you address any situation that made you angry.  It is amazing how time has a way of making us see things clearly.

To this person I wish him peace.  I hope that he dedicates more time in the spreading of the good.  I hope he looks inward and reflects before assuming the worst in people.  I don’t assume the worst in him.  He is clearly hurting.  To him I wish healing and peace.  May you find power in love!

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Chivalry needs to be resuscitated

08 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Dating

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“To wish was to hope, and to hope was to expect” ― Jane Austen

Following up my last post where I mentioned the date with P. I was still thinking about his behavior.  I think that it bothered me even more than I was willing to admit.  I needed to get back to him with a yes or no in regards to the second date.  So I decided that honesty was the best policy and flat out asked him about it.

I emailed him: “Why would you hurry and get your food before I got there and not offer to get me my coffee?

Here is his reply: “I apologize for what appeared rude or improper behavior.  Frankly, what’s appropriate these days is not so clear as it used to be.  I wasn’t sure if it was going to be just a drink and conversation, or something more like a  mini meal.  I was very hungry so I had some choices.  If I ordered something that took time to cook, but I didn’t know how far away you were, either I’d have time to eat fast, or you’d show up close to when I got my food, so I would wait for you to get what you wanted.

When it comes to buying your coffee, food or whatever, this is a meeting, not a date(as some women have said to me!), so it seems fair and “modern” to just each of us do our own thing. The old way, the guy always buying, has a touch of “She owes me now” to it, especially in this time when #metoo has emerged. I am trying to tread lightly, not be aggressive or overbearing or make you in any way feel “obligated” to me. Maybe I’m overdoing it. Maybe I’m overanalyzing. All I can say is it’s not easy being a guy sometimes! lol 

Yes…I probably could have let all our conversations be that “first meeting” and treated this more like a first date.  But if we both had actually felt exactly like that, we probably would have been locked lip to lip in a lengthy goodbye kiss on the sidewalk. “

“A gentleman is someone who does not what he wants to do, but what he should do.” ― Haruki Murakami

That answer didn’t make everything all better.

Manners and chivalry are always appropriate, that to me is clear as a bell.  It sounded like he really thought about how to get his food so that he didn’t have to buy mine. He knew I was just a couple minutes away.  I am thinking he was being just cheap.

I think many men are coming up with the excuse that the first date is just a meeting and therefore they don’t need to pay for anything.  For the women that say that I think they don’t want to be stuck with someone they don’t like.  I understand and don’t want to judge, but for me the first date is the first date.  I only agree to meet people that I think could at least be a friend.  If I don’t want to sacrifice an hour or 2 of my time I just don’t agree to meet the person period.

I don’t care where we meet, at the park or the library, but if he chooses a coffee shop I expect that he is paying for my coffee. After all I got my hair done, nails done, I am wearing perfume.  Everyone is making an effort to put their best foot forward or so I hope.

#metoo?  Really?  He is going to use that?  What does that have to do with a cup of coffee?

Why would I think I owe the guy anything because he paid for my coffee?  To me it is just a kind gesture.  It sounds to me that he is the one that has expectations when he does anything for a woman.

We had been exchanging emails for over 3 months on a daily basis.  I expected more.  I expected a cup of coffee and it seems that he expected passionate kisses.

We exchanged a couple of emails after the one above.  I politely declined the second date and wished him luck.

And so it goes…

“Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.” ― Stephen R. Covey

Weekly Update: Date, stress, Sauna

06 Tuesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Daily Life, Finding Me

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I finally had the date with P.  He was a handsome guy, but no chemistry.  He wants a second date but I don’t think there is any reason for it, even though I didn’t say no.

He missed the chance of making a good first impression but going ahead and getting his coffee and quiche before I got to the coffee shop.  I got there only a few minutes after him.  When I sat down he was drinking a espresso and said: ” I was hungry and ordered a quiche”.  There was no question or offer to get me anything.  I think that is rude and in bad taste.  It tells me he is either cheap or clueless.  If he is so cheap that he doesn’t want to buy me a cup of coffee on the first date I hate to think how it will be if we ever start a relationship.  If he is just clueless on how to treat a lady, I don’t think I have the energy and time to retrain a 55 year old man.

There was also some difference of opinions that I think it would become more apparent if we were to embark on a relationship.  I am a believer of things I cannot see (God, angels, etc).  He believes in only things that can be seen and proven.  There is nothing wrong with his beliefs, but I think it could cause problems in the future.

There were also additional things that I didn’t care about.   I am not sure if it is just me being picky or really some things are red flags and I should be aware of them.

“[Marriage] happens as with cages: the birds without despair to get in, and those within despair of getting out.” ― Michel de Montaigne

***

The issue with my tenant continues. I realize that to some people conflicts such as this would barely register but I get extremely anxious about any situation in limbo.  He told me he didn’t decide yet if he is moving out or not but he also is not returning to the apartment until the people next door moves.

This being in limbo makes me nuts.  Leave or stay but make a decision.  I said to him not matter his decision he has to pay the rent.  I got a bit annoyed at his audacity of thinking he can do whatever he wants with no regards to me.  Also accusing me of not doing something about a situation that I have no control of it is offensive to me since I have done all I could, always.

I am not cut out to be a landlord.

“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.” -― Lao Tzu

***

Works keeps surprising me with new challenges. I guess it is only fitting since I remember complaining that my job held no challenges.

Now I found out that if we have a Russian customer or a customer with Russian ties they have only 14 days to pay from the date of the invoice.  No one pays within 14 days in our industry.  We are lucky to get paid within 30 days.  Our bank flagged the payment and returned the money to the customer.  We have been told that any payments from them will be flagged if we try to collect this invoice again.

It is safe to say that we are staying away from Russians now.  We are also following closely the OFAC list of sanctions.

Then there are NFA’s and FinCEN’s regulations that make me require more information of new customers.  The customers are not happy with me. All these regulations are making me crazy.

“Challenge and adversity are meant to help you know who you are. Storms hit your weakness, but unlock your true strength.” ― Roy T. Bennett

***

On Sunday I went to the sauna and gym again with my friend.  Afterwards we went to a vegan restaurant.  It was okay, not really my cup of tea.

At the gym I need to be very careful not to overdo with the weights.  I have very strong legs and I like to do very heavy weights, but I realize I am just beginning and I also have hip and back issues.

The feeling of doing something healthy for my body is great.  This feeling of power travels to all areas of my life.

Stay tune for Miss Invincible!  She is returning!

“Who then is invincible? The one who cannot be upset by anything outside their reasoned choice.”  – ― Epictetus