Big changes

Well life is changing big time! It seems like for me, life is all about change all of the time. I guess that can be viewed as a good thing, never a dull moment in my life these days. So what’s new…. About a year ago I was given a promotion to move from Customer Service to Sales. Of course I took it, more money, more opportunity, new things to learn, new challenges, different co-workers. I didn’t have any expectations, I just wanted to dive in, learn, absorb and function. At first, it was very exciting; I got to travel to Chicago, all expenses paid. I became an “off the clock employee”, I had my own office. It was great. I created my own work schedule, and was pretty much in charge of myself. Did I mention it was sales. Okay, so let me explain something about the transition. Customer service is a position where I am in a cubical environment with 5 other ladies, all able to chat and talk as we please, customers call in to us, and we help them. They need us, and we satisfy their needs. Inside Sales is a position where I sat alone in an office and called people who wanted nothing to do with me and at the end of the day I was probably rejected at least 30 times. It was a touch transition. I was always asking my boss for additional functions where I could “help” people, and he was always telling me “no, just call, and sell”. So, being the good employee that I am, that is just what I did. My first quarter was great, I was 103% of my quota! Not too shabby for a first timer sales gal! My second quarter was not so great, I was about 87% of my quota. And the start of my 3rd quarter was even less. I started becoming unmotivated, and un-excited. I was making sales, but obviously not enough. I wasn’t sure where I stood, and all could really think about was how I longed to be back in customer service. I refused to ask to be let back into customer service, my pride wouldn’t’ let me do it, I had to prove that I could do sales and be good at it. Then, last week, my boss called me in for a chat here is how it went:
Boss: Heather, is sales everything you expected?
Me: Well, I didn’t really set any expectations, I just wanted to learn, and absorb everything that I could.
Boss: do you love sales?
Me: Yea, some days.
Boss: Do you love sales as much as you love customer service
Me: HUGE SMILE… Um… Sometimes :)
Boss: How do you feel about going back to customer service?
Me: Will I keep my same pay?
Boss: yes
ME: YES! :)
Boss: I’m glad you could be honest with yourself, you deserve to be commended for trying out sales, because customer service reps don’t usually make it in sales. But I know you’ll be happier and that’s what I want for you!

So… I guess I felt a little bit like a failure, because I didn’t excel in sales, however, I am one of the best customer service reps you will ever meet, and now that I have my sales background, and much more knowledge about the product we sell, I have lots of confidence that I’ll be up selling to our customers as they call in.
I am 100% happier to be back in my old home with my gals. It’s such a different happier environment! So, that’s a good thing!

The other thing that is dramatically changing in my life is my ex-husband, and father of my child, has decided to move to Georgia. We live in California, and he will be living in Georgia. My reaction and feelings are better than I expected. I have about 3 weeks until he leaves, and during this time I’m going to be busy trying to get things in order as much as possible. I’m angry at him for leaving his daughter behind. He has such a close bond with her now, and he is going to be giving that up. I don’t understand how he can so easily do that. I’m not looking forward to the struggle our child will have. I don’t know what to expect of her. I’m happy that I’ll have her every day, I’m happy that I’ll be able to control more of her discipline and upbringing. I’m happy that her life is going to be more consistent. I’m upset that I’m losing some of my free time. I’m upset that I had plans of going back to school, and now I have to figure out when will be good and find someone to watch her while I can’t. I’m mad that He can leave and start a new life and not even feel bad about it. But right now I have a lot of things on my plate that need to be addressed and handled and I can’t focus on my anger. Maybe that’s why my reaction isn’t exactly as I thought it would be. I have decided that I need to gather up all my gumption, and handle business. Once that is done, THEN I will let myself feel this. So, that’s what is going on with me these days. What’s going on with you???

writers block.... coming to an end...

I have had a serious case of writers block. There are a few reasons. Life isn’t perfect, and I feel like I complain too much on this blog. I don’t want to just come here to tell happy or sad stories of my life. When I look back on the fielder posts, (which I removed), and The Driller posts (which I removed) I get so irritated with myself! Part of me is on this journey to discover what life is all about, and yea, I’m going to fall, to have heart ache, to have heart joy, and I’m going to experience lots of ups and downs and it’s all about the experience of this journey, not the final destination. And it’s sort of cool to document all of that, but when I look back at it, I feel like it’s not real, it was censored, it was embellished to make things look better than they were. It’s always the good stuff that gets more embellished. I’m always afraid that the people I write about will read it, and I want them to be happy with what I write. This is MY blog and I should write about what I want and not care, but I do. I just haven’t felt like writing about anything these days. My inspiration has sort of dwindled, life has been hectic, life has changed, I’m just trying to find my place in it all. My biggest struggle lately has been realizing that I am NOT everyone’s wife or mother. I am one person’s mothers, and she happens to be 3. I am NO BODY’s Wife (as of June 23rd 2011). I don’t need to take care of everyone, I am allowed to be selfish with my time, it is okay if I am alone and my boyfriend (the guitar hero) is out doing his thing.

This is the way my life went
1982 – Born
Lived at home from 1982 – 2005
Took care of my younger brother while my parents were at work from the age of 13+
Was always expected to be responsible
Cooked and cleaned to help out my mom who worked full time
Ended up becoming the wife and mother to everyone
In 2004 my parents divorced, and I lived with my dad for 1 year, I took care of him since he was no longer married to my mom, and had no one to take care of him. (my self imposed thoughts)
In 2005 I was married and moved in with my husband. And took care of him
In 2007 I had my daughter, and started taking care of her
In 2010 my husband and I split up, and I started taking care of The Driller, then Fielder, and now I TRY to take care of the Guitar Hero.
2011 – Realizing that I am only one person’s mother, and it really sucks that I spent the last 28 years worried about others when I should have been allowed to go and have fun and live and discover what life was about instead of being at home with my little brother every day after school for all of those years.

I’m MAD about it! Last night I was watching a movie, there was a beautiful girl in the movie, and a man who was learning to surf. I got mad for 2 reasons, first I was mad at my mother for allowing me to put junk into my body that has allowed me to be overweight! I wish she would have had healthy choices for us instead of processed boxed and bagged foods! Second I was mad because I never got a chance to learn to do anything, or to discover what I liked or didn’t like because I was always home watching my brother and being responsible! I should have been allowed to go out and have fun and live and explore life so that I would of made better life decisions, like not getting married at 22 years old, and finishing school, and building better friendships, and enjoying the sun instead of Top Raman. I’m MAD about it! I know it’s never too late, but I feel like I missed out on so much, and now I am mother, and I do have to be responsible, and sometimes just feel like it’s not fair! There was a point in my life recently that she told me that my dad had told her that they should do something about my weight. And she said that she thought I was happy and she didn’t see the need. I was never happy about my size. My hope now is that I can make sure that my child doesn’t have the same issues and thoughts that I have. That I’ll always have healthy options available for her, and she will choose wisely. In my house now, there are no boxes of processed noodles, or rice, or frozen pizza snacks. Those things are eliminated from my life and I will never feed them to my child and I promise to let her grow and explore and have the chance to fail, because I never did, and I want that for her!