Why Do Job Requirements Seem So Limiting? Is It Time for Change?

I’m searching online every day, throughout the day, for ways to make money.  Yes, I am considering salaried or guaranteed jobs, but I’m seeing synchronicity sending me signs (say that phrase three times real fast) that a J.O.B. is not in the cards for me.  Not to mention that my personal energy levels plummet with every job description I read.  

Let me give you an example.

This one company, which shall remained unnamed to protect whatever they want protected, asks if you’re capable of using words and ideas to engage, inform and motivate readers.  Sounds pretty straight forward, right?  Hold that thought.

They go on saying that they have minimum qualifications and all of them MUST be met to even be considered for the position.  Things like a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism or a related field, 5 to7 years of related writing with emphasis in blah-blah industry and the typical customer service soft skills are listed.  

Now, what gets me is the required degree listed in order to “qualify” to write engaging, informative and motivational words for their company.  I don’t know about you, but just because one has a degree in anything doesn’t always mean that they are the best fit for the job.  They are limiting themselves in their search for the “right person”, as well as scaring off the potential perfect fit for their company by demanding a piece of paper that so few will actually have in their possession.  

I can personally attest to the fact that some of the best wordsmiths I’ve known in my life were either “uneducated” (by the standard stated above) or self-taught learners.  My father, who was a highly intelligent man, went to college for a time but didn’t garner a degree.  Yet, he could use words when telling a story or interacting with others as if he were a master painter creating the most engaging and moving art.  My great-uncle barely graduated high school due in large part to him lying about his age and enlisting in the Marines to fight in World War 2, but he told tales and fables that had me riveted and still supply me with wonderful memories of my childhood.

Would either man have been a great fit for the job description I mentioned?  Absolutely!  Both had the ability and knowledge to amaze and astound people with their ability to inspire, engage and motivate!  However, neither would be considered due to their lack of a degree.  I believe this to be utterly shortsighted of companies to continue to promote this outdated paradigm.

 I followed in my father’s footsteps by being autodidactic.  Yes, I excelled in certain subjects in high school, graduated with a decent position in my class but only attended college for less than a year before I became bored and decided to enter the workforce.  I have chosen precisely what knowledge and skill sets I acquire based on what interests me and lights the spark of curiosity within me.   I continue to do that very thing every day.  Honestly, I consider it a wasted day if I don’t learn something new!  But, due to the fact that I do not possess a piece of paper hung upon my wall in a fancy frame, I am considered to be less than qualified for opportunities such as the one stated above.  

Am I crying about life being unfair?  Perhaps a bit, but it’s really about the standards set by The Powers That Be (whoever they may be today) and questioning their actual level of authority in all of our lives.  Is it time for a massive shift in thinking?  In the paradigm?  In the we are all told is “normal”?  YES!  Yes to all!  It’s high time that certain expectations be set aside and allow a broader approach to quantifying who is an appropriate fit for any position.  If passion fuels a person, even without a formal education, they should be not only allowed but welcomed and highly encouraged to seek that which they were meant to do without an ounce of societal restrictions.  

Who else is on board with this way of thinking, believing and behaving?

Have you come across a job opportunity that required some piece of a dead tree in order to be “qualified” enough for a position when you knew that you were already more qualified than others vying for the position?  Let me hear about it in the comments below.

Oh, the things I plan to buy!

This may not come as too much of a shocker, since I am a girl, but I am so very much looking forward to decorating whatever new place I get!  I'm already picking out ideas for colors and designs in my head.  This makes me all sorts of happy!

The biggest gap in what I want to have or see in my head and what I may end up getting is how I shop.  I'm a thrifty girl, so I frequent yard sales and thrift stores more than anything else these days.  However, I'm always on the hunt for a great sale online!  

Most of the places I subscribe to and receive alerts from are more technology oriented.  Places like Woot and Yugster hit my email box every day.  I need to find a good home decor one like that, too.  I know I'll find some major pieces locally at thrift shops (I almost always do find a treasure or two there), but I'll probably have to shop online to fill the design gaps.

Any suggestions?  Have you had a great experience with a site?  I'm interested to know if you had a bad experience with one, too, since I don't like wasting money, either.  

Just a quickie new post for some verification

For readers, please ignore this.  This is admin stuff that will probably disappear later, anyway.  Thanks!

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Why, yes, I AM a Law of Attraction Princess!

I know many of you have heard of The Secret and may even giggle or dismiss it.  You may be one who nods your head knowingly that this kind of mojo is for real.  Count me as a member in the latter group.

Whether you believe in it or not, it's real and it happens to all of us every single day.  If you walk into a situation, expecting the worst to happen, chances are that you've created a self-fulfilling prophecy.  When that happens, you just say to yourself, "Yep, I knew that was going to be crap!"  And, you were right!  What if you walked into that same situation, having played it out in your head where it all goes right?  You envision how smoothly it flows, see the positive outcome at the end and already feel how awesome that would be for that result.  Remove all craptastic expectations from the equation and replace it with that good one, instead.  I'm not really a betting woman, but I'd put a good ten bucks on the table that the situation would turn out as you envisioned (the good vision, that is).

Regardless, what you expect is all too often exactly what you get.  I've spent years...no, decades...expecting the worst from life and myself.  I've been guilty of playing the blame game more than a few dozen times, too.  When it all comes down to it, I have only myself to blame.  Period.  

I created in my head and, thus, my life the perpetual rolling avalanche of bad things.  Sure, I had some shining moments from time-to-time, but they were greatly outnumbered.  

Now?  The times, they have changed!

No longer do I allow myself to dwell on the purely negative or choosing to only see the bad in a situation.  I choose to see love because it is a choice!  I'm no Pollyanna, though, and those who know me best can attest to that (you know who you are!).  I still acknowledge when bad things happen, but I simply choose not to dwell in the muck of it all.  Muck is gross, it stinks and I'm way too much of a girly-girl to be around stinky, smelly, icky things like that.  

So, yes, I am a Law of Attraction (or, LOA for short) Princess!  You did see the name Sovereign in the name of my blog, right?  I rule supreme in my life - in every facet of my life!  Synchronicity surrounds us all every single day.  You just have to slow down a little and look for it.  Once you do that, you'll be astonished at just how much control you really do have over the outcome of your own life.  

Take ownership of your life - it is YOURS after all!  Be your own Sovereign!  
 

What is it about rainy days?

Let me start by saying that I absolutely love rainy days!  I'm actually happier when it rains (yes, I know there's a song in that, but it's true!)  However, when it's warm, humid and the impending boomers are heading my way, all I want to do is curl up with my Kindle and veg-out.  

I have SO much to do with online job/gig searches, writing an article due tomorrow that requires a good amount of research and other little things around the house.  But it all sounds rather "meh" compared to curling upon the couch and watch the rain roll in.

Speaking of...I should probably give the dog a potty call before the rain comes crashing down.  And, then, to see if I tucked my motivation in a cookie jar somewhere.

My New Journey Before Me

It's a new and exciting road ahead of me, as I've said before.  So, to give a little background, here it goes.

I've been married once at the *wise* age of 21.  That marriage lasted 17 years.  I should have left that marriage probably around year five, but I stuck it out.  Why?  A good part of it was because of my programming or conditioning from my family growing up.

"Find a man with a good job, a good future, marry him, pop out some kids and life will be grand."

Yeah.  Sure.  Maybe if I were wired differently, that would have been a viable option.  

Throughout the course of that marriage, I began to discover that the life I chose wasn't really making me happy.  Yes, I had four wonderful kids I love and adore (still do!) and they were the only joy in my life.  While some people, particularly women, think that *that* should have been enough, it wasn't.  I was pretending to be a type of woman that I simply am not.  I knew that, but wasn't sure how to get back to the genuine, authentic Me.

So, in 2008, I was divorced from him.  During the process of the divorce, I happened to meet another man.  OMG, he was amazing!  He made me laugh, we had the same interests, we even said the same, exact full sentences at the same time as if we shared a brain!  (Yeah, you see where this is going, don't you?)

Yes, I fell head over heels for him, and we started seeing each other regularly.  He moved to another state for a job (which I totally supported and encouraged him to take it immediately), but left me with a parting gift the night before.  Nine months later, we welcomed a baby girl as I had moved to the new state where he had moved to a few months earlier.  It was a whirlwind.  Meet - Move in together across country - Have baby - Decide to move to yet another state together to start a new life and business - TA-DA!  Whew!

Honestly, we never dated even when we dated.  We talked a great deal and got along great, but living together, as so many of you know, is a completely different matter.  Recently, we both decided that, after five years, this just isn't working out between us.  We can't live together.  I never really felt that any house we lived in was mine and that it was, yet again, me giving up my own power to another man in order to be a good "wife-type".  No, we never married because something in my gut told me not to.  I know why now.  

And that's okay!  He's not a villain and I'm not a victim!  It's just a matter of simple incompatibility.  It happens.  We're working on things to make it as easy of a process as possible and remain friends...perhaps even date each other after the dust settles.  We'll see on that last part, though.  I'm not exactly up for dating anyone at the moment.

Which brings me to my journey going forward.  I've done much soul searching the last several months, especially since I was seeing the writing on the wall about our relationship.  I thought I'd learned my lesson from the dissolution of my first marriage about being the genuine and authentic ME, but I ended up walking right back into the same patterns and habits that I thought I was leaving behind in my marriage.  

I see it so clearly now.  I flinched when I had my first chance down this new road, but not this time.  I got this!  Is it scary?  Meh, a bit, but I'm more excited than anything else.  Fear doesn't have room in my life right now.  Although, if you happen to know someone looking for a freelance writer or something similar to do from home, send them my way.  *wink*

I'll write more about the various lessons I'm learning now and what is finally coming to light for me.  Let's roll!

What is Sovereign Sasster?

Welcome to the blog of the Sovereign Sasster!

I know what you're asking:  "What is a 'sasster'?"  Good question.

A sasster is a play on the word "sister".  I long-time and very dear friend of mine, Gil, coined the term many, many moons ago to categorize herself, me and many of her other friends.  We are sisters with sass, thus, "sasster".  Ta-Da!

The sovereign part of my title is a very personal one.  It's a long story, so it's a good thing this is a blog where I can break it all down into smaller, easier to swallow bites.  But, here's the long and short of it...

I am a nearly 44 year old woman who is facing the challenge of being a first-time single mother.  I have numerous stories to tell of my path to this point, as well as the lessons I have learned and continue to learn along the way.  I work from home with various odd eggs, but I'm most passionate about freelance writing.  How I came into that is another post by itself.  Perhaps not the most interesting story, but I'll not clog up this welcome post with all of that.

As I said, I am facing a new, yet exciting road ahead.  This blog is a place to share my stories, my challenges, my triumphs and whatever fancies my tootsie.  You may see an affliate link here or there, and perhaps a review of a product or three.  I also love baking, so it's almost assured that you'll see me rave (or rant - depends on how the product turns out) about one recipe or another.  

It's going to be a fun ride, so buckle up and come along!  Also, I love hearing stories from other single mothers because I know they are Sasster's, too, with much wisdom and wit to share with others.