This morning I had one of the worse experiences of my life (ok I am using a little bit of exaggeration to make an impacting point LOL), I killed a squirrel. Out of nowhere this little creature jumped into my car and as much as I tried to avoid it I felt a little bump... when I looked on my rear mirror there it was... a little patch on the road... a second ago that patch used to be a squirrel LOL. It was sad! I laugh because maybe other people won't think too much of it, but in my case that was the first time I ran over a little living creature... I hope she/he didn't have kids, mortgages, car payments, etc LOL to take care of.Is it raining? I don't even know... I've been at my office dealing with inventory... in the laps of this morning I've received about 10 emails about it... Oh well, that's why they pay me the big bucks LOL (I wish...).
On the bright side I received an email from my boss' boss (big Controller Kahuna) this morning letting me know some new assignments I will take on (supply chain management logistics) and also is reaffirming that he wants me to give him a career plan for 2-5-10 years. Furthermore, he will be talking to my boss about the re-assignments and personnel moves on the following months/year. We'll see how that goes... In any case, working on supply chain management/logistics will give me the opportunity to gain more experience and more to put on my resume... regardless of staying at this company or moving somewhere else.
I watched this movie the very first day I came out of the hospital... Great movie... and it is not a cheap/cheesy Socratistic movie, it is just one of those movies that can give you some thought/inspiration/new perspectives... perhaps you can become a Peaceful Warrior too... these are some quotes that stayed with me:The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination
You haven't yet opened your heart fully, to life, to each moment. The peaceful warrior's way is not about invulnerability, but absolute vulnerability--to the world, to life, and to the Presence you felt. All along I've shown you by example that a warrior's life is not about imagined perfection or victory; it is about love. Love is a warrior's sword; wherever it cuts, it gives life, not death.
If you don't get what you want, you suffer; if you get what you don't want, you suffer; even when you get exactly what you want, you still suffer because you can't hold on to it forever. Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change. Free of pain, free of the obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality.
It has been about a week since I updated my blog. Oh so many things have happened this past week… I am still recovering and grasping it. Taking a look at the big picture all I can say is that I am happy to be here… being able to type, write, laugh, smile, breathe, walk…
Sometimes you have to lose it all in order to appreciate the simple things… sometimes you have to lose your mind in order to see clear… sometimes things happen just because they happen and trying to always make sense of things is just unjustifiable. People say that what doesn't kill you make you stronger... perhaps that's the true, but I see is as what doesn't kill you make you more compassionate, understanding, and human.
Life can truly throw hard curve balls at you… isn’t it? The idea is, “what are you going to do with those curve balls?” In my case, I’ve learned a lot… I have a better perspective and outcome about life in general. I know I have choices and it is up to me what to do with them. It is up to me to be better, it is up to me to be the warrior and not the victim, it is up to me to get healthier, it is up to me to make life the way I deserve it, it is up to me to conquer, it is up to me to let the true beauty inside me out, it is up to me to have hope.
For the first time in my life I can say I am really in peace, happy, and in-love with myself.
I am reborn.
My body and soul were broken… but I’ve found the tools, support, and strength to get up and be better, now I understand more about everything that has happened and about myself… I am taking the steps necessary to “fix” me… I am making incredible progress… I am so proud of myself and I know there is a better present and future on my path. I will never give up!
I don’t have an answer and I don’t need an answer… I just need time and patience to let life solve this. Remember the good and smile at it for to me there were more goods than “not so good”…
It feels “weird” and exciting to be part of this process… and at the same time sort of “small” to know that I am part of such a big corporation… I mean c’mon 50 countries and 100K plus people… that’s a lot! It makes me wonder what the future could bring to me and my career now… I hope it just goes up from here on!
At the same time, I received some sad news about people in the organization leaving to pursue new opportunities with other companies. And the biggest shock of all is Brad – our Director of Global Ops – leaving. He was one of those guys I admired and looked after… he is in his mid-late 30’s, very smart, funny, and good looking; a person that empowered his managers and made them accountable for their decisions and actions… overall, he was a hope and example for me to follow… I thought, “wow look at him, he is young and in such a powerful/high level position” Mmmm all this makes me once again wonder about my future here… Moreover, that makes one less person I can talk about sports and UFC fights! LOL.
Good luck Bradley!
More interesting/funny news… I received 17 new pens (LOL) from Greg, our Director of Global Quality, during his visit to our plants today LOL. They are all a collection from hotels he has stayed. I am not joking… see picture above! LOL. He has heard endless stories from our ops people here about how tight and mean I am about spending… to a point that I make people justify expenses for office supplies and even toilet paper (LOL of course the TP is just me giving them a hard time and kidding around). At the end, every time someone goes to an hotel (whether it is on business or recreational trips) they end up bringing hotel pens so we can have something to write with LOL.
Hey, I am just following orders to cut spending and to have cost cut initiatives to achieve the corporate strategic goals LOL… Ahh I love finance LOL.
That's it folks... budget 2008 done! We closed the process today and all sytems have been locked! I really put a lot of hours, sweat, lack of sleep, and even tears in to this process... I am very proud! This is the first budget I've done all on my own... zero help or supervision! And this is the first major budget I've done for a multinational-billion revenue corporation. I grew up a lot! I've learned so much... I feel older and wiser on the corporate finance world... everything is brighter and greater for me and my career!
