Failure is not an option

failure is not an option
Made with Canva by me

Ever had the thought that no matter how many times you try, you feel like a failure? You don’t get the attention you’re looking for. When no one else believes in you, giving up is easier. But nothing would be new if everyone thought the same, and the world wouldn’t have evolved as it is. Everybody won’t become great inventors, but we can do something about our lives. You can either work for others, or you can work for yourself. The latter is the hard way, which scares or worries people, including me. I don’t want to fail because that’s not an option. I don’t have time to start over again. That’s one reason I haven’t taken the step I wish to take, the fear of failure. I’ve failed in different ways. Whether it’s been education or finding a job. Certain things you can’t do yourself, like getting a job. That’s more about luck than failure. I’ve been luckier getting into a school I applied to than getting a job. They say you have a better chance of getting a job if you educate yourself, but in my experience, that isn’t true. Maybe it’s true in some occupations but not in mine.

My biggest fear the most is not being able to pay the bills if I become an entrepreneur. To be paid for a job, you need clients. It’s easier to search for a job but that haven’t happened to me, so I’m seriously thinking about becoming one. I’m already active on social media and have take courses about different approached to online marketing. But my worry is that despite doing what needs to be done, I still don’t get any clients. Am I wasting my time and should I forget about it? Maybe my business plan or dream clients doesn’t exist? What if I’m not good enough because I don’t have work experience and that’s the reason I don’t find clients? Those are the questions I keep asking myself. I don’t want to take the risk to have a business, if I have to wait couple of years to make a profit. Then a job with someone else would be better or being unemployment with benefits. Fortunally, with good planning and good confidence in my skills it won’t take that long. You don’t need to struggle with problems alone because there are people who can help.

I know I work better in an environment that I can control. I’ve been to workplaces where I didn’t feel I belonged. I don’t want to do a job I don’t want to do. Life shouldn’t be about doing things you’re not meant for. I believe you should follow your dreams even if they seem impossible in some other persons eyes. There are always people who hope you fail but that’s because they’re not brave enough to do anything about their own hopes and dreams. When my late Dad worked for another company before he started his own, there were people who were jealous because he made more money than them. But that didn’t stop him from doing a job. He started his company in 1990 and quit at least 2 years before his death this year. He had his ups and downs financially, but his occupation was different from mine. He was a goldsmith and that was an uncertain business. I followed from the sidelines how having a business worked, so I know how it is. He could chose his own hours and that’s more my style too. I’m not meant to do 9-5 jobs and people breathing down my neck. I want to be able to be myself and not try to act to be someone I’m not.

Won’t feel blue when I get excited

Made in Canva

Tell us about the last thing you got excited about.

Daily Writing Prompt

My excitement doesn’t show on the outside, so people don’t see it. Sports events are different, though. If a Finn or a team succeeds in a competition or a game, I cheer for them. Unlike other people, I don’t even need alcohol for that. I never liked that stuff. I don’t feel blue when I get excited. Especially when it’s about getting more confidence. Too many things have put me down in the past. I got excited at first, but the feeling faded. If it’s been in schools or workplaces. I haven’t found the right way that makes me feel comfortable. But now it might be different.

I’m taking part in two courses. The first is about taking photos with a digital camera and posting them on social media. I’m in its third week. It has 8 modules on different subjects related to photography. You get better photos with an SLR (single-lens reflex camera) than a mobile phone. Learning to take pictures with a camera with all the manual settings takes a while. It’s been a while since I did that, which is one of the reasons why I’m taking this course. But also because it has a Facebook group where you can share your assignments and contact other students. You can get help from the group or the organizers. It’s not only photography but also how to post regularly on Instagram. I participated in a free webinar about taking photos in one day, and the course was mentioned. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to join the course. I’ve taken pictures with my iPhone lately because it’s easier to carry. I might get excited again to use a camera. So far, I have no regrets. The teachers are professional photographers, and the FB community is fabulous. In this course, you get feedback on how to become a better photographer. When I studied photography from 2014 to 2015, we got feedback on our assignments, but I didn’t get any comments afterward, so you didn’t know if you improved your photos. Different people have different methods to teach others, so it’s nice to see another perspective.

The other course I’m taking starts on September 2. It’s about stepping into Instagram marketing. It’s for small businesses or those who are planning one. It has 8 modules with different subjects, such as social media strategies and building confidence in front of the camera. It sounded interesting when I took part in a webinar about the course. It isn’t cheap, but it might pay in the end. Both courses are in Finnish and females. They all sound like great people, too. I’m excited about both courses and know I’ll learn something. Anything new I learn is like that. I’ve put things off with becoming an entrepreneur for different reasons. Maybe I’m getting closer to it because I’m bored with my job search. I have people who can support me and help me get forward. I’m glad I don’t need to network on events when I can do it online. I feel blue when I hear or read about how to call or meet people at events. For an introvert, it’s hell. There must be other ways to market your business or when you’re only starting out. The courses I’m taking will help in a lot of things.

I hope my excitement will last a little longer this time, or I will feel blue again.

Hazy shades of ambivalent

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

Many people don’t care about my unemployment, but I write about it anyway. It isn’t my fault no one wants to hire me. I got another rejection from a graphic design job. All those studies I had haven’t gotten me anywhere. I’m getting tired of trying to find something to apply to. I must apply for at least one monthly, or they will take my benefits away. I have ambivalent feelings about the whole job thing. I will never get experience when I can’t even get an internship. I’m getting too old for this shit. I feel like a failure when it comes to work. It’s like people think I want to be unemployed. I’m a healthy person, so that isn’t why I haven’t got a job. The only fault I have is my lack of work experience and my atopic skin, so I can’t do specific jobs. Other than that, I should get something. I only get suggestions for jobs I’m not suited for. I want to do something with graphic design and photography. But how can I get experience when I only get rejections?

I’m worried I’m not suitable for becoming an entrepreneur, either. Even if I had gone to a course about it. Getting people to notice you feels like hard work, and all that paperwork sounds overwhelming. I can’t decide what to do. I don’t have the confidence to succeed without having job experience in the field. I can hardly get any likes on my personal social media accounts. What if I don’t find clients, and if I do, how do I do things? It’s been a while since I designed anything. I try to make up fake projects, but I never have time. I have too much free time on my hands and too much sleep. If I had a good reason to wake up earlier, I would. I should get a grip on myself. I have no one who can give me a pep talk anymore. My late mother was good at that. My late dad wasn’t the same since he had other things on his mind. He had a business, so entrepreneurship should be in my blood. He made jewellery, but my field is different. My cousin has a business, and also my late grandfather, who I never met because he died when my mother was a child. A few people in my family tree were entrepreneurs, so it wouldn’t be surprising if I decided to do it, too.

If there is a positive thing about being unemployed, it is that I can do things that interest me. I can go places without having to think about whether I get off work or not. The downside is the financial side, and the other is not having human contact. Life can become one-sided if you don’t do something else for a change. I wish I wasn’t forced to apply for jobs when there is nothing suitable to apply to. There is more to life than wasting your time on writing applications. Especially when you know you won’t even get an interview. I wish I could leave this wheel of job search forever. I can either accept my current fate or do something about it.

“Why are these things never clear” Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End