Well things may be looking up slightly on the 9-5 job front (heard from another lab–they want letters of recommendation sent….Happy dance, and if I had to rank the three labs that I’ve gotten this request from, this one would probably be number one—now that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump right away if offered the job, but if I have to choose between this one and the one from yesterday–this one would win).  Also on the job front, since I’m still looking and haven’t had any solid offers, I’m thinking that I’ve earned a little vacation time (but will blend it with job hunting), and will start planning on a trip to London for next month (never been there, so try to take care of two things with one trip).  Plus that could be the push that I need to get out of my comfort zone and find my little niche and exactly what I’m suppose to be doing in the world.

Reading personal development books, using different courses online have helped with managing the anxiety levels, so that is a huge jump forward for me. I’m hoping that within the next couple of months (unless I move) to try to start tackling another issue/phobia that I know is also holding me back from being the best me possible.  This issue (as silly as it sounds) does affect a good portion of the population, though there is no scientific name for the phobia, or a real understanding of how a person has developed it. What is this phobia you ask?  The fear of driving–yes, I’m a adult who doesn’t have the formal training behind the wheel. The phobia started when I was young, and when people have given me driving lessons, they’ve always been slightly tense/on edge which didn’t help my anxiety being behind the wheel.  I’ve realized that this is something that I need to work on (especially since I want to try to travel to more of the US state and national parks and start hiking/backpacking/camping more–and it is hard to do if you don’t drive). But acknowledging the phobia itself is a good step (or crawl) forward. Reading up on the phobia, and trying to slowly get over it (without having to resort to medication) is also a good step in the right direction. The phobia probably has served its purpose in my life, just as the nagging feeling that I am probably close to working through it is also coming to a head in my life. The universe knows what we need, we just need to stop and listen every so often.