XD30 – Day 3 – The Devil Is a Lie

I cannot believe my good fortune! I have gotten into next week’s training program. I have only learned about this from my case worker this past Thursday. Originally, I didn’t even want to go to my meeting. I wanted to (literally) phone it in. My ITIL certification class was 2 ½ months late and I was fighting over the measly part-time contract position. I was angry. However, once he mentioned this, the lightbulb went off for me. I emailed him back telling him to refer me to this position. This is the fastest turnaround in government history! It ranks right up with my interviewing for my economist position on Friday and getting the job Monday afternoon. The Devil is a lie! In addition, with my in-person interview and future contingent letter and I am on a roll! 

eBay Adventure – Controlling What I Can

                There is a silver lining in the middle of the fraud: my four packages are en route to their buyers. I can control my prompt customer service by shipping items the same day. I know that all of them are happy with the timely arrival. I mean it is not like they have done it to me. In addition, I am seeing an acceleration in activity with customers asking my product question. I am particularly intrigued because some lady has asked me about a dress. I have only sold one dress so having someone ask me a question has taken my mind off of everything that is coming on. My fortune will turn around very soon. I truly believe this!

Visit my eBay store here: http://www.ebay.com/usr/carljenkin_6

Gratitude List - Day 12

                I am very grateful for this day. I am at Cove on an all-day pass working on finding a job and pushing my brand. I am extremely fortunate that someone is interested in me. Moreover, I have removed my ego and asked someone about citing my blog in my bibliography. Stoking my ego and not asking = delaying my book. I don’t need this with 2 more weeks to go. I have also forgiven myself for beating myself up about the lack of promotion. My book is not done so there is nothing for the reviewers to read (yet). This will all change by Friday because my book publisher will be done with the conversion and I can send it to the book promoters who will then send it out to the reviewers. What I will do in the meantime is to receive the feedback, complete the bibliography, prepare my social media and notify the promotions company ahead of its release. Below is my gratitude list for today:

Gratitude List – Day 12

1. That my condo will get cleaned today
2. I will be productive
3. That I am experiencing a very big bounce from yesterday’s financial affirmation
4. I get to keep learning and interacting with people
5. I am one step closer towards finishing my book
6. I will put the knowledge that I accumulated last night into action
7. Be healthy with high mobility. Health is wealth.
8. I am awake and alert to thoroughly enjoy today.
9. That my career coach is feeling much better and is able to function

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I am happiest that my career coach is on the rebound because she has been in the hospital. I don’t wish this on anyone. I need her well. In addition, I am happy to be healthy. I have to carry my laptop with me when I walk to Cove. If I am in bad health, then I cannot do this. Speaking of Cove, I get the most done there. I need to get out of the house in order to increase my productivity. Cove is the place where it is controlled and there are no crazies. The same cannot be said about certain people on public transportation. Once again the black male Georgetown circulator asks me ‘if I am going to Georgetown?’. Dude get me home. I notice he doesn’t ask the black woman with the Merry Maid uniform shirt because she is just like him -servicing white people.

Morning Affirmation: I am worthy of receiving $20,000 per month in Phenomena LLC. I am doing this going to Cove, scheduling job interviews, emailing the publishing company regarding my bibliography and revising my workbook because I know that I am worthy of this amount. I will say this affirmation every morning, noon and night.

                My day has turned around by my business bank has enrolled me in merchant services. Receiving these emails puts me closer towards my $20,000/month goals.

Here is my updated gratitude list:

Gratitude List

1. I have kept my cool
2. I have a redress method to file a complaint
3. That I live here and they are temporary individuals
4. I have decided to be happy, file my complaint and let it go
5. My merchant services account has been processed and I am starting to receive access.
6. The business bank’s payroll services representative has contacted me.

I have released all of the ill will that this one incident has happened. And I am glad that I have done just that because there are way more positive things in my life. I have completely rebounded from this by listening to Ricky Smiley’s video confession. I know what it is like to move up the ladder and people ridicule you. I look at the first federal agency I worked at. I have moved on and they are moving from DC to Maryland. Every time you get to a new level, there is a new Devil. Ricky says that God will replace everything and everyone whom we lose when we advance. This is so true. I have lost so many people along the way but have gained so much.

Afternoon Affirmation: I am worthy of receiving $20,000 per month in Phenomena LLC. I am doing this receiving my business banking merchant services and working on my bibliography because I know that I am worthy of this amount. I will say this affirmation every morning, noon and night. 

Tonight I have decided to follow up with a book person whom I want to work with. I ask her if she does non-Christian books (mine is business book). She says that she does everything but erotica (me neither!). There is fortune in the follow-up because this woman not only does business books but will ensure that my branding and social media are on point, I become an Amazon international bestseller, and get placed on radio, TV and speaking engagements. Also she wants a reasonable rate ( I have given her partial payment.). We will reconvene Thursday after my radio show. I just thank God that I have (finally!) found someone who shares my vision for success and will guide me through the wilderness.  This is my second updated gratitude list:

Updated Gratitude List

1. I have finally found someone who will guide me through this book publishing and promotion process.
2. I feel much better know that I am on track and am willing to do the work necessary to make this a reality. 

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Evening Affirmation: I am worthy of receiving $20,000 per month in Phenomena LLC. I am doing this creating my own YouTube expand your personal brand Vlog series, retain a book and media promoter and apply for more jobs because I know that I am worthy of this amount. I will say this affirmation every morning, noon and night. 

Gratitude Journal - Day 7

                Today is a very big day for me personally and professionally. I am opening myself up to new opportunities. Most people don’t want to give themselves permission to do something new. I have to else I will get the same result. I am grateful for these new lessons because this means new learning opportunities. I take everything as a new learning opportunity because I can grow from it. I just pray to Jehovah that He guides me through this process. Here is my gratitude list for today:

Gratitude List – Day 7

1. Thankful to be the first person in my family to write a book
2. To share knowledge on my radio show
3. To open myself to financial abundance and additional streams of income
4. To receive counsel from wiser people who will guide me through this process
5. That my Mommy is okay
6. I am in perfect health and able to complete my schedule
7. I am planting seeds and making deposits today for my future
8. Recruiters are interested in me and willing to take my phone calls
9. Grateful to learn more about the book industry every day
10. My energy is starting to shift positively
11. Review my Nanowrimo draft and have found 7+ articles benefitting my blogs
12. I am open to trying new social media avenues (Blab) to promote my book and myself. I may even do a Blab while broadcasting my radio show.
13. I am alive and breathing fresh air

I have made this gratitude list early this morning. I would not have expected the adversity coming my way. When the recruiter tells me to call her next Tuesday morning, my spirit is crushed because I have wait 3 whole business days for a response. That’s 72 hours. No way! I sulk badly because I truly want to work and be productive. I should not be punished like this. Next several of the Upwork questions aren’t on the announcements but once I open up the proposal, BAM, there they are! I return back to my regular sites. When I receive the best news ever: my former coworker got a GS-14 in settlement! I was so happy for her because it has been 2 years in the making. I am very grateful to be a part of the process and see it from beginning to end. I mail her two congratulatory cards (I could not decide)!

                Next I overcome my fear, go to KDP, and upload my book for pre-order. Now I put my pre-order all the way out to July just in case there is any funny business. I am grateful to find more errors now. While reading my book on air, I have noticed more of them. Instead of being mad, I am grateful to find them now instead of the reader finding them. I will resend another edit form. Furthermore, I learn from customer service that the KDP email account is responsive so I submit a copy of my US Copyright registration. I welcome all future correspondence. However, I do feel that Amazon will accept my book. Finally, I am thankful that I have overcome my fear and have completed the KDP form. It is a weight off of my shoulders.

Scrum Journal : Day 5

Thursday, March 24, 2016, I awoke at 6am because I had the routine down pat. I nearly forgot my laptop so I had to return after getting to the basement level. At least I wasn’t on the metro. I still managed to board the earlier orange line train to Vienna station. Creating a buffer was essential since this was the metro. I transferred to the 2B and this time remembered to pull the bell in the right spot to avoid walking over the bridge. I was the fourth person there. I just prayed that there was over with so that I could take the test and pass it.

                The instructor started discussing technical debt which was because of my questions. I was validated because I did not think that I was learning a whole lot the day before. However, I did admit that doing the user stories, spring and product backlog activities taught me something. I would give the training that. During the morning break, I crossed the bridge to the PNC to get Uber driver tip money. During lunch, I dined on Uncle Julio’s patio (I fell for the trip of eating all of the chips and salsa. I filled up so much that I couldn’t finish the fajitas. Hey, I was starving. That chocolate bar wasn’t enough.).

                I returned to training still nursing a headache with no Aleve. I managed to survive more tangents and rumblings. I went to use the bathroom and boom I was shut out of the ScrumAlliance CSM exam page. That poor website said that it was busy. I packed my stuff, ordered an Uber and went on my way. Or so I thought…The Uber driver missed the Vienna exit. He asked me. I told her that I lived in DC. I did not know anything about Virginia. We managed to get to Dunn Loring metro. I did not recognize this Dunn Loring. I stopped going there ever since the silver line opened because it had Tysons Corner stops. A Smashburger franchise was built where the old parking lot was. It looked like all of those other planning communities for middle-middle class people (You would not find a Smashburger or other franchises in DuPont so that was a couple rungs below but still). I boarded the orange line returning home. I dropped my bags, reconfigured my laptop and took the test.

                My test was harder than the questions that my classmates received. Immediately I started surfing the Internet for scrum help. I found two sites which helped. Also I grabbed the Scrum Guide. It was written by scrum’s cofounders so I knew that I was good. I scored 94.3% (33/35) passing the exam. Immediately I photographed my certificate posting it on Instagram. I tried uploading it to LinkedIn, but the photo was upside down. Therefore, I found my digital camera in my black oversized Kate Spade purse and re-photographed it. LinkedIn liked that one. Afterward, I typed my CSM announcement posting it on my site. I then copied that to Medium.

                I thought that passing the CSM would be different, at least dinner. In my mind, I thought I would be dining at Bourbon Steak at the Four Seasons. I dined at Morton’s steakhouse right after passing the PMP. Nope! Combined the headache, the misfit Uber driver and the ScrumAlliance’s crashed website, I settled for a frozen macaroni and cheese dinner from CVS. Hey, at least I was certified! No one can take CSM away from me! My biggest epiphany was my emotional intelligence. I did not flip out against the Uber driver. I just got home and carried on. I did not let that affect my certification exam performance. Now that was maturity!

I fulfilled this week’s goal of earning my CSM because I was sick and tired of being sick and tired in my job search. Immediately after passing, I created a scrum job alert. There were no less than 20-25 jobs. Also I emailed the three LinkedIn connections who helped me privately and highlighted their names publicly on my LinkedIn status. Giving credit and being gracious were essential. I changed my LinkedIn profile uploading my certificate and adding it to my certifications list. It was like Christmas and I was opening up a present. After 5 days, I was finally certified! Next I told my career coach because we had to start working on integrating this new certification into my personal brand. We had work to do. I had to write a new story.

Finally, I email someone who had impacted me. I was telling him that dipping into a specific fund felt like lack. He said to view this as a business investment since I filed my LLC. That CC Pace training cost $1295. I viewed it as an investment instead of a cost. I started this Sunday sick and tired of being sick and tired. Five days later, I was now a certified Scrum Master. That was an investment indeed!

Moving from Writer to Mentor During Nanowrimo

                Nanowrimo is grueling. I will be the first to admit this. This is my first time winning in 8 tries. As soon as I have won I have morphed into mentor role because I need to see more people win. I have shared participants my tips and stories of my overcoming writer’s block (It’s real that the first 43,000 words were easy but I get writer’s block with 7200 words to go. I have managed to snap out of it by writing 8900 words in 2 days winning Nanowrimo with 51,630 words.). Mentoring comes easy for me because I love to communicate with people and exchange ideas. It is the 29^th and there are still people winning the competition, and people who need encouragement to cross the finish line. 

Nanowrimo Badges

My Brownies Are Finally On the Right Side of History!

                I am so happy that the Cleveland Browns have won today especially after starting 28-3. My Brownies have managed to come back from 25 down to win the game 29-28 making history in the process. This is the first time in NFL history that an away team has rallied from 25 down to win a game. Finally, my Brownies are on the right side of NFL history!

Getting All of the Fear of Failure Out of the Way

                 I scored 72.72% (16 out of 22) on the RMC CBAP/CCBA exam prep chapter 3 today. I took it cold without reading the chapter. I just wanted a baseline to see how well I would do. There was so much overlap between project management and business analysis. Although they had different terminologies, I understood most of the concepts. Given that 61% was the PMI-PBA passage rate (I was using the CBAP exam prep book since the PMI-PBA certification exam was new and there weren’t any prep materials), I knew that I would pass the exam the first time.   I also stopped fearing failing the exam because it was unknown. I just took a stab at it and what did I know: I scored 72%! Scoring that high also helped me decide that earning my PMI-PBA first ahead of my PMI-ACP would had been a way better move. 

What the PMI-PBA Pilot Deadline Has Taught Me

                I have just completed my PMI-PBA pilot certification Excel verification spreadsheet documenting all of my projects. I am moving on this application faster than my PMI-ACP certification application because the PMI-PBA pilot program has a deadline. It forces me to push through all of the mess that I am dealing with currently. After passing my PMP exam in June, I started studying for the PMI-ACP certification in July. However, with all of the craziness that I experienced for the past 11 months stopped me. There was never a prolonged peaceful time period so I never established a rhythm. This pilot program forced me to keep going regardless of the chaos. Right now the chaos is constant yet the PMI-PBA pilot program deadline is August 4^th. August 4^th is going to come and go whether or not I’ve completed the application or have taken the test. Understanding this, I’ve decided not to let work and people further obstruct me from my certification goal. I will not only submit my PMI-PBA application but will sit for the certification exam and pass it this October. I have bigger dreams and taking the PMI-PBA certification exam is the first step. I will use this experience to prepare for the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) exam this fall. Furthermore, clearing the PMI-PBA exam liberates my time and energy to revisit the PMI-ACP certification exam with a renewed mentality. By then I will be able to push pass the chaos and confusion and will even be out of my current work environment.

Not Putting My Life On Hold

             I know that I have not written for over one month due to all of the craziness surrounding my life. I have been in survival mode.  I am fighting for my job so I’ve been busy and booking life coach appointments left and right.  During all of the madness, I’ve poured out all of my emotions to her.  In one session, I talked about how I really wanted a pair of winter boots that I saved for but was afraid to purchase them because of my current situation. My life coach told me not to suspend my life.  I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring. She was right. I bought the Stuart Weitzman tan nubuck 5050 suede boots one month ago, traveled to the Montgomery Mall Stuart Weitzman store to have them sprayed (If they messed them up, I’d get a new pair), and kept on with the rest of my life. At that time, I was finishing up Bits of Thread’s fashion illustration class because I was working on drawing my fashion line. I was proud that unlike this summer, when life punched me in the gut, I didn’t buckle continuing the class. That showed my resiliency. Fast forward one month later and everything is starting to work itself out. I am on the cusp of finding a new job and a new career field. My life coach was right, I couldn’t put my life on hold over a temporary setback.

Below are my new Stuart Weitzman tan nubuck suede 5050 boots from 20^th anniversary collection:

Stuart Weitzman tan nubuck suede 5050 boots