Get a Job, Sha-na-na-na-na...

Remember that old song?
It was sung by The Silhouettes in 1957, before my time but I'd say everyone has heard it.

Anyway, I read a blog this morning that touched a nerve.
I was thinking about how tired I have gotten of listening to people say they can't find a job ANYWHERE, they can't get a job or find the right job, and yet they need income, and they have expenses, so...

Are you really serious about needing money?
Nothing wrong with fast food - I actually learned a lot working at my first job, which was Karmelkorn in our local mall.
McDonald's may not be your career choice, but please!

So ---
I am turning over my blog post today to republish a post from ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom .com


Everyone has to start somewhere
By Harvey Mackay

Comedian Jim Carrey took a job as a janitor at a tire factory at age 15 when his father lost his job. He also worked as a security guard. To relieve his stress, he visited local comedy clubs, which instilled his love of comedy -- and prepared him for a blockbuster career.

Everyone has to start somewhere. Like Jim Carrey, I started by pushing a broom at an envelope manufacturing company and worked my way into sales in six months. My career path took a different turn, but all in all, I'd say my humble start led to a life I love.

You never know where your career will go once you get your foot in the door and learn about different businesses.

Many famous people started out very small before they hit it big. The main thing is they started and got experience. Pride didn't get in the way -- they had to pay the rent, eat and work toward their ultimate goals. Consider these examples.

Before Brad Pitt was a leading man in the movies, he worked various odd jobs, including driving limos, moving refrigerators and dressing up as a giant chicken to attract customers to a local restaurant.

Another one-time janitor is Stephen King. He job was cleaning a girls' locker room, which later became his inspiration for his best-selling novel "Carrie."

Cooking show hostess Rachael Ray started out working at the candy counter at Macy's in New York City. She later managed the fresh-foods department, which helped pave the way to her sizzling cooking career.

Donald Trump collected soda bottles for the deposit money and later went around with rent collectors to learn about that business. Do you suppose that's where he got the idea for The Apprentice?

David Letterman, Diane Sawyer, Raquel Welch and George Carlin were all weather people on TV.

Michael Dell, founder and CEO of Dell computers, and personal-finance guru Suzie Orman, washed dishes at restaurants.

The late George Steinbrenner, who later owned the New York Yankees among other businesses, helped his older siblings raise the family's chickens, which he would also kill and dress for customers.

Working at ice cream shops is part of the resumes for Julia Roberts, Lucille Ball and Robin Williams, who also was a street mime before he got into acting.

And I'd wager that every one of these fabulously successful people would tell you that they still remember the lessons they learned from those early labors -- even if one of those lessons was that they wanted more out of life.

Few people would describe their first jobs as their dream jobs. The work is usually hard, the pay is never enough, and the hours are lousy. The experience, however, is invaluable.

As college graduates start to learn the realities of the business world, I tell them that they will have to pay their dues. There is no substitute for real-world experience. Hard work is still a requirement for success. You can't start at the top and work your way up.

In this economy, I'm frequently hearing stories about folks who are starting over in their careers due to downsizing, restructuring, technology or belly-up businesses. Most don't have to start at the bottom, but they aren't making lateral moves either.

My advice is always the same whether you are starting up or starting over: Keep your options open. Don't discount the value of any working experience. Expand your network at every opportunity, because you never know who might know someone who could use your talents and skills. Volunteer some time to get more and varied experience. Make sure you have a presence on social networking sites, especially LinkedIn and Facebook.

Perhaps the most important tip I can pass along is this: Never be afraid to ask for help. There are plenty of people who have created successful businesses, and even more who have built successful careers. Learning from others is essential, no matter how much you have learned from your own experience.

Finally, don't be afraid to dream. Long before Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney dropped out of school at age 16 to join the Army, but was rejected because of his age. He became a Red Cross ambulance driver in World War I instead. He wanted to be an artist when he came home, and with determination, an entertainment empire was born. For Walt Disney, "a dream is a wish your heart makes."

Mackay's Moral: You can't win the race if you never start.

Starting New Habits and Saving Money

Well... it seems peer pressure has been in full swing at my church on Hill Road! Almost everyone and their brother are posting on facebook and chatting in the aisles about their running, their fitness training, their P90X workouts, their new Zumba classes... it's hard to be a couch potato these days!

So ~ I've been trying to start new healthier habits. Why oh why is that so difficult?

I'm in my last week of the No Boundaries program (sponsored by our local Fleet Feet store) and it has been a short (sometimes grueling!) time of learning about running and trying to get into shape for a 5K, although I did not start this in order to do a 5K. I have actually walked the Susan G. Komen 5K race each year in Kingsport since Mom's cancer diagnosis. For those of you interested in numbers, it takes me an hour to walk the 3.1 miles.

For me, the program was to be a kick-start to doing regular, weekly activity. I felt like I needed the accountability, someone who would miss me when I missed, and perhaps some helpful information to get me on the right track. I needed a healthy choice that I can maintain in order to combat the osteoporosis that I have since suffering from early menopause at the age 36.

But another phenomenon was going on at my church about the same time all this healthy stuff was happening: the crazy coupon addiction!

Ladies at church talking about the best deals, their great savings, and even posting pictures of their treasures. While I love a good deal and I don't mind using coupons for items that I actually use, I much prefer freebies and giveaways!

I was the dorky kid who always filled out the mail-in forms and sent $1 shipping to the cereal company for whatever cool item was being advertised. I place the blame squarely on my Mamaw Ketron's shoulders because she was forever mailing things out and getting things in. It was like Christmas every day in her mailbox!

That is why I love this site - The Giveaway Scout www.giveawayscout.com/.
It searches the world wide web and looks through blogs to find what the coolest giveaway is! Now isn't that something? Take a peek - and I've added their widget to my blog to make it easy for you.

If we would each take advantage of all our resources, think of what an impact we could make by sharing the surplus with those in our community who are in need. Because one healthy choice can lead to another!

By the way, here's a neat coupon/deal site to help in your quest to save money - Southern Savers www.southernsavers.com/ and here's a fitness teacher that can get your too comfy tushy up and moving - archerfitness.blogspot.com/2011/05/group-fitness-isnt-limited-to-classroom.html - May we all continue or renew our New Year's resolution to get healthy with our money and our bodies as we start the summer season!