Facing Adversity 101!!!

Mood: Relaxed
Music: N'dambi "Nobody Jones" CD Pink Elephant

We All Get A Chance In The Fire...,

I have to be honest & say that since Thursday 4PM I've DEFINITELY been that ANGRY BLACK MAN!!! With what I would say are “Justifiable Reasons.” I will celebrate 30 Years of employment with my company in September of this year...

The last 10 years of my career I have been on the Management side of the business. The 1st 7 of those years I was the Supervisor of the State Gas Meter Shop Springfield, the next 2 as a Training & Development Specialist at the Edison Training Center, & last year I was hand-picked to slide into the Materials Management group as an Office Supervisor in Orange Gas...

At no point in my journey have I EVER received anything less than a "Meets Expectations" on my Performance Appraisals. Whether I was a Union or Management employee... This year for the very 1st time in my career I received a "Partially Meets" & I Damn Near Flipped Out!!!

I told my new Manager that this was unbelievable, I could not believe he allowed this to happen to me, & that I was being penalized for issues that have been a problem for over 10 years... Yet now it's my problem to solve & I'm being killed for it... My two employees at that location will tell you that of all the Supervisors they’ve had I was the “ONLY ONE” who even got some of the excess material sent back… That was like a $25,000 reduction in inventory levels… I was FUMING as I sat there listening to the BS!!!

The next day was Friday & I had an all day meeting with our CEO, along with all the Energy Resource Group Diversity Leaders in the company... It took everything in me not to lay my cards on the table & tell him/them what a CROCK OF ISH our entire Performance Management System was... I’ve always expressed it privately, but I knew this WAS NOT the forum to speak those views…

Friday night I performed with my band & that allowed me to use all of that aggression as I laid into the drums beating out primal rhythms... We killed our performance might I add… Saturday morning I had my own Personal Pity Party... This allowed me 2 feel sorry 4 myself, play the woe is me card, & just work on Getting My Mind Right!!! Sunday I was allowed physical exertion as I had my 1st dance lesson for a "Dancing With The Stars" fundraiser I am tapped to perform in... All of those things allowed me some clarity...

Then I saw what I’m using for 2day’s message from Joel Osteen & I knew it was my time for me to take on my albatross, to bear my own cross in order for me to sharpen my own skill sets so I could overcome my own adversity...

Point blank, me & my Manager will not see eye-to-eye again, because I feel like he sold me down the river… But that Will Not affect my relationship to the business & the people I support... You just will not get the INCREDIBLE DYNAMIC & AMAZING AJ!!! U'll get the 150% version rather than the 777% Always On High Beam AJ!!!

2day's Message: Did you know that God has already written out the story of your life? He’s written out plans for your good, plans to prosper you, plans for peace. That doesn’t mean that you won’t go through negative situations. It means that God will use everything you go through to move you forward toward that good plan.

When things happen that we don’t understand, it’s easy to think, “Why did this happen? Why did this friend betray me? Why did this company lay me off? Why didn’t I get that promotion?” But, you can’t let the things you don’t understand keep you stuck on the same page in the story of your life. You have to decide to turn the page so that you can see the victory waiting for you in the next chapter.

If you are facing a difficulty today, know that God’s plan is to turn it around and use it for your good. The story of your life isn’t over! Keep moving forward, keep believing, keep hoping, keep forgiving because your days are written out for good, and it’s time to turn the page and see the blessing He has in store for your life!

MAY UR OWN JOURNEY BE EQUALLY AS DYNAMIC!!!

aljonessr