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Are You Having a Quarterlife Crisis?

posted 29th January 2010    Written by: Molly Hoyne    CATEGORY: All Posts, Molly, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 2

Fact:  The Quarterlife Crisis is a real experience of Gen Y, of women in their twenties and early thirties.

Fact:  You are not alone. If you feel disconnected from your life, not sure what the fuck you’re supposed to do next, disappointed that your day-to-day isn’t living up to all the expectations you had for it, have that eerie feeling that there should be something more, are overwhelmed by all the possibilities out there, or just feel totally unlike your awesome self–Yup, we get it. Been there.

Fact: The Quarterlife Crisis is the a Rite of Passage. Embrace it. Use it to grow and learn and laugh hysterically that you make ends meet by dressing up like a Cheddar Cheese Loaf while pursuing your painting on the side.  Hey, it’s YOUR life!

Fact:  This article explains the intricacies of today’s Quarterlife Crisis.

If you’re a familiar face around Stratejoy, you know that we’ve had Robyn, Kendra, Andrea and Marisa writing about their day to day experience of conquering, or at least surviving, their QLC for the past 6 months.  Well, today it’s time to welcome three new women to “Season 2″! Without further ado, I am thrilled to introduce you to Nicole Antoinette, Heather Rae, and Katie!

Season 2 Guest Bloggers

These woman are gutsy. They’re helping spread the word that the Quarterlife Crisis happens to the best of us and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that fact.  They’re helping challenge the stigma that this “crisis” is considered a failure and that somehow we could have avoided it, if only we had everything figured out.

Those of us who have experienced/are experiencing a QLC haven’t failed.  We are not selfish Gen Yers wallowing in some perceived notion that life should be handed to us on golden platter. We’re not blaming our parents and our education for encouraging us to go after it all.

We’re simply admitting we don’t have it “figured out” at a time in our lives when we thought we would. And we are gutsy enough to take control of our happiness.

And as long as you don’t allow your Quarterlife Criris to take you down and out, you will be stronger, healthier and happier for it.  It will force you to really think about your life, to challenge expectations and to carve out your own definition of success.

These women — Nicole, Heather, Katie– are living proof of that.

What I ask of you?  Participate! Join in the conversation here on the blogs.  Become part of the community on Facebook. Interact with all of us on Twitter ( Nicole, Heather, Katie and me, Molly)!  Let your voice, your opinion, your experience be heard.  Share, learn and laugh your ass off with us.

Get excited!  They’re going LIVE next week!

Do you love the new Bio Boxes as much as I do?  All credit goes to the rockstar duo at Shatterboxx Media: Jamie Varon and our very own Nicole Antoinette! They’ve been amazing to work with and you’ll definitely be seeing some more collaboration between Stratejoy & Shatterboxx.

Shatterboxx Media is a graphic and web design company that thrives at the intersection of simplistic design and functionality. Specializing in the creation of gorgeous, multi-functional, and powerful websites, Shatterboxx is passionate about bringing inspired ideas to life.

So, who are these talented foxes?

Jamie Varon- Founder, Design Maven, Ultimate Typography Snob. Jamie is the pixelated pioneer behind the company’s entire portfolio of tricked out websites.  Nicole Antoinette- Chief Idea Officer & Princess of Particulars. Nicole, the newer half of the Shatterboxx duo, is the company’s gatekeeper and can usually be bribed with brownies and links to funny YouTube videos.

Thumbnail Credit : Eye Weekly

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Happiness in the Moment, Hope for the Future.

posted 25th January 2010    Written by: Robyn    CATEGORY: All Posts, Quarterlife Crisis, Robyn, Season 1

It’s hard to believe that this is my last blog.

I have been blogging for Stratejoy for six months now, and the time has flown by despite tons of changes.

Writing a weekly blog has really helped me put things into perspective. I started writing for Molly at a time when I was completely unhappy with my work situation.  I was bored, lost, unchallenged, and confused about what I should do to fix things.

After much encouragement from friends and family and after plenty of long brainstorming and researching sessions, I decided I could do it—I could leave my crappy corporate job and figure out a plan for myself later.

Sure, I have made gutsy moves like this before.  I’m no stranger to dropping everything in order to travel or try something new, but this was probably one of the more gutsy moves I have ever made. Not only was I dropping a steady job in the middle of an economic downturn, but also dropping my only source of income despite being a new homeowner and having no immediate plan of action once I walked out of my office doors.

I can honestly say it was the best decision I have ever made.

There were definitely times when I questioned whether I had done the right thing or made the smartest choice, but I managed to make ends meet.  I picked up freelance work and odd jobs while attempting to piece together my next move.  I took time to travel and explore and find new inspirations in a different part of the world.

I definitely dealt with my fair share of raised eyebrows and perplexed looks, but I never let those things lead me to question my decisions or myself.

I tried to keep in mind that my ultimate goal was to find happiness in the moment and hope and inspiration for the future.  I truly believe that there are millions of ways to reach that ultimate point of happiness and satisfaction, and I think I have learned that it’s very different for each person.

I am definitely on the right path, but I still have plenty of things to figure out.  Most importantly though, I am positive that I have figured out the right attitude needed to be happy with life—even with all the ups and downs, and that’s my biggest accomplishment yet. I’m sure the rest will fall into place as long as I continue on with that attitude.

At the current moment, I am considering going back to school.  I have a couple meetings set up this week in order to learn more about some programs I am interested in.  Not sure what will come of it or what direction I may end up going, but I’m confident I will know what’s right for me…

The hard part is just finding it!

In the meantime, I did something crazy.  I booked a 2-week trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I leave in a week.  It’s a 26th birthday present to myself.  I just can’t get enough sunshine…

[Robyn-- It's been an amazing journey and I thank you for sharing your trials and tribulations with us over the last 6 months.  You've made some big changes and taken some gutsy moves to carve out a path that is authentic and joyful.  So proud!  So inspired!  So on your side!  I just wanted to take a quick moment to say Thank You.  From all of us, Thank You.  And best of luck as you dive into your next journey!  Keep us in the loop...  Love,  Molly]

photo-credit:  m-c

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This Season I Am Grateful For Opportunity

posted 2nd December 2009    Written by: Andrea    CATEGORY: All Posts, Andrea, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 1

opportunityEvery Thanksgiving holiday, right before dinner,  I make everyone in attendance write on a little slip of paper what they are thankful for that year. It’s a silly little game I like to play, because we put them all in a dish and pass it around reading each one out loud.

The fun part is trying to figure out who wrote what.

Sometimes its really easy, sometimes its really hard. Sometimes they are random things like a favorite food, “Uncle Ken’s Cheesecake” and other times philosophical, ”I’m thankful for the world.”  (Um, that was what I wrote when I was 9, I’m strange, I know.)

This year was especially tough, because my grandmother on my dad’s side recently became very ill. She doesn’t have a disease and she’s not hurt, she’s just getting old. It’s probably one of her last Thanksgivings and I don’t deal well with death. It’s my biggest fear.

I haven’t really had many people close to me pass on, and this is just sad because its happening slowly. I know she’s had an amazing life but I am worried at how her passing will affect other people, especially my dad. I worry about him a lot.

My grandma, Gramma Lou, always talks about the crazy things I do with my life. To be honest, I do most of them because of her and my dad, to prove to them there are so many opportunities out there and it’s not crazy to try and seize them all.

This past year I’ve had so many opportunities; I’m entirely thankful for each and everyone.

I’m not an overly spiritual person, however, the way I pray to whoever is upstairs is by giving thanks. I never “ask” for things, I just say thanks. It is my way of recognizing that I am blessed with opportunity. When I feel like good things have happened to me, I give a nod to the powers that be, who allowed me the chance to have such opportunity.

Life would be very different without opportunity.

Of course, I am always grateful for people, relationships and friendships. I’ve seen in the past year how important people are in a person’s quest for happiness and joy. That is a given, every day of my life. But, this year is special and when I really sat and thought about it, none of it would have been possibly without opportunity.

I am the person I am today because of opportunity.

Andrea (new) bio.

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Giving Thanks

posted 1st December 2009    Written by: Kendra    CATEGORY: All Posts, Kendra, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 1

thank you beachFellow blogger Robert Brault says that, “There is no such thing as gratitude unexpressed. If it is unexpressed, it is plain, old-fashioned ingratitude,” and I’m inclined to agree. As I’ve already touched upon, in the accounting of our memories we’re often more inclined to remember the bad stuff than the good stuff. The good stuff fades if we let it, while the bad stuff sticks out in horrid contrast, feeding into a descending spiral of gloom, doom and victimhood.

That kind of thinking will kill us if we let it.

So how do we keep ourselves upbeat, connected to our core, and to what I honestly believe is a thread of goodness trying its best to lift us upward towards genuine happiness, in a world that for all of its talk of rules of attraction and positivity, seems intent upon inundating us with an ever growing list of fears and horrors (see: the evening news)?

In other words, how do we during this Thanksgiving Season, and all year long really, stay grateful?

I’ve found a morning prayer of thanks for another day goes a long day towards helping to put me in a thankful state of mind. Before I even open my eyes I say something like thank you for this day, or thank you for this warm bed, or thank you for this quiet moment.

Similarly, closing each day by writing a quick gratitude list does a lot to help me reframe my life so I can remember the wonderful things instead of giving into the Negative Nellie need to obsessively cataloguing every perceived slight, or inconvenience, or hardship that flitted across my mind that day.

It’s a bit after 9:30AM as I write this on a blustery November day and thus far

I’ve found the following things to be grateful for:

·         My mom who has been sick all week felt good enough to go to work today, which not only speaks wonders to her health, but has the added benefit of giving me some extra quiet time I don’t have when the family is around.

·         There is a Dr. Who Marathon on the tele which means there’s a good chance I will spend the day annoying those around me with my deliciously bad British accent.

·         I have a job interview today for a job I want, for an organization that seems great, in a fun part of the city.

·         It’s sunny today which means I can wear my fancy blue coat to my job interview.

·         Oreo, our family kitten has fallen off the window sill at least three times. This is an action I find uproariously funny despite the fact that he does this everyday several times a day. He is now eyeing our hanging ivy like it is his prey.

·         I am in a good mood for no specific reason and feel a bit like my old darkly happy self than I have in ages. It’s like I’m buzzing from the inside.

·         Stratejoy! I look at where I was when I started writing this blog four months ago and where I am now and I am in such an emotionally better place even if the details of my life haven’t changed so much. Writing this blog has been such a good outlet, forcing me to express myself and really think about myself and my problems and come to the very important conclusion that I was creating most of my pain.

·         You guys! The comments on the blog have been awesome and as much as I get cathartic release in talking about this stuff, hearing that other people feel similarly is wonderful. Misery loves company, after all, and so does good cheer! Hear, hear!

kendra-bio1

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