Week 6

            To reflect a little bit on our last class, I feel that I have a better understanding on the idea of synchronicity.  With this being said, as I have not ever had a moment like this for myself, I find it hard to relate or know what it might feel like.  I have and always will be sensitive to my clients’ needs and desires and hope that I can always hold myself accountable when it comes to not being biased if they have had a moment like this.

            I found it interesting when we paired up with our partners to see how we viewed our present time to our future.  We really put a great deal of emphasis on how much our time spent in graduate school changes and impacts the other aspects of our pie chart.  I liked doing this as it really put things into perspective.  It felt like every time I drew I a slice on the pie chart, I was adjusting another section.  I could not figure out exactly how I spend all my time as we tend to be dismissive of some of the titles we are less stressed about.  In my case, I had not acknowledged how much time and energy I put into being a homemaker.  Some of the other pieces were more obvious, such as the worker or student. 

            Bloch’s (2005) article discussed the roller-coaster that many people go through during a lifespan.  “Order” is considered to be the safe place we might find, a moment when our life seems to make sense or at least enough sense to feel comfortable where we are.  I agree with a few other people about some of the responses I read.  Although the chaos may lead to greater gains if we can learn to wait for the right opportunity to arise, we may not be able to afford to do so.  I cannot dispute that it might be worth our time mentally to wait for a position or career opportunity that will meet our desires but what about the reality of life?  Not everyone can sit back and wait for the perfect storm to pass by.  When my boyfriend had surgery, he was laid off from his job.  He went months and months of trying to find a job that was a good fit and that fit his educational pursuits well.  Unfortunately, waiting for this match was not something he could financially handle, therefore needed to take a job that was subpar for what he had in mind.  He stuck it out with this job for over a year before being hired at Armstrong, which we both believe may be his career for many years to come.  The first job worked as a small stepping-stone in which he could at least work on acquiring new skills.  He was promoted at his first job during the time he spent there, receiving some management experience to help build his resume. 

            I do believe that informing clients of this chaos phenomena may be helpful as many people sink into a self-defeating mindset when feeling as though they cannot find meaningful employment.  I do not think we should take away the idea of normalizing the chaotic feelings and daily events that may occur before we may find an orderly state.  I just stand by the idea that people need to do what is necessary to get by but yet find ways to focus on will make them happy in time.

Bloch, D. P. (2005). Complexity, chaos, and nonlinear dynamics: A new perspective on career development theory. The Career Development Quarterly, 53(3), 194-207.