My hope and prayer for those who are still struggling and/or not yet working is that you will soon find relief and comfort. I am humbled by the blessings and friends that are afforded to me - at times, undeserved. I consider all of you my friends, my fellows, my cohorts... I'd like to finish by sharing the note that I never shared in class because you all know, at least those in Cohort 4, what would have happened. This is the note that we were all asked to write at the beginning of our LA Fellows journey, to be read on the last day of class prior to graduation.
Dated: 6/6/2011
Dear Matt,
Congratulations! Do you have a job yet? :-)
Over the course of 8 weeks in the LA Fellows program you hoped to make new friends, gain insights, develop in-roads, and achieve better understanding of yourself to lead to a brighter, creative future... You also desired to have an internship opportunity that would grow and stretch you in ways that you've not previously experienced; to enrich lives and in turn be inspired by those you have come in contact with. Additionally, taking advantage of this amazing self-development construct to set you on a course of career fulfillment that re-infuses you with a passion that has lain dormant for too long. Remember, it's the journey... It's OK to fail but it's not OK to give up. Believe in you and others will as well. You deserve to be happy. Go for it!
-Matt
The above has been posted on my refrigerator since graduation last year... We usually don't know when things will align for us but if you continue to labor and nurture something somewhere is bound to bear fruit.
Keep the faith. Express gratitude every day. Be good to yourself and others.
To quote my (our) friend David Talbert, "BLESSINGS BE UPON THEE".
Sincerely,
Matt Binkley
LA Fellow, Cohort 4
Congratulations, Matt! USC was one of my targets but I never got anywhere near! Have a great time!
ReplyDeleteWendy Stackhouse, Cohort 2
Congratulations, Matt. Your perseverance has paid off. I got a job after Cohort 2 and since then things have still been very difficult most of the time, but your words, "it's not OK to give up" is the best advice for any difficult time. Having been unemployed for 9 months and now employed with heavy demands on me for 9 months, both were very stressful. But in continuing to fight to work, it is through that we can find what we want and who we are. It is indeed, the journey.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to you!
Kenny Strong, Cohort 2