Solidly sitting on a fence between two opportunities.

While going through old things, I came across a handwritten poem I wrote when I was 15, back in 1993. I had pasted it into one of my old science textbooks, which I turned into a kind of creative journal—filled with watercolor paintings, quotes I loved, and little mixed media collages. Even then, I had big feelings about the environment, though the language of the poem clearly shows my love for a thesaurus and the earnestness of youth. Here’s the poem in full: The World We Live In Our world is dying The ozone is depleting Pollution is aggravating Animals are extinction. I can’t believe there are people unaware Of what is happening, In our world that’s the only place we can live in Many know that it is rapidly withering And we should not ignore it… The people should assist in healing The wounds of our world which is worsening We must not annoy this intricacy For we are the ones who will be perishing. Replenishing our environment could be easy If all the people will work in harmony To recuperate our world which has been relinquished By people who are mercenary Before long, the day would come Our world will be peaceful and calm I aspire that it would flourish again For the benefit of all mankind. Looking back, I still connect with the core message. Today, I try to live those values—composting, reducing plastic use, being more intentional about consumption. It can feel like a contradiction sometimes, especially as someone who works in marketing. But I believe that small, conscious choices still add up. It’s both humbling and inspiring to realize that even as a teenager, I understood something fundamental: we only have one planet, and it deserves our care. I’m still doing my best to be that same thoughtful person—just with more experience and a little less melodrama. Wishing you all a meaningful Earth Day.

You don't own your job; your employer does, making the phrase "my job" an oxymoron. https://open.substack.com/pub/artoffindingwork/p/when-looking-for-a-job-imagine-yourself?r=4s382&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

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Question: in today's job market, there are many people who are unemployed and have been for over 3 months; many very qualified people I might add. When a candidate applies for a position, how is that viewed by the recruiter? Is that 3 month (or longer) gap a red flag or it is understood that there are many people looking for work so people may be unemployed for longer than expected? My situation falls into this scenario. I continue to to search for positions to apply; however, the gap in time is starting to concern me. Thank you much.

Throughout their days, most humans exist in a state of inattention. The process of toothbrushing happens alongside mental distraction from email thoughts. Your eyes focus only on the phone display while your feet carry you forward. You eat while scrolling. That’s autopilot mode. The practice of routine pushes away our energy as well as attention and sometimes happiness as well. You can easily exit this condition through one basic method. It’s called hyper-awareness. Your senses enable you to become present for the current moment. The method requires no tools and does not necessitate extensive meditation periods. Just you and your attention. Start with your breath. Inhale deeply. During exhalation, pay attention to the objects surrounding you. Don’t look at something. Look at objects without focusing while your eyes experience complete relaxation through total vision observation. Then tune into the sounds. What’s near? What’s far? Now feel. Focus on the physical sensations that arise because you are sitting or standing or because you touch something. Observed scents and flavors should be included within this practice. When you start this process, it seems that your attention shifts from one sensory input to another. That’s okay. Regular practice will reveal that you can experience all sensations at once. That’s when the shift happens. From this position you leave behind your mental processes. You’re here right now. Alert. Present. Alive. There’s no requirement for waiting during a silent period. Perform this exercise while taking a walk, between sips of coffee, or during any ongoing conversation with others. Your brain develops speed in returning you to being present when you practice this habit regularly. Know more: https://www.thepuzzle.life/p/an-every-day-exercise-for-presence

I’m currently exploring new opportunities in Quality Assurance. I have experience in manual and automation testing using Java, Selenium, JUnit, Cucumber, and Rest Assured. ? Open to roles like QA / SDET / Quality Engineering Specialist — remote or on-site (Bengaluru). If you know of any relevant openings, I’d love to connect. Thanks in advance for your support!