Taking that break really worked wonders. It allowed my mind to regroup, rest and just cease thinking about work for a while. Relaxing and stepping was just what I needed. I was able to work better and with minimal stress or worry about the looming deadline. It calmed me enough to just concentrate on what I needed to do and do them till it gets done.

“Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest” - Ashleigh Brilliant

The whole thing seemed serendipitous, sometimes opportunities come from unusual and unexpected places. But although sometimes luck plays a part in our life, hard work is still very much needed. We can’t really rely on luck for everything. I worked hard on building my online portfolio and improving my flash scripting and design skills before I got that email. When I think about it, I think I would have gotten that same email whether or not I had any experience on being a flash designer. A year has passed and I could have done any number of things in that year, but since I DO have the experience in working with flash I realized I put myself in the position of being lucky, ready for the opportunity. Well I guess my friend Seneca was right when he said:

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

I’m glad I took her advice, what I did was I emailed them back telling them that I will stop doing the modifications until I get my payment. That got their attention really quick, they emailed me back and told me that I should have reminded them. Well, I did remind them and I kept all the email, so I sent them the list of those emails. It really pays to keep records of these types of transactions. I really thought they were not going to pay me and I was ready to write it off as loss for the cost of doing business. But after a few days, they sent an email that they already sending the payment with advance for future modifications I needed to do. So after I received my payment I continued with the modifications and finished the project. I was so happy and relieved that I got paid what was rightfully due me. I’ve always done what they required of me, delivering quality work and submitted on time, so I really thought it was just fair they pay me what they promised.

So anyways, a few days ago, I received an email for another project from the same company. This time they said they were already going to send the payment in advance. I was glad I really put my foot down and asked for my payment, I was really hesitant to do that at first for fear of looking like all I care about is money. But now that I’ve done it, I’m really really glad I did, because not only did I get the payment that I deserved for the past project, but it also made them realized their mistake and corrected course when assigning me new projects. I read this somewhere:

You teach people how to treat you.

I guess that holds not only in personal relationships but also in professional ones.

I signed up last year but never really got around to using it because I was hired as a full time employee for another company. I was so focused about doing a great job for the company that I really forgot about it. Now that I have more free time in my hands I want to explore using Odesk. There are many freelancing job sites available but I wanted to check out Odesk because of its guaranteed payment policy.They have software that you’ll have to install that keeps track of hours worked. And once you logged in your hours in the Odesk team software they automatically bill the buyer. Thats one great feature if you ask me, because it minimizes the risk of you not getting paid for work done.

I logged in again sometime in the beginning of this month and I took the Odesk readiness test - its just to ensure that you know how to use the odesk tools when you are already working for an buyer. Then just last week I took the Flash CS3 test. I passed the two test and I’m in the process of completing my profile. After that I’ll try applying for jobs available and see how it goes.

P.S:
See I even have this link I can put on my blog for passing the Flash CS3 test

I decided to have the party because career wise I had a great year. I found a job that I like that paid well and allowed me the freedom I wanted. I wanted the birthday party to be like a thanksgiving of sorts for that blessing. And another reason is to see my friends and family in one place. I’ve been missing out a lot on attending social gatherings the past year because of work or sometimes because I’m sick. I wanted the party to be a way reconnect with old friends and family and catch up with whats going on with their life.

The party was great. I got to enjoy the company of the people I value in my life. Being too focused with work sometimes makes me forget that I have family and friends that I needed to stay connected with. I guess realizing that made me a little wiser as I grow a little older. It reminds me of a great line I heard from a movie that really struck a chord with me, it goes:

Happiness is only real when shared.