This is perfect for a logical  left brainer like me. As a child, I was told that if you focus on math and science  plenty of job opportunities will be available for you as an adult.

So, I became an optical engineer. I design light bulbs. Yes, I light up your life.

Problem? There are thousands of people who can do this for a lot less money in other countries.  This is not new. Engineering and IT jobs have been shipped overseas for the last fifteen years.

Pink’s book,  however, is not all doom and gloom.

A Whole New Mind explains what tools are needed to keep the Left Brainer relevant in today’s job market by sharpening several senses: design, story, symphony, empathy, play and meaning.

Design

Other than design, there is little to differentiate mature products from one another.  Everybody wants products with great design.

Unfortunately, this sense goes undeveloped in most of us.  Pink simply suggests  visiting places like the Museum of Modern Art or checking out a website like How to Design.

For those needing more inspiration, the book suggests  keeping a design notebook.  The notebook should keep track of anything you think has good design.

When needing a muse for eventual design work, you can use the notebook as a reference.  It doesn’t have to be  a traditional paper notebook.  You can use a digital camera and take pictures of anything inspiring  and review the pictures for reference.

Story

Everyone can remember a silly knock-knock joke, but how many of us remember the date the Magna-Carta was signed?

We learned both as children, but only remember the joke because it’s a story and not a number. Minds remember stories. Stories help provoke emotion which is driven by the right side of the brain.  Telling stories doesn’t mean telling lies.

It means  providing compelling narratives.  A story  that delivers an emotional punch.  Pink  offers several suggestions for beefing up your storytelling panache. They  include visiting storytelling festivals and writing mini-sagas.

Symphony

Lacking symphony means not being able to see the big picture.  I  suffer from this often.  I get caught up in  minute detail.

I spend hours on something that has no value.  I know I’m not alone.  I believe this is the biggest problem with engineers.  We try to make things perfect. In  reality, we don’t need to be perfect.  We need to understand the big picture.

Pink suggests taking a drawing class, keeping a metaphor log and using inspiration boards.

Empathy

Do not mistake this for sympathy. Empathy  is the ability to understand what another is going through.   Mastering this allows one to better understand their customers.

Empathy in product development is similar to user centered design.  The only difference is that user centered design lacks the high emotional content empathy provides.

Two great ways to hone empathy are volunteering and acting classes.

Play

Easy:  relax more.   Whatever you enjoy, do it more often. Don’t take yourself too seriously. I think we all know how to play

Meaning

Understanding one’s purpose, in most cases, involves religion, but in Pink’s context it does not need to be.  Essentially, meaning derives from  understanding what drives a person.

It takes many forms and is often considered spirituality.  Again, that does not necessarily mean religion. Understand it as your  internal drive.

Figuring out  one’s meaning is a journey to  make yourself happy.   The marketplace is rough and you may still lose your job, but I believe you will be in a better place – mentally – than a typical Left Brainer.

Marvin Ruffin is a graduate student at Northwestern University.

He is enrolled in the fairly new Masters in Product Design & Development program.

He lives in Bucktown with his fiancee, has 2 cats and likes the color orange.

We don’t really fight about money. At least, not a lot. This is because the outcome is obvious and simple. Somebody is earning money and somebody is not.

Sometimes, I cannot tell if he is joking. Or, if he is resentful. Or, both. Maybe I don’t have a sense of humor. The griping about job loss mainly comes from me. In the end, how I’m seeing myself is the crux in our relationship.

It is hard to take unemployment seriously after becoming comfortable with not being employed. I’ve become focused on other things. I cannot stop thinking about how boring my life will be once I actually have a paying job. This fear is not just a paralyzer, it is functioning as self-sabotaging resistance.

I am sure that long-term anything affects a relationship. It reflects within the relationship, too. If unemployment has changed me for the worse, I assume I’ve become less courageous.

Courageousness is part of being a good at anything.

Fear is God’s compass.

My fears? Bankruptcy. Substantial and unexplainable job gap. Getting fat. Not being able to shop at Leifsdottir. Yet, I am more concerned about getting fat than getting a job.I spend money on fashionable pleasantries and liquor.

Is this a screw-up in priorities? No. It is an unhealthy investment in distractions.

The Atlantic talks about how this era’s joblessness will significantly impact urban minorities, white men and the under 30-set. What is the outcome? Overwhelming bitterness. Symptoms will include regret, stagnated earnings and less innovation.

Also, fear thinly disguised as caution.

Why does fear keep coming up?

So, what is my point? If you are reading this post, you want to know how you can fix being a jobless burden. You want to understand what to do when you are in the mother of all down economies and have been job hunting for what seems like eons. You are trying to discover if fear is good or bad for you.

Question: is the life you’re living making you become a lesser version of your true self?

Advice? I wouldn’t be so naive to give you any. I am in this, just like you. And, the only thing that seems to stick is that we are all burdens at some time or another. We’re imperfect creatures. Shit will happen. It will scare us. Move us forward. Go backward.

There are dozens of things that will bombard you with personal branding tactics, job hunting strategies and how to zen the hell out of your life.

All I would say is that you probably already know what you should be doing. Do it imperfectly or not, but do it. That is all you have.

No one needs instructions on how to quit their job. If you need guidance for that, I’m wondering how you managed to become gainfully employed in the first place.

If you want to give 2 weeks notice. Do it. If not. Don’t do it. It really doesn’t matter because in the end, the job will still be there (theoretically) even if you are not.

If you are trying to figure out if you qualify for benefits or if you can still get health insurance: you’ll find this out soon enough when you quit or get fired.

If you want to know ahead of time – ask HR. That’s what they’re there for: to let you know how much or how little a company will give you for anything.

Enough said.

This blog or this post will not provide any guidance on what happens to you after the job. Personal branding and career sites cannot be a panacea for deciding what the hell to do with your career life. Me? I just tell you what I think about workplace bullies, living a creative life and how being unemployed sucks.

But, you don’t have to listen to what the hell I say either. I never said you should.

Life happens before, during and after work. If you are consuming your thoughts with how you’ll live without a job, I think you’ve lost a bit of perspective. And, if you need instruction for things you already know how to do – you’re just avoiding reality.

I am saying this as respectfully as possible.

My lucky swap buddy is the blogger of You & Me & Lucy. She loves Martha Stewart, baking and her name is Michele (Michele is also one of my middle names – how’s that for kindred blogging souls?).

Here’s what I sent to my swap buddy:*

The celebration gift was The Fortune Telling for Brides book that was decorated with French-themed rubber ink stamps (the stamps are from my personal collection).
Why? She’s a bride to be…and she loves anything French

The comfort gift was a set of Kitchen sticky notes that included recipe cards, shopping to-do lists and favorite meal cards
Why? Michele says she loves baking, what better way to organize yourself while aspiring to reach chef nirvana?

The creativity gift was scrapbooking stickers in various blues and greens with various shapes like whales and bunnies – how cute!
Why? My swap buddy mentioned she likes to create scrapbooks, her favorite colors are navy, turquoise, light blue and lime. She’s obsessed with anything nautical and she likes bunnies.

The calming gift was a set of two bathtub teas “flavored” in grapefruit lavender and lavender bergamot
Why? Being a fan of herbal teas, anything fruity or beachy smelling – these would make the perfect morning ritual

Here’s what I received:

Heather of Fumbling for Words sent me chocolate, incense and a book I’m sure I’ll have to blog about. Not to mention, a cute little wooden butterfly – the only insect I can tolerate in my house.

Incense, The War of Art & Chocolate Macaroons on my nightstand

Have you received snail mail love lately? Have you given any? Maybe you should start now…

Curious about where I found my gifts? Try this awesome place.

The butterfly hanging amongst the flowers on my scarf

Chai made from an herbal tea this morning