cliopatra’s posterous

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I’ve been in the insurance industry for most of the last 16 years, and in that time I’ve been an agent in 4 different states. When I moved to Florida 4 years ago I went to work for a large nationwide agency, and was immediately impressed by the knowledge of the people I worked with, and my boss in particular.  She is extremely knowledgeable and teaches continuing education (CE) classes both in-house and for the local insurance professionals organization.

I don’t know when I first started thinking about it, but at some point in the first year or so of my employment here, I started thinking about teaching CE classes, and maybe even pre-licensing courses for wanna-be insurance agents.  I’ve been in the industry a while, and I enjoy the ins and outs of the contracts and such.

One day I woke up and thought “I want to teach insurance”. 

I went online with the Florida Department of Financial Services and found out that I was only lacking either (1) a college degree or (2) a professional designation in the insurance industry to qualify.  My background was clean and I had more than enough applicable experience to qualify.

In August of 2007 I began working on a professional designation.  Most of the people I have admired throughout my career have been Certified Insurance Counselors (CICs), and that’s what I wanted to do.

CIC is a rigorous program.  You have 5 years to complete 5 courses.  The courses are 2.5 days of lecture, and then a 2 hour 20 question essay exam on the final day (and exam results mailed to you a nail-biting 6 weeks later).  You have to pass all 5 to get the designation, but you can retake them as many times as you need to (with applicable fees, of course).

In June of 2009 I completed my final course, and found out in July that I had passed the exam (I passed all 5 exams on the first try – go me!).  In less than 2 years I was awarded the CIC designation, and the first thing I did (after a celebration dinner with Irish) was apply to be a CE and pre-licensing instructor with the state.

Imagine my surprise when I got my approval in just 2 days!  I informed my bosses and the local insurance professionals organization as soon as I found out.

My office has scheduled me to teach 2 in-house ethics CE classes in January 2010, which I thought would be my first official classes, but today the local organization asked me if I would help instruct another CE course in December.

I was just thinking how much I used to hate CE classes, and now I’m going to be teaching them, and I’m excited about it.  I hope to make the classes that I teach fun and interactive so the students stay involved.

It just goes to show that if you dream and work hard, and you have people behind you that support you (like Irish, my friends and my employers and coworkers) that you can accomplish anything.

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I did make it to workout with my workout buddy last night, got gas for the car, and even made it to the library to pay my fine and pick up the book I had on reserve.  At home later I did a few little housecleaning tidbits and a little personal writing, then decided to watch a little TV while I messed around on the internet.

I had set up some reminders for some things I needed to do, and my phone blipped to remind me that I needed to set up a couple of Facebook event notices on our local Mensa calendar, and also research some activities for a Michigan member who will be here in December.

POP! from outside.

All the lights went out.  Everything went out.  Transformer blew again, but this is the first time this year, that I know of.

I was sitting in the dark looking at my dimmed laptop screen, remembering that earlier in the day I had been thinking “we need D batteries for all of the flashlights” but didn’t get them.  So I stumbled around and found the lighter for the grill and lit a couple of candles and an oil lamp.

The electric company was out within the hour, but at 9:40 I ran up to Walgreens to get batteries (they close at 10) and just as I turned off my car in the driveway, the lights came back on.  I love progress.

So, things are getting done.  I’m making small strides every day, though my intention is to make bigger ones than I am actually making.

The good news is, I got the Facebook activities scheduled, and found some events for the Michigan member.  I also went to bed way too late.

Still… making progress.  Must focus on that, and not on what I haven’t done.

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Last night on the way home from work I had to stop and pick up a few things.  I loaded my purchases into the trunk of the car, and then took a few minutes to dig some loose change out of my car to pay my library fines.

I owe 50 cents, and I almost never carry cash.  I haven’t replenished my ashtray full of change in a while, so after digging around I was only able to come up with 35 cents.  I decided to delay the library trip until tonight, but did have a nice little freak-out when I couldn’t find the bottle of Sobe I had just purchased to drink.  I finally found it in the trunk.

I was beating myself up quite a bit for being unorganized, and feeling so out of control.  I was feeling a lot of anger and resentment over household chores, so I knew something had to be done.

Irish had class last night, so I went home and turned on one of the music channels through cable – Party Favorites.  I expected I would have to turn it off eventually, but it was just one song after another of fun and energy.  I heard everything from James Brown to Justin Timberlake, Sister Sledge to Lady Gaga.  Lots of fun.

I cleaned house for about an hour and a half singing and dancing to the radio.  I did a couple of loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, swept the floor, took out the trash and worked up a sweat.  I had originally set the time for 40 minutes, but I decided to keep going and also count it as a workout.

When Irish got home I had him start dinner and a couple of other small chores.  He never complains when I ask him to do something, but I try to keep the requests quick and simple.

Only personal writing last night, and a couple of personal housekeeping items, but I did get some play time in.  I really needed that.

I didn’t accomplish everything I wanted to last night, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.  I just have to keep a list and check things off as I go.

A friend of mine likes to send me little things she gets in her e-mail and this was today’s:

Today’s thought from Hazelden is:

It’s easy to look at all the tasks and unsolved problems and feel so pressured that we get paralyzed and don’t get anything done. It takes discipline to gather in our scattered forces and focus on one thing, one day, one step, and sometimes one hour – even when taking only that one step can seem so trivial in the face of all that looms.

Inventory Focus:
Are you creating unnecessary fear and drama by taking on more than you handle? Are you willing to trade in the I’m-out-of-control-and-overwhelmed feeling for a sense of manageability? Do you have any history with deliberately living life one day or one step at a time? How did that work?

Plans, goals, and dreams are good, but the only way to get there is one day at a time.

The link for Hazelden takes you to today’s thought on the website, which is different from that one.  They have an e-mail service where they send you a thought for the day, which is where this one came from.

I think I needed to hear that.

I was late for work today, but I’m clean and dressed and I’ve had breakfast, and really, life is full of small miracles I can look at and stop drowning in my self-flagellation.

One day at a time!