Working over time (work out)

Sooo... remember like a month ago when I was all, "Good things are coming!  Yea!"?  Well, that all panned out so I can actually share my fun exciting news with the interwebs: I am no longer contracting!  I got brought on full time and today was my first day.  I have a week of new hire orientation and then I'll go back to what I was doing before, just with benefits (hooray for 401Ks!), a pay increase (which will be negated by the aforementioned 401K to which I shall be aggressively contributing, what with the LACK of contributions for the last dozen months or so) and apparently a new wireless keyboard and possibly a bigger desk (still waiting for confirmation on that, but it's looking likely).  Woo hoo!  L and I are very excited about this.  It's so nice to have a job you like, where you feel inspired to work and give your very most at all times.  I know that I may not always feel that way, but I hope this feeling continues for a long time to come. It's great knowing that I am valued and that my contributions are noticed and appreciated. 

For those of you who are feeling burned out or frustrated by your work situations, I so encourage you all to take a leap of faith and apply for something that intrigues you or find a company you like and pursue it.  I decided on a whim over my first Christmas in Virginia that I really wanted to work at my current company.  I didn't know how I was going to make it happen or what position I might possibly ever be qualified for, but I knew I needed a change.  Since the very beginning of our relationship, I've seen L enjoy a great amount of professional success by pursuing new career opportunities (literally- he started a new joy a week after our first date and a year later, he was recruited back to his current company into the job that led us to VA).  I know I would have eventually left my last job on my own, but it took me seeing something like his experience to not question what I was doing.  So if you're feeling less than satisfied, I say look around and see what else is out there.  Maybe you'll find you are happy where you are, but maybe you'll also find something that makes you really happy and fulfilled.  Or at least content.  And that really does make a huge difference, at least for me!