stress / fear

Hey there everyone,

I wanted to see if some insights from others would help me a bit.
Currently I am in a very stressed out state, which deprives me from sleeping well, it gives me stomach problems and I just feel horrible.
Its started when I had to go to the city hall. At the moment I do not have a job, or well, I do for two days every week, but its not enough. So I recieve financial support from the state.
Which is a wonderful and helpful thing of course, which I am very thankfull for.
But it has been very hard to find more work, there is a total lack of jobs in my country right now. I am 30 years old, and so the jobs that are there, are given to younger (cheaper) people.

The people from the city hall, have come up with a plan to get the people that do not work, to work.
Which is good, but the way they do it, is, to me very humilianting.
They act as if I am a lazy, stupid person, almost a criminal. They constantly sum up all the rules and tell me what horrible things they will do if I do something wrong.
And they make me do things that are completely useless, just so that I can proove to them that I listen to the rules.

The thing is that I try very very hard to get my own income. I want that very badly. I have plans and ideas to do it, but they totally block all those. Instead they make me do things that do not help me or my future in any way.
I used to have my own small company, and I asked for permission to try and set it up again (while I am also trying to find a good job).

I feel so locked in, I cannot move to make my future better. They do not allow me to do any schooling, to start my company again (which I used to have for some years when I was younger), or to do an internship or voluntary work to learn new things.
All those things could help my future and my hopes of making more money, so that they do not have to help me anymore.

Instead they make me apply for mindless jobs, packaging stuff and so on. Which is ok for me, but those companies do not hire me, because younger people are cheaper.
Its totally useless this way.
And in the time that I cannot find anything in this way, they treat me as if I am stupid and take away all my time to work on anything.

I feel so down and stuck. It takes away all my inspiration and passion. I feel lost and captured.
They can make me do whatever they like, because the state gives me money. they do not see that I do my best, and 'do work' as much as I can find. I am not the lazy type of person that does not try.
I really 'want' to be

This past night I did not sleep, because my mind kept going and going about how to solve it. I cannot see how.
They do not allow me to do anything constructive.
I just want to move forward so badly, it is not good for me to stand still. I feel this constant longing to try things. But cannot do it.

What should I do? I feel I am becoming more and more down, I am losing motivation totally and becoming more and more stressed out.

Maple-tree, you are not alone with this predicament, there are many around the planet in the same situation for a variety of reasons and they are are almost entirely political.
Firstly de-stress, relax and and don't panic. There are ways out of the mire you feel you are in.
Take this on board. "Everything that happens, is to show us something"
Here is a suggestion.. You are obviously an intelligent guy so do a search on Google or Wikipedia for this topic.

'The One Percent'

Research it and understand that you do not need to feel guilty about your situation.

Read this quote.. from a fellow called Buckminster Fuller..

" We must do away with the specious notion that everyone has to earn a living". "We keep inventing jobs because of this false idea that everyone has to be employed at some sort of drudgery because according to Malthusian-Darwinian theory, we must justify our right to exist"

Reevaluate the 'work ethic' that you have been fed from birth.
What is important is to reclaim your personal power because every time you interact with these Authorities, it will be robed from you.

Be brave and realize that feeling good about yourself is simply an adjustment of mindset.

If you haven't already then learn to meditate.

Be safe.

[linen53]

Almost all available job opening are not advertised in the newspaper or unemployment offices. Why? Because the people Looking for new employees do not want to deal with the riff-raff type applicants that will swarm their offices.

Here is my suggestion. Get your resume up to date.

Collect a pen and a notebook and your favorite beverage and set them next to your telephone. You will need your local telephone book as well.

Take a sip of your favorite beverage. Take a deep breath and open the telephone book to where the businesses are listed.

I always start at the "A's" and work my way down. I do not discriminate at what the business does. Write the name of the business down in your notebook and the date.

Take another sip of your beverage and call the number.

A receptionist, more than likely, will answer the phone. Get her name and write it down on your notebook. Ask to speak to the person who does the hiring. When they transfer and tell you their name, write it down in your notebook. When asked why you are calling, say: hello, my name is __________. I was wondering if you have any employment opportunities in your company. If they have an opening they will more than likely ask what type of job you are looking for. Have your answer in front of you. Talk with confidence and clearly as you tell them what your skills are.

One of two things will happen. Whatever happens write the results in your notebook.

1. They are interested in you and want you to come by or at least drop off a resume. When you show up, dress appropriately, not jeans and a halter top. Always be courteous to the receptionist. Her boss may likely ask her advice of you. It happened to me countless times.

2. The hiring person will tell you they don't have any openings. If that is the case, ask if he knows of anyone in need of your skills. If he says, no, thank him for his time and hang up. If he does have some information, write it down in your notebook.

This is important, ask if you can say he or she recommended you. Sometimes they will say yes, sometimes they will say no. If he gives you a lead, write it down in your notebook, hopefully, name of company, phone number and contact person.

Call the company he recommended.. If he said you couldn't use him as a recommendation treat it as a cold call. If you don't have the contact person's name ask to speak to the person who does the hiring, if you do have the second person's name use it to streamline through the receptionist. The less she knows at this stage the better.

Say something like this to the second company, Hello, my name is ________. May I speak to the person who does the hiring or may I speak to ________. When that person comes onto the line tell them your name and that you just talked to____________ at such and such a company and they said you might have an opening. Bla, bla, bla.

Remember write every contact person names down in your notebook as well as important information you might have to pull up later under their company heading.

At the end of an interview write down all important information in your notebook you may need later.

I've even had some people say to me, "When can you come in?", right then. I'd have to scramble around throwing on interview clothes, etc to make my appointment.

This is another important point. After you do complete an interview, send them a short thank you letter thanking them for their time and recapping how well you would enjoy working there. Short and sweet. It was the deciding factor on one job I found out after I had been hired.

Always wear appropriate clothes. I can't stress that enough. No shorts, summer clothes. Always present yourself in professional clothes, even to drop off a resume. They notice.

Okay, now go to the next company in the telephone book and start all over. Don't stop at just one if you get leads. Fill up that notebook! After about 3 days of this routine, I was averaging about 2 contacts with companies who had employment openings per day. This system will get you employed.

[Thunder Bow]

What Country do you live in? It seems they want to control you, instead of helping you. Control is what this is all about.