10 Reasons I Feel Grateful This Thanksgiving Day

Often times I have a tendency to focus so much on the parts of my life that are not as ideal as I'd like, that I forget to take the time to simply be grateful for the things I have. So I've decided to jot down 10 reasons I have to be grateful this Thanksgiving Day.

1. I have a good job working with good people.  It's not perfect, but this alone is more than many people can say these days.
2. I have a roof over my head to shelter me from the cold, the heat, the rain, and winds.  I'm reminded of just how important this is each time I see a homeless person begging for change on the street corner. 
3. I was driving from Southern California up to Fresno to visit my family this past weekend, and passed at least three car accidents on the way - one where the car looked like it had flipped over.  That guy was definitely having a bad day.  While I hope the driver was ok, I was also grateful that wasn't me.
4. The beauty of God's creations: Autumn in Fresno can be beautiful with many of the trees changing colors, from green to yellow, orange, red, and even purple.  Sunsets on the beach are just as inspiring, if not more so.  And who can deny the majesty of outdoors in the Sierra's.  I love living in California.
5. I have friends and family who stand by me through thick and thin. If I need advice, I know who I can call.  If I need help, I know who I can turn to.  Their support has been constant, and I will always have reason to be grateful for them. 
6. Last January, my wife and I experienced one of the saddest experiences in our marriage - nearly 3 months into a pregnancy, we found out she had a miscarriage.  Today we are happily expecting again, and are now over 4 months into the pregnancy. Next week we find out if it's a boy or girl.
7. My kids are excited for the coming of a new baby brother or sister.  I'm grateful because I know this is not always the case.  I have a friend who once told me that when she was young and her baby brother was born, she tried to throw him in the garbage.
8. My wife has a phenomenal family who have treated me like one of their own from the very beginning.  I've heard horror stories about monster-in-laws in other families.  That couldn't be farther from the truth for me.  I could not ask for better in-laws.
9. My marriage is as strong as it's ever been.  I know I've got things to work on, and I know I frustrate my wife at times, but to her credit she has patiently and loyally stood by me from the very beginning.  I cannot imagine a more loving, supportive, and amazing wife than that special woman who has been by my side for over 7 years, and I look forward to 70 more (we may not live that long, but you get the idea).
10. My kids are happy and healthy.  Although they don't always get along, they haven't tried to kill each other yet, and that's a good thing.  These kids, along with my wife, are the reason for my greatest joys in life.

Here's wishing everyone a special Thanksgiving surrounded by those you care about.

A Day in the Life of my Family

I had to take a short business trip to Sacramento the other day and told my daughter that I'd be back late the next day.  To make sure she wouldn't forget me, as she lay in bed the night before she decided to draw a picture of our family.  And to make sure I wouldn't forget her, she had me take a picture of her on my phone.  What a sweetheart!

The next day, instead of coming home at 9 o'clock at night, I was able to catch an early flight and was home by 5:30.  But the family wasn't there!  When they came home, they didn't realize I was in the house, so when I jumped out to surprise them, my wife let out a scream like I've never heard before.  She thought I was an intruder.  It was hilarious!

Just another fun day in the Gastelum home :)

I Love a Good Line

So I was watching the news last night and one of the "commentators" was describing what he considered the futile efforts of Senator Santorum in the presidential campaign - but it's they way he said it that gave me a kick. Essentially he said the guy was like a chicken with its head cut off.  He's still running around like crazy, but he's the only one that doesn't realize he's already dead.
Don't get me wrong - this isn't a political post.  I just love a good line when I hear one.
So how about this - my daughter was talking back to me the other day and so I told her to watch her mouth.  What does she say in return?  "But dad, I can't see my mouth." For a second there, I felt like I had been one-upped by my four year old daughter.

The Tragedy of Untapped Genius

I'd like to tell you about a sad story - a tragedy really.  It might even sound familiar to some of you.  A friend of mine graduated with a bachelor's degree over a year ago, but since his graduation he has struggled to find a job that matches both his skills and interests.  It's not from a lack of trying.  But without existing experience, employers hardly give him the time of day. I can certainly empathize - I've been there before.  You find a job opening, you excitedly fill out the application, but as you look over the resume you've created, you realize that without post-graduate work experience, your resume looks bare.  But as an optimist, you submit it anyway, knowing in your heart of hearts that you're perfectly capable if someone will just give you a chance.  The problem is that employers don't like taking chances.  And if they can't see what you can do by looking at what you have done, they're more likely to take a pass than take a risk.  So instead of preparing for an interview, you're preparing to submit your next resume and hope lady luck increases your chances of getting in front of a recruiter.

Does that sound familiar to anyone else?  I can't say that I blame employers.  Their success is largely influenced by the workforce they employ.  But is it fair to students who are - dare I say it? - more than meets the eye?

I recently discovered a new tool that finally helps students show companies what they're all about and what they can really do.  It's called Student Genius, and it's designed specifically to help students showcase their skills and their personality.  You can post a video resume, a timeline of various experiences, upload an online portfolio of your work (e.g., presentations, graphics, videos, or anything else that will help to showcase your skills), and more.  So instead of students being forced to create a boring resume, they can customize their profile, show their personality, and showcase actual work instead of just writing about it.  As the saying goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words" - you can't fit a thousand words in a standard resume, but you can upload as many visuals as you like on Student Genius.

I'm not getting paid to write about this - I simply believe in the cause.  So join the movement against student unemployment - tell your friends and family, any students that you know, to go to beta.studentgenius.com and create a profile and show the world what they can do.  Watch this short video to get a glimpse of what this movement is all about.