They say that when you stop looking, that's when things fall right in your lap.

(Don't ask me who "they" are or what qualifies them to make statements like that, just go with the rhetorical flow, please...) It seems they might be right.

As regular readers know, I stopped looking for a job over a year ago after calculating that the opportunity cost of job hunting was too high; in other words, it was a waste of time to look for jobs when I could use the time to do things to make money and keep myself alive.

Funny thing, that... I spent time actually doing stuff, learned a bunch of stuff on the way, made a bit of a name for myself, and -- wouldn't you know it! -- a job falls right in my lap. It's not just a job, either, it's a good job with a Big Boy salary. With this salary will come pressure and long days, but that pressure can't be any more intense than what I've gone through. The days can't be any longer than what I put in launching my own business.

It's so weird that it happened like this. I am living proof that if you just keep soldiering on, doing what you can and working hard (even if you don't have a job) that everything will work out for you. Of course, I have no idea how this job will turn out. Right now I'm just enjoying the ride, feeling passionate about what I do, totally psyched to tackle the challenge I'm to be tasked with tackling. It's a nice feeling. Doesn't really matter what's around the next bend. The road's clear for now, and the scenery is lovely.

Here's a takeaway for all of you who are actively seeking work:

Stop trying so hard. Let them come to you. Hone your skills and do what you can to stay productive. Just focus on building a better mousetrap, and the world really will beat a path to your door.

Additionally, I am a firm believer that positive affirmations really do work. Try to keep a positive attitude, even though I know how impossible that can be when you're mired deep in the special level of Hell that is unemployment. If nothing else, at least try to muster up some gratitude for what little you may have in this world. The best way to prod the multiverse into kicking your ass is to curse it for kicking your ass. Try to keep it a little positive. At worst, you look silly to cynics, but who cares what they think of you anyway.

But enough about you, let's talk about me again...

I signed some stuff that makes it so that I'm not really allowed to blog about the specifics of my new job, and it wouldn't be advisable in any case, considering that I haven't even started. I'll just tell you that I'm going to be a web developer working on some huge, A-list sites for some huge, A-list clients. The pay is quite good, and the company is on solid financial ground. The philosophy seems very team-oriented which appeals to me -- nobody knows everything, and it seems like everybody there is hip to teaching and learning from each other.

It should be good, though the transition from self-employed--> employed will probably entail some shock. I'll blog about it sporadically (will be too busy to do it regularly) in very general terms in the coming weeks and months.

Anyway, folks, be open to good things happening, and they tend to happen. You can't force anything. Force it, and it will break. Just live the life you want to live.

Good luck to all. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it's probably not a train.