People often ask me, 'what is the hardest part of your job?'. I'm often stymied however; over the last few days I've been thinking about this quite a bit and I have an answer....with a caveat.

Currently, the hardest part of my job is the unpredictable schedule. I'm almost 60 days into my vacation and I literally Do Not Know When I'm Going Back To Work.

Here's the caveat: this is more of a problem on this particular ship - a container ship, a tanker, or a car carrier would have a much more defined schedule. Granted, even on these types of vessels it can be difficult to commit to an event. Perhaps your relief misses his flight, perhaps your relief quits at the last second and they can't fill the position, etc.

Regardless, I currently don't know when I'm going back to work and it has turned me into a little stress ball. There are so many things that require a schedule. More importantly, there are so many things that require a BUDGET!

Ummmm....Hold Up! What happened to: What would Beyoncé do?

Okay.....fine.

I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for new opportunities. I'm embracing the everyday. I'm working on some projects that I had previously put on the back burner. I'm enjoying Hawaii. I'm chatting with friends. I'm drinking coffee. I'm reading trashy romance novels. I'm listening to Beyoncé's new album on repeat. I'm eating as many fresh fruits and vegetables as I can stand. I'm joloking (this is a new word...it means jog, lope, walk...). I'm channeling my inner Beyoncé.

Sunny and Windy!  Power and Phone Lines down all around town.... — Sunny and Windy! Power and Phone Lines down all around town....

I believe the New Year is powerful. It's fresh. It's free. What I don't totally subscribe to is a list full of resolutions. It just seems a little empty. A little too vague.

For the past few years I've chosen one little word to help guide me through my year. Having a 'word' keeps me focused without the absolutism that resolutions require. My word sometimes feels like a subtle nudge and sometimes it feels like a swift kick in the butt. Past words have included Produce, Choose and, Actively.

This year my word is Beyoncé or more specifically, 'What Would Beyoncé Do?'.

I realize to avoid sounding like a total loon that this years selection requires explanation.

I've always been a Beyoncé fan - I've listened to her music, loosely followed her comings and goings, etc. Her music is dance worthy and that makes her alright in my book. It's an added bonus that her music is technically flawless...it does seem we listen to quite a bit of music these days where the artists true talent is questionable. Beyoncé has never left anyone guessing as to the quality of her voice.

Somewhere along the line, I began to really respect Beyoncé and her Husband Jay-Z (Shawn Carter). I felt that they gave back to their respective communities. I felt that they gracefully navigated their celebrity status. I felt that their motivation to do so meant they still held some things in their lives sacred. I felt that they strove to produce quality. I just had a lot of respect for them as artists, as celebrities, as business people and, as a couple.

A few years back I found the following quote:

At this point I'd like to make a small confession....this was the halfway point of a really, really long post. Like, the kind of post that had quotes and pictures and lots of heartfelt thoughts and words....and then it went missing....like, gone from the interwebs missing.....I'm going to consider it a sign. That this is all I need to say and wrap this up succinctly (as in without tears).

“I only allow myself one day to feel sorry for myself. People who complain really get on my nerves. When I’m not feeling my best I ask myself, ‘What are you gonna do about it?’ I use the negativity to fuel the transformation into a better me.”

— Beyoncé

Look, Beyoncé doesn't mess around. She gets shit done.....with style and pizzazz. She keeps private things private and values the people in her life. She's original and creative. She brings home the bacon. She does her best to turn her negatives into positives.

Along the lines of Choose I'm subscribing to, 'What would Beyoncé do?'. Would she quit after a 'meh' performance or would she ensure she killed it at her next one? Would she let women knock her for not being enough of a feminist or would she release a song and say, 'bow down bitches'? Would she let people knock 'The Mrs. Carter tour' title or would she release an album full of kink...mmmmhmmmm.

I'm channeling my inner Beyoncé this year.

What is the hardest part?

2014 :: What Would Beyonce Do?

Meow!