A few days ago I visited Belgatos Park in Los Gatos. Los Gatos literally means the cats. It is in this park where Mountain Lions, Deer, Bobcats, Boar, Hawks, Coyotes and a whole host of wildlife call home near the perennial Silicon Valley. It is interesting to return to nature, and view from a distance the downtown of the valley that has been at the forefront of so much change.

Wikipedia has this to say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Valley

It is here below the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains in a beautiful park where I can come to think, where I can look down on a valley that has been my home, where I can think about my career and put it in perspective.

It is here where I took some time after a very interesting day to ponder the direction of the whole of my life and the steps I am taking.

It is here where I made my decision to enter HR, it is here where many a time inspiration has been given to me through my own meditation to find my perspective on life and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Many times on the edge of the Silicon Valley here in Belgatos Park where one can see the best panoramic view of the Silicon Valley and in turn ponder over the course of a place that once had only apple, apricot, and plum orchards, it reminds me that I am blessed.

Every opportunity in life must be earned, every life opportunity must be found. Career direction can be found through your networks. Using Linked-In, one can find virtually any connection that can create a life changing course.  Recently, this very wonderful medium and company celebrated thier IPO and now with 100,000,000 members continues to grow.

A phone call to a prospect, client, or candidate, or for that matter a potential future manager can be had as a result of so many tools that began here in the Silicon Valley. It is here where hope can be found. The valley will open tremendous doors in the economic rebound that is about to occur.

Showing others that you will live, breathe, and embody success no matter what it takes, and that you can make any situation-layoff, economic woes, sickness, health, and even death change for the better, when you look around and give life your best shot, you only have one chance at it-then life changes dramatically and propels you forward to success. You have just one opening sometimes-and your attitude will determine any outcomes you generate.

I have potential opportunities to grow the business, help my current employer rise above the challenges, and make an honest successful living. Every day must take on fluid purpose. Every opportunity can be brought to bear by sheer determination.

4 years ago I had a network on Linkedin of 350. Now I have a network of over 2700. With this network comes incredible openings to find successes in unexpected places. I now sit on the Board of the Local BYU Management Society-Silicon Valley Chapter. I am leading the charge for our Social Networking presence on Linkedin that will link Job Searchers with opportunities to find business leaders that share their same values. Through this, I can grow this to be a powerful force for good, that can open doors for literally hundreds of people exacting change and helping people find opportunity they never thought about-enhancing their professional growth optiions.

So here at Belgatos Park, looking North to the downtown which has transformed lives through technology, one can see the vision that spurs entrepreneurial growth, and helps others champion a better life. Here my home, abounds with opportunity, and will offer jobs to those who need them and growth opportunities for those just starting out.

Here in the innovation capital of the world, recruiting was changed and transformed through use of the internet. In 2010 according to the Venture Capital Association and Pricewaterhouse Coopers 39% of 22 billion in Venture capital funding in 2010 was spent here in the Valley of The Hearts Delight AKA Silicon Valley. 

Each day one must realize the power they have to change their circumstances. A posting on Craigslist yields 350-400 resumes on average for each post. These represent incredible desperation for those seeking work to feed their families. 1-3 times per week someone from my network gets wind that I am in HR and Staffing and may be able to help. I try as best as I can to take their calls or respond to them with some kind of assistance as much as I can provide to help them make the way forward.

I recently reached out to the Director of Program Design at Lee Hecht Harrison-Orville Pierson, Author of the Highly Effective Job Search and the designer of programs that have helped multiple individuals find work, and make a difference in their lives. Thousands have been blessed by his course and program to find a proactive way to network and find work more quickly.

I learned a great deal from my phone conversation that to take care of your network, gaining a reputation for taking care of others, family friends, colleagues, clients, job candidates, etc. is so very important to success.

He said that his passion was to get people back to work. That is the essence of creating the best fit, being an example and helping others emerge from this crisis with their head held high, their opportunities come together, and open doors that lead to profound changes.

In short just being a genuine support in your community opens doors-vast doors-when coupled with determination to do the right and ethical thing every time in every business interaction. Having no fear to find opportunity where others say their isn't. Whereever it may lie being smart, savvy and open minded will lead to a place where opportunity knocks.

A few months back I visited a group called CPC Job Connections a Church based community of job seekers supporting each other as they overcome these challenges. It was here I was inspired to keep going, as I listened to those who had found a change, and realized that networking is more than just talking with people, it is about HELPING people, and being a partner to help them move forward. Every interaction remember that the one interviewing you could someday be your subordinate, and how you treat them is key to your emergence as a professional. You must take care of others to arrive to maximum potential.

In the Silicon Valley today, VCs, long the bastion of the inventive spirit in the Silicon Valley, are starting to show their investment dollars in new ideas. For the person who has an idea, here in Silicon Valley or for that matter anywhere in the Land of the Free, the Pursuit of Happiness can be realized. In this 4th of July season those who believe in rebirth do believe that we will survive and make a difference.

As I came to the place where I officially proposed to my wife, where I chose HR/Recruiting/Sales as a career choice, where I found courage to go on my church mission and give of myself for 2 years, where I found hope to take hold of my career and make a thrust in the direction of my own destiny-I can feel the hope coming in our valley as a wave to take down the doubt, here we can make a difference and turn the economy around. The small business person embodied by the Silicon Valley Entrepreneur is our best hope of economic recovery.

Here where I can see Downtown San Jose, I think of all the restaurants where business deals that were legendary made a difference and moved the economy to new hieghts. Here is where innovators large and small pioneer growth in the economy, where VC's have portfolios where Big Name Giants abound-E-Bay, Yahoo!, Google, Cisco-this is where hope CAN be found.

Here where a business plan can be written on a napkin and years later be known throughout the world as making a definitive difference. Here where hopes and dreams have begun and ended, where business people dust themselves off and start anew. Thomas Edison like giants build worldwide ventures, and open the doors for greater quality of living and provide jobs and opportunities for thousands.

I hope someday you can visit the Bay Area, a blessed place in CA where the Golden State still has a glimour of hope and prosperity-the American Dream can be realized. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? Here where opportunity can be found by leveraging your network-for that matter the US can be the beacon for anyone. Is it any wonder that CA alone has the 7th largest economy in the world with such a power-house of Silicon Valley in it's midst?

No matter what anyone says the small business person who can find hope from a VC funded venture and where in Palo Alto Business Deals in High Tech, Clean Energy, Innovation Discovery, and HR talent reigns supreme, it may just be in the Silicon Valley that the current economic climate turns around.

I love my home. And today I made my decision that I will help this economy in my own way whether that is coaching others on a resume, interviewing and networking skills or by bringing in business deals that open doors for others, and staffing client opportunities with those who have incredible potential-this can be my mission.

With those who have the keys to opening doors, I am working on Business Development opportunities targeting the small business-here by leveraging and being active in professional associations, enlarging my sphere of influence by leaps and bounds, it is very promising to see a glimour of hope in the innovation capital of the world, where money for new ideas can be won, where all the powers that promote your good will are combined to pinpoint success-here is where one can start over and have a better option arrive. The Silicon Valley is still the place to be, and when the economy get's red hot again, will be the leader on the forefront to a new tomorrow of endless posterity.

In a few days I will find myself speaking to Biotech HR Professionals in a BOLD Roundtable (the name of the workshop), a place where they gather to learn about HR and other opportunities and professional development options.  I will go over the powerhouse known as LinkedIn, and discuss its continuing importance to staffing/HR.  There can be no doubt, that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, will continue to transform staffing, and Silicon Valley will always be central to that.

What can I say more, Welcome Home, where success can be signed, sealed and delivered. There is no better place to be-Silicon Valley take us over this hump-and inspire the rest of the country to a new plane of existence. My home-the valley of hope and innovation.