Coaching as an Innate Life Function

So I guess I love to offer advice (I know this is anathema to the coaching field)..but bear with me I'm still going to call it coaching. So remember back to my bus driver connection in a previous blog (the guy who brought me the furniture). Well he gave me a connection to his ex-wife who he is still friends with. I called her today and she's involved with the Mountaineer Players and needed advice on how to raise $ for their plays and a day camp. I called her today and she was awesome. Well I thought she might have a paying job for me but no such luck. But did that stop me from offering my free and very good advice. Of course not!

I found myself getting really excited about it. And for those who are on their Passion Search....remember..this is a key to finding out what you really love. I gave her many different options from going to the library in Redmond and working with this amazing librarian and resource, Jeannette Privat, who is a whiz at finding foundations to contact for grants, to contacting the Chamber of Commerce on the Kitsap peninsula to find out about local businesses to approach. I even told her how to approach the businesses. Finally, I suggested that she talk to the board of the Mountaineer Foundation (their umbrella) and see if they are doing an end of year mailing and whether they can be part of the ask with an earmark for their plays and CAMP. Alternatively they could write a year end letter to those folks who have attended their plays--see who sends a check and then keep them on their hit list of folks to invite to a small gathering, explaining further their plans for their plans and the camp.

Putting yourself out into the universe in positive ways is important. Helping others is important. It will come back to you in ways you don't expect.

Getting a Job-Finding Your Passion

So is work all that it's cracked up to be? I mean--can one really find a job that won't totally burn them out. I'm attempting to find that job right now and I'm not sure it's possible. I have so many questions spinning around in my brain about finding that elusive job or career that will both fuel my passion and not totally leave me lying on the ground with my face smashed in. How does a 50 something who is single make a career change without totally stressing herself out. I'm hopeful though that with the sleep apnea machine my sleep will improve and I'll be much more resilient then I am now. That I can actually handle a more demanding job that I love. And I want to work with people I really like. Now..come on..is that too much to ask? Maybe it is. But one can only hope.

Find Your Calling? Find a Muse!

So I have this new friend who has just catapulted her way into my life. It's not that I don't have friends but she is unusual. An amazing business woman and a great lover of life with a million interests, I feel so lucky. As she wants to help me figure out what I want to do with my life....you know the whole "find your calling deal". Here I'm 51, and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. I do know my top strengths because there is a great book out there called, Now, Discover Your Strengths....I recently went to Amazon and found out that there is an updated version call Strengthfinder 2.0. Probably well worth the investment. For what it's worth my top strengths are Woo (Wins Others Over), Empathy, Communication, Connector, and Ideation. I'm still looking for the Thing.....and I guess I feel lucky to have found someone who wants to help me figure that out.