I grew up with people who knew how to work the land. They knew the back-breaking work of preparing the soil, adding fertilizer, planting seeds, and clearing weeds. They knew the heart-breaking work of being patient, waiting for rain to fall and for the earth to produce a harvest. Life was not exciting, but slower and more […]
I do not see myself as an artist. The idea of working away for years in a studio, alone, to create a masterpiece is not attractive to me. I can appreciate the focus, the attention, that drives some artists. I am sometimes envious that some artists create works that live on after them. I think,
The work I do flows out of who I am. It has taken me a long time to find the work that draws me into it. I have started off in so many directions, trying this and trying that. I learn the lessons of the past, exploring and discover my personal path. Each day is
There was a long time when I believed that I chose the work I did. One of my deepest, lifelong values is justice. I went to school, deciding what to study to move in the direction I had set for myself. After school, I submitted resumes and interviewed for positions. Each job was a revelation.
The Work That Has Chosen Me to Do It Read More »
It is easy for us to think in terms of finding the balance between our work and the rest of our lives. We want to use our time well. We do not want to waste a minute, or miss a moment. We believe that every day is important, and we want to fill them with
I was told that work was supposed to be hard. You knew it was “work” because you would not be doing it unless someone was paying you for it. Work was not intended to feel good; it was intended to be productive. I was told that the reward for working was financial. Work was very
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Chantal Bechervaise is one of those people who makes you think, “I want the opportunity to work with her sometime.” She is fun and thoughtful, professional and supportive. She has a good sense of humor as well as the wisdom to find deep truths. Chantal is exactly the person whose insights about joy and work
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Letting go can be a challenge for me. On my good days I am persistent, focused, and tenacious. On other days I can be stubborn. Because it is such a challenge, I am learning powerful lessons about letting go. I tend to put off letting go until there is no other option. I want to
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For longer than I can remember, I have been taught that we succeed through working hard. Hard work is in the basic fabric of our culture. We live in the land of opportunity, where everyone can work hard and succeed. Thomas Edison said that genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. We believe
Working Hard, or Hardly Working? Read More »
I love my work. No, really. I have done work that I did not love. Motivated by stubbornness, anger, fear, or insecurity, I have worked in positions and with organizations that were not good for me. I have done work that did not feed my soul because I was too asleep to myself to know
