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I read this in an article in the paper this morning as I was balancing eggs, coffee and reading material on a small café table. It was attributed to Seth Gordon and as things are inclined to do on a Saturday morning, it jumped up and hit me between the eyes. I often think I might run away. When I did a quick online search to verify the quote, there were many references to Seth and his words. They obviously resonated with quite a few. How often have you said, “I’ve had enough, I’m going to run away from all this”? I recall doing so when I was about eight or
School yard bullying can be humiliating and isolating for the victim – even more so now that social media is an effective means of perpetuating the activity. Sadly, it doesn’t stop at the school gate. Bullying has many insidious forms in the workplace as well. There are usually differences in the workplace format of bullying, and it can be intertwined with discriminatory practices as well. It’s puzzling, but people grouped in the one can develop a herd mentality. Those who look different, sound different, are older, are younger or think differently are singled out for
In my last blog, I introduced the concept of Authentic Vocation and discussed some of the underlying elements of this notion. This week I will introduce the remaining elements which contribute to that ideal scenario. As a reminder, the definition of an authentic vocation is one which uncovers your inner motivations and helps you to make the shift towards a career that is aligned with your dreams and passions. If you are going to be working for up to fifty years of your life, then it might as well be doing something which gives you satisfaction and accords with your values and
Mention the word vocation and the first thing that springs to mind is entering the Church. That’s not such a popular option these days and it’s not the only meaning of vocation. A vocation is an occupation to which you are specially drawn or suited. So how is this different to an authentic vocation which is the topic of this blog? Is the latter more real than the former? The authentic definition takes the scope of your vocation a couple of steps further. The process of defining your authentic vocation uncovers your inner motivations and helps you to make the shift towards a
Ever fancied launching your own business? In the year since I launched Work Life Junction, I have learnt a lot about the challenges of being a solopreneur. This is not just based on my experiences, but also gleaned from interactions with others who are treading a similar journey. It is an exciting time, and a great time in which to be directing your own future. Memories of other ventures which I have launched in the past have influenced my thinking but there have been many changes about where and how a business operates today. That brings a unique set of challenges for the solopreneur, the
Can you list the number of jobs that you have held? I couldn’t. What about occupations? I’m not sure about that number either. Reviewing my career span, these are most of the occupations I’ve had, in no particular order: the usual hospitality jobs in younger years a painter’s labourer an Executive Officer a bookkeeper a venetian blind cleaner and restorer sold and project managed construction of modular homes a research analyst in the real estate industry a book retailer operated a soft furnishing business a civil celebrant, an author, various property
On several occasions recently, I’ve had cause to reflect on the fact that so many people have limited understanding of how to make provision for their futures. Financial Planning is the key to the luxury of choice and security in later life. To be fair, when I was young, I had no idea just how much power I had in my hands – the fact that a dollar invested then would be paying off big time now. Shortly after I started earning, I bought my first house. Investing in property was a smart move, even though this was a very small and generally undesirable house. It cost me about the
Have you ever had this thought - the life I imagined is not going to happen? It can be a confronting dose of reality. When we were kids, we all had great ideas about what we were going to be when we grew up. There were the usual train drivers, and famous singers or astronauts and various combinations that changed according to our experiences of that week. It didn’t matter what our choices were really – what was important was that we were exercising our imaginations and exploring options. These were the days of positive thinking. The common thread throughout was that we were
If you’re like me, you’ll feel that July has come incredibly quickly. You have barely had time to get over the indulgences of Christmas and the current year is half gone already. It’s a time of focussing on tax and financial issues as you prepare your annual returns. You will be reviewing how much income you have earned and how much of that you have spent. Frightening, isn’t it? There can be a lot of money that passes through your hands in a twelve-month period with not a lot sticking. I also review my expense records for the past year (a simple spreadsheet) and from
Most of us start out in life with certain expectations. Some might be generic such as forming a successful and supportive partnership, or perhaps being employed in a role that sustains us both financially and emotionally. We like to feel that we are making a difference. Other expectations may be more specific to our situation, such as being selected for an elite sporting team or some similar goal. I remember years ago when my doctor confided that he had always wanted to be a forester, but he succumbed to pressure and expectations to follow a medical profession. I was a