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"Every journey we take begins with a call. Sometimes it is whispered to us in the quiet of our hearts, and sometimes it is shouted to us through a megaphone." ~ Christine Valters Paintner 2022 April |
MY PURSUIT OF PURPOSE AND CONTRIBUTION
It began May 31, 2012; the promised land and novelty of 'retirement'. Yes, no clock or devices of any kind in the bedroom! Fewer obligations, fewer accommodations, fewer interruptions. Yes, it was so refreshing (at first). Three months later, the big questions surfaced (again): "How will you contribute to the community? How will you use your time and talent?" Drawn to social services with a philanthropic intention, a portfolio is shown below of what welcomed me in my pursuit of 'purpose' and 'contribution'. A decade later, the questions are back in full force again, considering I may have plenty of years ahead. |
RETIREMENT is an invitation to surrender what's been (let go of the old) and welcome the new (make room for the new), the unexpected, with grace. |
2012-2022: a decade
retirement compass ~ THE HOPE OF NEW LIFE
What Color Is Your Parachute, for retirement? This book was chosen as my 'discernment' companion
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NOW WHAT?
I hadn't expected RETIREMENT to feel like such a mystery, nor did I anticipate the degree of grief: I missed my colleagues, my team, the opportunities, the routine, the responsibilities, the paycheque, the camaraderie, laughter, etc. The book, What Color Is Your Parachute, for Retirement got me started on what to consider. |
12-step spirituality
Note: Volunteered for an organization to develop and maintain their website and newsletter ... which paved the way to learning more about this thing called 'addiction'. My primary addiction (one I thought had a noble reputation) was workaholism. Retirement was a huge challenge after 30 years of 'giving my all' to the exciting field of career development.
the 12-step solution
Copyright permissions were not forthcoming, so this website had to lapse. 2014.
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Richard Rohr believes that "the universal addiction is our way of thinking", which captured my interest. The challenge with this site was to develop a faith-based site that incorporated meditations based on the online course and book Breathing Under Water, including scripture references related to each of the 12-steps. It was a very informative and fascinating course of self-study. |
HEALTH & WELLNESS ~ gUT BRAIN CONNECTION
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2018: Books about the Plant Paradox, based on research by cardiologist Dr. Steven Gundry, inspired the creation of this site. When grocery shopping, an item might inspire a recipe and it's helpful to check on ingredients needed. GundryMD's work has been a real life changer in our home.
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HEALTH & WELLNESS ~ air quality in the home
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Rank: Associate, Young Living Canada 2020 November, PLANT-BASED CLEANERS have replaced all the former chemically-based ones. ESSENTIAL OILS have comforted us throughout the COVID19 Omicron pandemic. YOUNG LIVING FOUNDATION: to protect and empower our world's young. |
transition
1995-1999 UFV bachelor of arts degree in adult education
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ABOUT EDUCATION:
My mother and the nuns (at St. Joseph's School in Vancouver) left an imprint that education is a worthwhile pursuit, and in fact strongly encouraged. To young women everywhere, my wish for you is that you continue to invest in YOU. Your 'credentials' are a portable, sustainable asset.
I didn't finish high school. Throughout my Grade 12 year, my dream was to 'give my life to the church' or my country (Peace Corps). I chose the active Order of St. Ann's in Victoria, BC. There I would complete a two-year training (Novitiate), offer temporary vows, commit to studies in Nursing, Social Work or Teaching. I was aiming for the latter. At the two-year mark, I left the Order, believing that I could do great things in the world no matter what I chose. Fast forward, I completed my degree at the University of the Fraser Valley at the age of 52.
My mother and the nuns (at St. Joseph's School in Vancouver) left an imprint that education is a worthwhile pursuit, and in fact strongly encouraged. To young women everywhere, my wish for you is that you continue to invest in YOU. Your 'credentials' are a portable, sustainable asset.
I didn't finish high school. Throughout my Grade 12 year, my dream was to 'give my life to the church' or my country (Peace Corps). I chose the active Order of St. Ann's in Victoria, BC. There I would complete a two-year training (Novitiate), offer temporary vows, commit to studies in Nursing, Social Work or Teaching. I was aiming for the latter. At the two-year mark, I left the Order, believing that I could do great things in the world no matter what I chose. Fast forward, I completed my degree at the University of the Fraser Valley at the age of 52.
1999-2012 CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL IN ABBOTSFORD, BC
PASSIONS THAT 'WELCOMED' ME:
- Developed a website for Career Changers and Job Seekers, that offered both the career decision making steps and hyperlinks to external sites used all over the world. Google Analytics became one of my favorite measuring sticks, and helped keep the website current.
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WorkShoppers Online (1998)
Abbotsford became my home in 1995 to complete my Bachelor's Degree in Adult Education at UFV. While completing my degree, legal affidavits were 'kicking my heels' as a divorce was being finalized). I volunteered for student government, representing part-time adult learners and the Dept of Adult Ed in the capacity of the Student Union Society's VP, was selected as a student representative on the university Senate, held a part-time job (Records Management for a dentist) in Aldergrove, and supported my mother and sister diagnosed with cancer within six months of each other. UFV's four years was a lifeline! I was in one of my favorite sandboxes (higher education). When the degree ended, I fell into a full blown depression. My antidote was to choose another learning curve so completed three FrontPage HTML website courses. A few domain names were purchased and my favorite was 'WorkShoppersOnline.com' (c) 1998; designed for shut-ins who wanted access to employment programming being used in the community. As an UFV Alumni, WorkShoppersOnline was promoted on the UFV website, on the University of Waterloo website, and the analytics showed individuals from around the world were benefitting. |
 Makeover 2013-2014 / Original 1998
WORKSHOPPERS ONLINE.com will expire in 2022.
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CO-AUTHORED A FAITH-BASED EMPLOYMENT PROJECT FOR CHURCHES
developed a COMPANION WEBSITE TO a JOB SEEKER'S WORKBOOK
2000-2001 Companion website to a workbook co-authored by Wayne Bremner and myself.
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Gifts for the Journey
One of my career highlights was being asked to co-author a workbook and a Mentor Guide for churches willing to help with employment challenges among their constituents. One of the biggest surprises, once the workbook was completed, was that some website addresses (URL) listed in the sidebar of the manuscript had changed and were now inaccurate. What a disappointing revelation! The solution was to offer a website online that provided hyperlinks that could easily be corrected if and when they were changed. FrontPage and Web Expressions were great at offering lists of broken hyperlinks, etc. The word "gifts" is used a lot in the career development practice. Our workbook and site used the word to refer to the skills, abilities, talents, personality preferences, temperament and character that we bring to the world. When this site lapsed in 2004, it was quickly replaced with one of my own so that I could add links to trends in the labour market, reducing the need for paper as more and more information became available. |
TEMPLATES AND THE (TYPEPAD) BLOG
TEMPLATES AND LIVE BINDERS
2015 Used 'Live Binders' template to produce a site for participants of a career decision-making program who wanted access to program materials at home.
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LIVE BINDERS' offers an impressive template to share with online learners.
This site was created in 2010 for case managers of employment programs, then offered to an agency transitioning from the social service model to a business model. The site remains as a prototype of what is possible with this template. (This creation was popular and satisfying with co-workers). Brings back joyful memories! |
