Vol 1 Iss 22

I don't know about you, but life seems to have hit fast-forward!

I've been fortunate to connect with a dynamic coach in NYC who needed experienced career coaches for referrals. After many phone conversations and e-mails, I am now affiliated with the McAloon Group. Please check out their website at www.themcaloongroup.com to see what we're about. Elizabeth is a dynamic marketer and holds the bar high for coaching.

Additionally, on the west coast, another group has recruited my expertise, Electric Kites. They have a website that allows you to receive instant coaching. Go to www.GetCoachedNow.com and sign up for 10 minutes of laser coaching. You'll be amazed at what can happen in such a short time!

All of these opportunites have shown up for me since I took the stand that I really don't want to market my coaching services in the conventional ways. What is important to me is to use my unique gifts of acceptance and listening to help others find their path in life. When that is present in my life, then my life has meaning. I know that I matter.

What gives your life meaning? Everyone is unique and when we know what makes us matter, then life is much less complicated. In the article below, I talk about meaning and purpose and their importance in living a fulfilled life.

Let me know how it goes for you!

By the way, in her adventures in Japan, my daughter has experienced two typhoons and several earthquakes. (Hmmmm, is there a message here?) Find out more about the adventures of the World Smart group by following this link:

http://www.upwithpeople.org/pageinpage/2004studentnewsletters.cfm

What's true about everyone is that they age. It's a life-long process, and we are continually maturing, albeit at different rates. The problem with growing older is not the process, but with our reaction to it.

Even though the wonders of modern science have increased our life spans, what good is it if we live a life with no meaning? Meaning is the sense that you matter. In Viktor Frankl's amazing book, Man's Search for Meaning, he outlines his struggle to understand why some in the death camps gave up and died under the very same circumstances where others struggled and lived.

What he learned is that there was something in those that survived that was greater than their present circumstances. For Frankl, it was writing a book, for another it was a grandchild, or perhaps a spouse waiting for them. They had a reason to live. They knew they mattered. They had meaning.

Sometimes meaning is confused with purpose. Purpose is what you pursue when you have meaning. Purpose is the vector or direction or sometimes the goal you aim for. For example, when you know that your unique gift for playing the harp can lighten hearts, then your purpose could become creating a loving environment for the dying. You have meaning in that gift, you matter. Life purpose is expressing your uniqueness.

Transitioning in a career, or moving on into retirement, necessitates that we understand our place in the world. That we matter. We strive to create a work environment that allows us to live our purpose and to have meaning.

So, where do you find meaning in your life? In the Career Tips below, I share the research of Dr. Richard Johnson in the four areas of personal meaning with suggestions for helping you dig into this lifelong pursuit for yourself.

As a Career Coach, I can be your partner through this process. Please contact me at debra@forwardmomentum.com for more information!

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you

Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,

And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,

Must ask permission to know it and be known.

The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,

I have made this place around you.

If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.

No two trees are the same to Raven.

No two branches are the same to Wren.

If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,

You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows

Where you are. You must let it find you.

You are unique. There are about 6.5 billion people on earth at this moment, and no one else has your exact gene configuration, your desires, or your talents. Because you are unique, there is something about you that is true for you, and no one else.

My sister has a theory that when the universe was created and the big bang happened, knowledge was shattered into billions of shards, like glass. Everyone is born with one shard of knowledge that no one else has. She says that it's your job to find out what your particular shard is about and share it with the rest of the world, because no one else has it. It's your responsibility.

To me, that's what meaning is all about. Without your shard of knowledge, the world is incomplete. Without YOU the world is incomplete.

Dr. Richard Johnson has researched meaning and has discovered that there are four areas where personal meaning is derived. They are:

1. Meaning that is measured by achievement. You are engaged in external things taking your personal meaning from your accomlishments. When the outside changes, you are left with a void. I see this often with clients who have entangled their identity with their work.

2. Where we experience goodness. By this we mean loving realtionships. In the Frankl example above, the goodness of the relationships gave such deep meaning as to allow them to survive horrors. Togetherness, respect, communication, intimacy, trust, committment - these are all symptoms of goodness that gives life meaning.

3. How we handle loss, pain and tragedy. We find growth by addressing loss. It's in our response to grief that we find meaning. Forgiveness and gratitude are powerful ways to heal and find meaning.

4. In our life review. When we understand our life as a cohesive journey, then we know how we matter. Had you not lived the life you lived, persons you interacted with would have lived a different life. You are the artist that is creating this masterpiece that is your life.

In my work with clients, we don't shy away from the big questions such as meaning and purpose. Where else are you going to have that conversation? Here are some suggestions:

- Journal using your dominant hand asking questions and the non-dominant hand answering

- Meditate on the question, then spend 5 minutes capturing your thoughts afterward

- Talk to yourself with a tape recorder, then listen as an objective observer without getting lost in the "story"

- Do guided visualizations projecting yourself into the future (I can help you with that)

- Hire a coach, connect with a spiritual teacher, join a mastermind group. Use the power of interaction to help you move forward

The point is to let your heart speak up. You're trying to bypass the brain that has logically run your life all this time. The answer is in your heart.

Let me know how it goes for you!

Nov 8 - LongNet meeting, Longmont, CO. A job seekers forum for networking and learning.

Nov 19 - ASTD/BAHRA SIG, Boulder, CO. "Holiday Chaos or Holiday Cheer?" We will be doing an interactive exercise exploring how we choose and how it impacts our life balance.

For the full listing of workshops, visit www.forwardmomentum.com.

You are free to use material from Moving Forward! in whole or in part, as long as you include complete attribution, including a live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear. The attribution should read:

"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

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