On this day I am grateful for the blessings that matter most: Family. Friends. Home.
And, because I am writing this for creative professionals, I am also thinking about the many blessings I have received as I pursue my work.
If I have see a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants. -Sir Isaac Newton
Mentors. I am so very grateful to the Giants who supported me as a baby consultant and earlier in my entrepreneurial dancing days. I have been overwhelmed by their generosity and encouragement. Most of all by their provocative questions that help me sort out my own mind.
I read Shakespeare and the Bible, and I can shoot dice. That’s what I call a liberal education. -Tallulah Bankhead
Education. Schooling is still a rare privilege in much of the world. Here we have access to so many avenues for learning. I have earned two degrees and both opened doors that I could not have anticipated. Informal learning is also at my fingertips. For an Extraverted Perceiver (Myers-Briggs personality) it’s deliciously distracting (“Wow! Look at all these internet resources!”). More than ever, lifelong learning is attainable. I hope to learn how to shoot dice this decade.
Never treat your audience as customers, always as partners. -James Stewart
Clients. I am so grateful for the wonderful clients I have now and the ones I’ve had in the past. Hiring an organizational development consultant takes a leap of faith (“What is it you do for a living, exactly?”) and I appreciate the risk-taking. The partnership in design is a delight. The euphoria when the goals are met sustain me for weeks at a time. I LOVE working with my clients.
So now I am in my prime. I am a seasoned consultant and STILL really love my work. I am grateful to my mentors, for my education and my clients.
At this point in my life, I also get to BE a mentor.
I am in the business of lifelong learning.
And I can benefit from the wisdom and services of other professionals.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
The authors of Savoring: A New Model of Positive Experience suggest an exercise of taking a Daily Vacation Exercise.
