This article is about coming to terms with our limits as we face the circumstances of a V.U.C.A. world. V.U.C.A. is an acronym first developed by the U.S. military for describing a situation that is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. I suggest those four words make good descriptors for the circumstances of our daily life and work.
As we celebrate Mother's Day it's a good time to consider our femininity. The history of celebrating mothers goes back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who held festivals to honour their mother goddesses. The modern precedent is the early Christian festival known as "Mothering Sunday."
This article invites you to reflect on mothers and mothering and as part of that reflection explore the feminine within each of us, regardless of gender.
“Underneath our fears and worries, unaffected by the many layers of our conditioning and actions, is a peaceful core…. Healing is the rediscovery of who we are and who we have always been.” ….. Joan Borysenko
“A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself.” ….. Maya Anjelo
We hear a lot about the importance of good self-care as an aid for mitigating stress and enhancing well-being. While we may yearn to improve our self-care, realistically we know that just as it's hard to give up a habit, it's also hard to develop new ones.
Smart Self Care requires consistent, intentional practice to become habitual and it's totally worth it!
Take a look at these six Life Dimensions enriched through the Smart Self-Care practices suggested below.
1. Relational
There are a myriad of obstacles that can block our path to feeling truly satisfied with our lives. Occupational choices that no longer fit, untenable relationships, painful work-life contexts, to name a few. Tolerating those impediments, coupled with not being true to ourselves, is a path to distress and unhappiness.
The concept of mentoring has been relevant for thousands of years. A mentor is usually someone older and more experienced than the mentee, willing to share knowledge and experience, provide advice and wisdom based on specific expertise. A mentor is someone who may help you with your career, specific work projects, or provide general career-life advice. A mentor rarely provides guidance for personal gain.
Most mentors exhibit the following qualities and skills:
Bullying is a form of physical, psychological or verbal abuse. It involves one person or a group of persons picking on another individual or group of individuals. The bully is perceived as having more power over the person or group being bullied.
Physical bullying can include hitting, shoving, tripping, even sexual assault. Psychological bullying may include controlling the other through intimidation, ganging up, exclusion, gossiping or undermining a person's position or competencies.
While traditionally the word vocation has been used to describe a person, typically male, being called by God to a particular role, it's now used in a secular context, along with words like work, profession, or occupation. This article explores the question What does vocation look like for today's woman?"
Every adult moves through several important and predictable stages in their career-life journey, with the ending of one stage and the beginning of the next involving a period of adjustment.
In his well-known book Transitions, William Bridges explains that transitions involve 1) an ending, followed by 2) a period of confusion and distress, leading to 3) a new beginning. He warns us that the transition process can take its' "toll on us physically as well as mentally and socially."
This article is a personal reflection on my career journey that I hope will inspire others to know their truth.