“There is nothing more joyous than being able to truly make use of oneself again, whether in the service of plans or memories; and what is most beautiful is the moment when plans and memories coincide and produce desired freedom to continue the one in the other.” -Ranier Maria Rilke (1875--1926) My good friend Bill [...]
It’s the rare occasion when you request a favor of a friend that he (she) gives you an amazing, beautiful gift. I asked my good friend and co-founder of the Center for Life Transitions to review my book. He returned a gift that keeps on giving. Thank you, Scott. "I really like the way you [...]
“In calling me to live my special qualities and characteristics, God planted deep in myself an original purpose---what my concrete self ‘adds up to’ and to live out." -St. Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits and First Career Coach When a friend shared this Ignatius of Loyola quote with me, I knew [...]
Photo by Alex Siale on Unsplash “AS YOU START UPON YOUR WAY, THE WAY WILL APPEAR.” -Rumi Rumi, 13th century Persian poet, scholar and theologian, said it and it never ceases to astound me how ancient wisdom is so useful today. Renowned career development and organizational behavior professor at the London Business School, [...]
Photo by Peter Lewicki on Unsplash Career Counselors/Coaches hear clients who are dissatisfied with their existing work say a lot, “I don’t know what it is that I want, I just know I need something different.” And we’re used to eyes glazing over when we explain (even eloquently!) the career development process. You know—assessment, [...]
Photo by Suzanne D. Williams on Unsplash At age 70, I’m (no surprise to anyone), feeling the hurt of friends, colleagues, and relatives dying. Or as I call it in lighter moments, making the big transition. Nothing “light” about it, of course. It’s most likely the major challenge of living. Seeing and in cases, [...]
Photo by Osman Rana on Unsplash It’s a tool of course. Yes, you have to continually use pertinent to your field search engines and bang away on the best job boards and employer websites for you. But most importantly, use the web to research key intelligence about employers and how it relates [...]
It’s helpful to be both artist and scientist as you navigate the choppy seas of work transition. Artists are creative, spontaneous, imaginative, sensitive, entertaining, and innovative. Scientists are organized, experimental, procedural, systematic, and follow proven theory. All these qualities come into play with varying amounts, nuances and priorities as the situation dictates–-but [...]
In the latest of Thomas Merton’s journal books, The Intimate Merton, his editor and secretary, Patrick Hart, reports that Merton realized he would not find God nor new, meaningful work in the Central American monastery he was hoping to found. After going hard after this new assignment, his superior in Rome said "no." Merton found [...]
Sometimes good comes from adversity. We can all think of examples in our lives where a problem turned into a solution or an obstacle, a victory. Jobs can be like that. We lose or leave a job we really like and with work, help from others and "grace", we find something better. Something we never would [...]