The first time is awkward....

Am I ready for this? Do I have anything interesting to say? Does anyone care?

These thoughts and others clutter my mind and inhibit my writing. I am ready for this - I must be because I'm doing it. I do have things to say and ~ I need to hear them. Yes, I believe people care.

My intention for this blog is threefold.

1. Get comfortable sharing myself openly - I'm often a better listener and easily focus on the processes of others rather than myself.
2. Create a forum for open sharing - dialogues about experiences, and our responses
3. Learn and Teach

So - with that declaration out of the way....on with the sharing....

I was downsized from my job in January and since that time have been somewhat cacooned. Oh, I'm still engaging with friends and being social, but I've cacooned my spirit, I've pulled into myself as I contemplate my work energies will next be placed.

Planning to attend a charity event last month I was anxious about interacting with people I didn't know. I had anxiety around the inevitable question ~ "What do you do?" Yikes! I imagined my various replies; "Nothing," "I'm in between jobs." "I'm a leadership consultant." "I help people be the best they can be." "I'm looking for work." "I'm a management consultant." On and on I went in my mind, searching for the right response. As it turned out, no one asked :0). I'm smiling as I recognize that's so often the way. I use up valuable "now" time worrying about the "what if's" and often they don't even happen. I can't get that time back and I can't undo the stress I experienced in those moments of anxious worry.

When I was sharing this stress with a friend recently she offered a reply I hadn't thought of. "I'm living off my investments." She suggested that I didn't need to add that my wife was my investment! lol


The learning I've taken from this experience is that I'm now fully motivated to answer questions for myself . What do I do? What do I want to do?

I'm taking some time now, and asking for some help, to clarify my answers so that I can step forward with confidence and enthusiasm.

Well I did it....my first post.