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The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel

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This book was recommended to me because I love to take tech-free retreats and write, read, think, meditate, and just “be” in the moment. (Read bout my tech-free retreats).

This is a fairly religious book written by a Jewish man in the 1950’s but what really resonated with me is his concept of time vs space. And how so many of us have filled our lives with things that take space, like material goods, work, and doing things.

He talks about the importance of respecting time as a thing to enjoy…just the time we are in, like mindfulness. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes to think about.

“We must not forget – that it is not a thing that lends significance to a moment; it is the moment that lends significance to things.”

“We usually think that the earth is our mother, that time is money and profit our mate. The seventh day is a reminder that God is our father, that time is life and spirit our mate.”

“Time is the process of creation, and things of space are results of creation. When looking at space we see products of creation; when intuiting time we hear the process of creation.”

Amazingly I watched a Simon Sinek podcast today when I finished this book, with Brene Brown and Adam Grant talking about creativity and the importance of giving our brains space to think. To take the time to NOT think about being creative and to take the time to do nothing (Abraham’s “time”) to let our minds go free.

Taking my retreat and turning off the technology is the day I slow down. It is by far the most productive day of the month whenever I take it.

This book is a real thinker book and has references to lots of rabbi’s and readings from the Bible and the Torah. But the most important thing about it is that it reinforced my need to retreats and take the time weekly to NOT do things and “just be” in the moment.

INTERVIEW: Three Words to Guide Us in 2023

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Choosing Three Words to Guide You in 2023

My guests today are Robin McPherson, a mental health professional and career coach; and Telma Sullivan who is an independent career coach helping individuals to launch, advance, or transition their careers.

We have all chosen three words to guide us in 2023.

(1) What are your words and what do they mean to you?

(2) How did you go about choosing them?

Watch or listen to the interview now

BIO’s

Robin McPherson. A mental health professional and an education and career coach. I have over 20 years of experience in the human service and education field. I help people “figure out” what they want. It starts with Envisioning the life they want, then work with the mindset of Believing that one can Achieve their goals. I believe that the key to success is self-belief! I am committed to the process of helping others reach self-actualization. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-mcpherson/

Telma Sullivan is an independent career coach helping individuals to launch, advance, or transition their career. She coaches young adults exploring careers, women reentering the workforce, people in mid-career, and career changers. Her coaching approach is client-focused and outcome-oriented, and her services include: job search strategy, resume/CV/cover letter writing, LinkedIn profile, networking, interview/salary negotiation preparation, and career change exploration. Telma is also a yoga instructor who enjoys creative writing and spending time in nature. Web: https://www.telmasullivan.com/

 

Jim Peacock is the principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF, and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

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How to Shit in the Woods: An Environmentally Sound Approach To A Lost Art

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By Kathleen Meyer

I received this in my Christmas stocking. Seriously. My wife found it for $1 and thought it would be a good gift for her backpacking husband.

I figured (and she probably did too) that it was a funny book that would be filled with chuckles. And it is. But it is also an environmental book with tips and explanations on why we need to be more aware of the fecal problem we are having in the wild. Amazingly this was written in 1989…Kathleen was WAY ahead of her time.

She talks about what happens when 1000’s of people go down the Grand Canyon raft trips and only have a few places to poop. It is disgusting unless people carry out their deposits.

I know that when I was backpacking the John Muir Trail in 2012 that when we were above treeline and I had to go in the morning, I had few choices but to turn over a rock, only to discover I wasn’t the first person who turned that rock over.

Its great that more and more people are getting into the wilderness but without a proper way of digging a hole in the ground or having latrines, then our option is to carry out.

I love so many of her descriptions of the use of word as well as stories from people who have had problematic poops on the trail. Some of truly hilarious.

Here is one descriptor of many. Can eat sawdust and shit 2 x 4’s (means the person is overworked)

If you are an outdoor person and want to know WHY it is important we have this discussion, read this book (if you can find it). And it also has tips on WHAT we can do too. Even one chapter just for women.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

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by Elizabeth Gilbert author of Eat Pray Love

There is so much that I love in this book. Not the least of which is how her “magic” is so closely related to trusting your hunches, instincts, and putting positive vibes out to the universe. She writes this book to those people who are creative and want to do creative work, but I find it applicable for all kinds of people.

She speaks to the inherent negative thinking that blocks so many of us.. I can’t do that…that won’t work…nobody is going to want to publish/read/watch (insert your word) this. She insists that you can’t worry about what others think about your work, keep moving forward, keep working at it, and if you believe it is good “go for it.”

I loved her story about how an editor rejected her story and then she resubmitted a couple years later and the same editor loved it. How often does that happen? Lots. People get rejected for jobs for all kinds of reasons. One errant comment from one of the people on the interview committee may be all it takes for the entire group to just move on to the next candidate.

Also, in Daniel Pinks book, When, he talks about the research that shows people who interview late in the afternoon do not get hired as much as people who interview in the morning. Timing is everything and Elizabeth Gilbert calls it magic. Sometimes magic that is good, sometimes, not so good. But you seldom ever know the real reasons.

I also agree with her belief that the mantra “follow your passion” is not that helpful. She insists that being curious is actually a better mantra to follow. I totally agree with this. If you are curious, you’ll discover things by accident…what I call intentional serendipity.

Page 236 “You might spend your whole life following your curiosity and have absolutely nothing to show for tat the end — except one thing. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you passed your entire existence in devotion to the noble human virtue of inquisitiveness“.

Be curious and take action. I really believe good things happen when you do, and so does Elizabeth Gilbert.

My Three Words in 2023 to Guide Me

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My 2023 words did not come as easily to me as they had in the past. As always, I did a tech-free retreat to get out of my house, slow down, write, and think. This was a good starting point, and I felt like two words stood out for me. But the third word had been elusive, so I waited.

Journaling helps. Reading helps. Thinking helps. Slowing down helps.

Probably one of the best things I did this fall was to read Brene Brown’s book,  Atlas of the Heart. I love how she broke down so many emotions and explained some of the subtle differences. It’s possible that all three words this year are because of this book. Yes, I had been thinking about some of them, but the book clarified what they mean to me and encouraged me to think deeper about them.

I struggled with the third word until one day when I sat down, pulled out my pen and journal, and just free-wrote for a few minutes:

I want to keep writing ◊ I want to stay humble ◊ I want to keep helping career coaches ◊ I want to slow down ◊ I want to keep working ◊ I want to keep playing ◊ I want to keep learning ◊ I want humor in my life ◊ I want to be outdoors as much as possible.

What I discovered was that the free writing confirmed the three words I had been considering…and it felt great. So much of this process is trusting my instincts and being authentic. So here are my three words for 2023 and why I chose them.

Joy

As I read Brene’s book, her definition of the word joy really stood out for me. It is “the good mood of the soul” and an intense feeling of deep spiritual connection, pleasure, and appreciation. While experiencing joy, we don’t lose ourselves, we become more truly ourselves. 

She talks about how joy and gratitude are closely connected and can create an “intriguing upward spiral.” The opposite of what I call the “vortex of negativity” when people focus on the negative and all that happens is they get more and more negativity.

Gratitude was one of my 2019 words, and I’ve discovered that my yearly words never really leave me. I try to spend time thinking daily about what I am grateful for. So when I read about the connection between joy and gratitude it really resonated with me. Probably the phrase that really hits home for me is “good mood of the soul.” Yeah, I want some of that every day!

Orange flower with green background and the words, exploration, humility, and joy

Humility

Although I list it here as second, this was the final word I chose. It didn’t really make the list until I did my journal purge and it came out almost immediately. Maybe it’s because I was just visiting my 96-year-old dad in Michigan and have watched him deteriorate from a healthy, vibrant, intelligent, successful man to his small world today. But he still remains thankful and gracious for all Jean (his wife) does for him and for all the times his children visit or call.

I’ve also seen some people in various fields who think they know everything. I am not one of those people and never want to be. I always feel like I have more to learn and that I am never the smartest person in the room. I might have more knowledge about a topic than others, but there is so much to know about any subject and there are so many people I know in the career field doing great work. I never want to lose my humility.

In Atlas of the Heart Brene describes humility  as “openness to new learning combined with a balanced and accurate assessment of our contributions, including our strengths, imperfections, and opportunities for growth.” And most impactful is this quote: 

“I’m here to get it right, not to be right.”

Exploration

This is an interesting word for me that has many meanings already. The word brings with it more questions than answers. Where do I want to spend my time this year? How can I explore new ways of working less while still providing quality? What are some ways to grow Peak-Careers in areas in which I want to do more in? (i.e. workshops) How are all my roles in life going to grow (husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend)?

Exploration could be my continued effort to explore my 2022 word, balance. This past year I worked to balance my life more by looking at work and life. Exploration seems to be less about balance and more about exploring options to keep my brain growing, me learning, and experiencing new experiences.

We have some travel plans this year too and my curiosity about cultures and meeting new people is always strong. Exploring new environments, a new backpacking trip someplace, and the always present book on my shelf, seems to fit me well for now.

———————– 

If you have tried the New Year’s Resolutions and they have not worked well for you,  you may want to try this activity of choosing three words to guide you each year. You can watch some interviews and read some blogs I’ve written on this topic here https://peak-careers.com/?s=three+words 

My strongest piece of advice is to write them down regularly. Not just print them off and post them, but to physically write them down with a writing utensil. There is something kinesthetically magical about that process where it seems to embed the word in my head better when I write it.

Below are my past words. FYI, I feel like they don’t ever leave me, they just are not forefront in my thinking.

2016 – Health ★ Mindfulness ★ Focus

2017 – Intentional ★ Authentic ★ Wellness

2018 – Reach ★ Capacity ★ Consistency

2019 – Reflection ★ Purposeful ★ Gratitude

2020 – Philanthropy ★ Rebalance ★ Strategic

2021 – Be ★ Kindness ★ Understanding

2022 – Community ★ Balance ★ Positivity

If you have chosen three words to guide you for the year, I’d love to hear what they are and what they mean to you.

Watch this interview with three of us talking about our Three Words to Guide Us in 2023

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

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Interview: Books for Career Practitioners

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Join me for another Peak-Careers Interview with a few of my kindred spirits in the book world.

My guests today are:

— Scott Woodard, is a career development coach

— David Lee  is a trainer and job search strategist

— Amy Pierce-Danders is the founder of E³ Coaching Studio.

(1) How do you find the time to read? When is it? 

(2) Favorite books in 2022

Picture of 4 people being interviewed
Watch now.
With Scott Woodard, Jim Peacock, Amy Pierce-Danders, David Lee

Here are the books we mentioned in the interview:

BIO’s

Scott Woodard is a career development coach, helping people advance in their careers. He customizes a framework of Purpose, Clarity, Focus, and Strategy to help clients identify and articulate the story of their unique value — their Leadership Narrative. He works with them to develop clear, concise, crisp (not canned) stories that convey their value; how they achieve that value; and examples of those achievements. He then develops strategies that help get them to where they want to be.

Scott has coached people from all walks of life: corporate executives and elected officials challenged to transform their organizations; Boomers trying to determine the “second acts” of their lives, and new graduates starting out in their first career.

He lives the ex-pat life in Ajijic, Mexico with his wife, a retired psychotherapist — so he is truly in touch with his feelings. He can be reached by email at [email protected]

Amy Pierce-Danders is the founder of E³ Coaching Studio.  Her sole driver as a Career+Life Strategist is to act as a guide to help humans uncover their purposes and passions so they can live an unapologetic life. Amy has helped over 3,000 people in their journey. Her desired legacy is to leave an imprint of impact on the corner of the world she touches. Amy is a sought-after trainer delivering impactful career development and workforce readiness programs; she has presented at 100+ events.Amy Pierce-Danders Career+Life Strategist(616) 552-9702[email protected]Social Channels: www.e3coachingstudio.comFacebookLinkedIn

David Lee is a Job Search and Career Change Coach and the founder of SoulSatisfyingWork.com. A 3X career changer, he has an extensive background in the mind/body medicine and resilience fields, as well as over 20 years as a corporate trainer and keynote speaker. He’s the author of Dealing with a Difficult Co-Worker as well as over 100 articles and book chapters on individual and organizational performance. You can learn more about him at his website and Linkedin links
https://soulsatisfyingwork.com/  https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlee-maine 

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move and The Adventure of Finding Me in New Zealand. He is also the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association and the Mid-Atlantic Career Counseling Association’s Professional Contribution’s Award in 2020.

Sign up to receive my TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON. You will also receive the career practitioner’s weekly email on a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more. (Sign up)