It Ain't Over Til Its Begun Again!Written by Susan Dunn, M.A.
Do you know ancient symbol of orouborus--the snake with its its tail in its mouth, forming a circle? In one variation or another, it's present in many cultures. Jung would say it's part of collective unconscious. It's a symbol for beginnings that are endings, and endings that are beginnings. This is a concept that's difficult for us to grasp, and it's a very significant one.It's common for all of us to mistake beginning for end. We wait 9 long months and then go into labor and our work is done, we think. The baby is finally here. But then, as every parent knows, work is just beginning. The birth is end of pregnancy, but beginning of a whole new thing. A baby! We work hard for four years and get through college and what's end of it called? Commencement. (Beginning.) Why? Because reward for all that hard work is ... to get out there and find a job. More work at a whole new level. I work with clients who want to identify and develop their strengths. We use an assessment tool and work interactively, and explore their propensities, and then voila! We discover and identify their talents. And then what? Talents need to be fortified with learning and skills in order to be brought to fruition. We have a new beginning.
| | Find the Perfect JobWritten by susan Dunn, Coach
I'm using "Now, Discover Your Strengths" by Buckingham and Clifton, for career coaching for clients with marvelous results. It was published this year and based on a survey done by The Gallup Organization of over 2,000,000 people who were excellent at what they do.The usual premises in business and elsewhere are: 1. Each person can learn to be competent in almost anything. 2. Each person's greatest room for growth is in his or her area of greatest weakness. Buckingham and Clifton agree that a good person can learn almost anything, but their premises are: 1. Each person's talents are enduring, unique and innate. 2. Each person's greatest room for growth is in area of his or her greatest strengths. A strength is defined as "consistent, near perfect performance in an activity." When we're working in our strength area we will be energized, not drained, and will feel a sort of deep pleasure that makes it almost effortless and very soul-satisfying. These talents show up early -- ask yourself (or your parents) what you "always liked to do" when you were young, and what you dreamed of doing. Ask yourself what you could envision doing for 12-14 hours in a row. What puts you in zone?
|
