Comments for Changing Course News & Notes

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Roger

Roger — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:19:32 +0000

I like Wendy’s comment above: “competence is really all about how you present yourself and the attitude that you have and present to the world”. I understand competence to embrace a degree of formal qualification and expertise, but have found in my living, working and relational experiences, that competence is far less the ‘paper trail’ of qualifications or expertise (so often glamourised in resumes or CVs), and far more the practical ability and capacity,and the intelligence (not only intellectual, but also emotional, moral and spiritual), as well as (yes!) the right attitude to handle daily challenges and tasks in life, wherever and however they show up in their variegated forms and contexts. When I think of what a ‘competent’ human being is, then to me it means the ability to bridge the gap (often a wide chasm) between my deeply felt and held principles and core values on the one hand and my behaviour on the other. When the gap remains wide, then I have strong doubts about my actual competence and feel like the Impostor.

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Roger Arendse

Roger Arendse — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:56:08 +0000

To me success is transcending the limiting boundaries of my mind and laying hold of my true human potential. Success is overcoming the blockages and stucked places in my life (whether physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual and otherwise) and reaching out for my passion and my dream with gusto, determination and perseverance. Success is staring self-doubt, the fear of failure and failure itself in the face and daring to press on for excellence of being (my being) with courage and resolve that silences all other distracting voices. Success is the confidence, however, feeble at times, to remove the masks of the false-self and to be willing to stand naked in the reality of who I truly am and to embrace the God-created, God-imprinted purpose for my life. Success, in my language and structure of interpretation right now, is shaped less by ‘ambition’.Success happens when I find myself free to enter and embrace my true significance. Success is less linked to my material or measured achievements (whether good grades in a test or project, accolades received in the work place, or personal bests in sporting adventures - all of which I know first hand). Rather success is knowing and experiencing inwardly the feeling of happines, contentment, peace (shalom). The above, ultimately, is what success means to me and what I reach out for. Each day I take steps, steady at times, often stumnbling and faltering, in my journey towards the vision and passion of success that stirs deep inside of me. Each step becomes a defining moment and marker along the way.

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Teresa

Teresa — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:39:19 +0000

I just accepted a job doing grants writing for a non-profit organization that helps women build self-esteem by finding and building upon their skills and talents that can be used in the workplace. Many of these women have gone through struggles and setbacks that most of us would find difficult to overcome. Yet they have found the strength and courage to start again.

I am about to turn 43. At this time in my life, success means to me never giving up. Always searching for ways to contribute and grow. We each have something that we struggle with that can hold us back from doing things that we would like to do. The key to success is to learn to do the things that you want to do even when you feel inadequate.

Success is in the doing, attempting, learning and growing stuff of living.

Teresa

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Pam S.

Pam S. — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:49:10 +0000

Achievement and success can usually be measured by some standard or another while ambition is more a quality of one’s personality.

Each field of endeavor has it’s own qualifications; achievement is when we meet or surpass the qualifications; and success is reaching the goal (degree, job, income, status) and enjoying its perks.

Then there’s life (emotional) success; which I’d describe as being comfortable in my own skin, being productive, experiencing peace of mind, and living my own life,(physically, mentally and spiritually,) according to my own qualifications and standards! If I’m happy most of the time, I’m a success!

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Cheryl

Cheryl — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 19:23:54 +0000

Achievement and ambition are necessary but not sufficient components of success. To be truely successful you need to find the right balance between work, relationships, and community, make a reasonable income, and do something you genuinely love. Interestingly, I have called myself successful in the past only to discover that what I loved yesterday is not so meaningful today, and what I love today is only a glimmer of the vision I have for tomorrow. Success for me, means making that glimmer a vision, and the vision a reality.

Comment on Have a Great Idea for a Business? Test the Waters Before Diving In by Linda Walton

Linda Walton — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 14:52:28 +0000

I particularly enjoyed the discussions regarding B and B’s. I began Apple Annie’s Bed and Breakfast almost 8 years ago and have since that time, I haave mentored other prospective innkeepers. I have seen many of them come and go because of the factors that you have discussed. Yes, it is sometimes a challenging occupation but if the benefits outweigh the challenges to the innkeeper it can both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards.The main thing that I would stress, as you have pointed out, is to have a realistic view of the desired business.

Comment on Have a Great Idea for a Business? Test the Waters Before Diving In by Changing Course

Changing Course — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:57:20 +0000

Hi Nadia,

Thanks for the reminder! We’re big advocates of Vocation Vacations. They would have been a *great* resource for this article.

Lisa

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Sheryl Ann Wilson

Sheryl Ann Wilson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:37:49 +0000

I am a 46 coming 47 Aug 19th, Canadian woman who found out I am Metis in my adult years - 20 years ago. I am currently on Provincial Disability and I also am very entrepreneurially minded and thus I work from home at using what I call my natural Creator given skills in Singing/Songwriting, Writing, Acting, Modeling & Makeup Artistry, Filmaking (Scriptwriting, Acting, Director, 1st Assistant Director). I recently after studying into for 2 years got involved with 3 online businesses which I am working at.
Success is a very interesting and frustrating thing, I find. I find that in my mind I view success as actually making the dollars I need to live properly and have a better life that what I have right now, which is poverty and because I have not accomplished that yet, I view myself as a failure.
However, if I then chastise myself and tell myself to look at the fact that many people would have given up even after one of the things I’ve attempted to do in my life, then I am successful.
Have been successful in one way, in that I do have one book published. That is not traditional publishing, it is a form of self-publishing. I have one book self-published with http://www.publishamerica.com. They are the type of company whom, if they like your manuscript, which is easy to send, because they accept it via email (unique, because most won’t accept that way) they then actually put the entire book together with a great cover and everything. They then make that book’s availability informed to thousands of bookstores all over Canada/USA and also available off of their website. The rest of the marketing has to be done by the author, thus I haven’t sold very many books; only 25 books sold in 2 years. Then recently they gave extra assistance in the marketing area via making all their books available at Chapters bookstores and then also available from the Canadian Amazon website at http://www.amazon.ca. I don’t know the results of that yet, because I’m still trying to find out how I can be known of how many books get purchased from there. Then I doubled up the anty by contacting a gal pal of mine who has a health website at http://www.okinhealth.com and I made a deal with her based on actions I had done for her in the past that became of a financial value to her and I’ll be doing some proofreading for her to pay for my marketing spot for my book that she created in the booksales area of her website.
Now, again, many would look at that and say, “hey, she’s one successful gal, why look at all the actions she has taken to make something happen.”
Again, because I haven’t made the money from my actions to attain my goal, I sit and look at myself as a failure.
I recently, with one of my online businesses went through another experience which has to do with my feelings of success or failure.
I am selling AVON. When one signs up as an AVON Rep, one is given 10 catalogs for the first two campaigns and also give a high percentage off of all product orders only if one reaches a certain dollar sales amount.
I did not reach that sales amount and so I didn’t get my percentage off and I viewed myself as a failure, as my manager told me to stop thinking like that.
Thus, I think that I need to re-learn what true success is.
Part of what drives me, is that I raised my daughter alone, whilst being forced into a situation of welfare/disability, after previously always having had a job since I was 13 years old. I have always felt that I needed to be an example to her and that I haven’t been one of success yet.
I hope that this helps you with your book and I’d love to speak with you about how you attained your publishing agreement etc.

Comment on Be a Part of Valerie’s New Book by Cheryl

Cheryl — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:46 +0000

I view competence as having the ability to achieve something and to be dependable, trustworthy and motivated enough that you will follow through in accomplishing the goal. When I think of committing to a goal, such as the ones listed, I definitely feel overwhelmed and not very competent. My main shortfall is the motivation part and sustaining the desire to keep working as long and as hard as needed to achieve a goal. In the past I have gone after goals that required long-term commitment with years of effort—studying to be a schoolteacher, going through a trades apprenticeship, etc. In achieving or nearly achieving them, I discovered that the goal was not right for me. I was trying to fit a round self into a square hole. As a result, I’m gunshy. I find it hard to trust myself with setting goals that will be right for me.

When I went through the trades apprenticeship, I definitely felt incompetent and feared being exposed as such. I went into the program with no prior knowledge of the field I was entering. The apprenticeships had just been opened to women and I was keen on achieving better pay and a good career. The whole four years it took to go through the program I felt like an imposter. In fact, we women faced some hostility for “taking a man’s place.” Although I enjoyed certain aspects of the work and achieved a level of competence, I was never comfortable in the work. Thus, right after I received my journeyman’s certificate, I quit and went back to college to look for a new direction.

I’m a 60-year-old woman with a B.A., numerous achievements and still searching.

Comment on Have a Great Idea for a Business? Test the Waters Before Diving In by Nadia

Nadia — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:07:35 +0000

There is a site for people who would like to test the waters - it’s called http://www.vocationvacations.com.