Two weeks ago I was reminded about the importance of faith in my life. I was at a Time Out For Women and listening to Laurel Christensen and heard about how she had prayed, thought and lived with faith and I was touched.
I have always had faith, but I became lost in a world where it was encouraged to do things for yourself and to in some ways rely on your own ability to get you through. This happens to the point where you can actually start to believe that you don't need anything else, and even in the smallest chance you did - someone was going to be able to read your mind or heart or both and provide the help you so desperately needed....
Well, did I get a HUGE wake up call when my body told me that it had other plans for me and it actually spoke so loud that this intellectual smart woman took notice and pressed the great big imaginary button that was on her forehead that said 'Pause' and when I did - I knew immediately that I had a lot of work to do.....
Then came the reminder about 'faith' and here I am. I am heading into week three of praying, thinking and living with Faith and this is what I have found so far.
1) Happiness
I don't know what it is and can't really explain it but there has been an absence of happiness in my life for sometime. Don't get me wrong, I have laughed and had some wonderful experiences - but I wake up in the morning and I am happy.
2) Fear
I am scared of the future in terms of I really have no idea where I am going to go - but it is a fear that I can overcome because I am in control of where I go next. It is the kind of fear that you know something is going to happen, its big, its good for you, and you have never done it before but still alittle nervous... especially when you know that that the next thing to do is to jump. So here I am all 40+ of me at the precipice of what I believe is something spectacular and just for me.
3) Joy
When talking to someone during the last five or six weeks, I mentioned the word joy and how I had no joy anymore.... I am not sure why I picked those words but the word joy was used as a desciption of the place inside that lights you up... anyway, I am experiencing joy for the first time in a long time. The joy comes when I am in the car with my boys and they are rattling on about their rugby game, and joy resonates with me when I have dropped the boys off and the bell has not gone for their first class ;-) Joy has come to me through being a mother ;-) Instead of doing my motherly duties like a checklist that spanned pages and pages - I am being a mother.....
4) Excitement
I am scared but I am excited. I have literally put my life into someone else's hands and I am being guided. I have prayed about my future, after thinking and pondering my options which has lead me to be totally excited to be living with faith.
5) To be
Last week I taught a lesson based on a talk called What Manner of Men and Women Ought Ye to Be given by Lynn Robbins and this is what he teaches: "Many of us create to do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish. But people rarely have to be lists. Why? To do’s are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done. To be, however, is never done. You can’t earn checkmarks with to be’s. [I can drop my children off to school everyday, which is a to do. But being a good mother is not an event; it needs to be part of my nature—my character, or who I am.]...Because be begets do and is the motive behind do, teaching be will improve behavior more effectively than focusing on do will improve behavior.
So out goes my 'to do' list and in comes my 'to be' list and I think I am on my way...
How are you doing or rather being? Try praying, thinking and living with faith.
Yours in friendship,
Mxox
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
The highs and lows of my job....
I have resigned from my job. It was a great run while it lasted and it was time to move on which I am equally looking forward to doing. Consequently, I was privileged to have been a guest of honour at my farewell dinner where thoughts and stories were shared and I was honoured by the kind words that were spoken...
Here are some of my top five memories/stories...
1) The funniest
An incident came across our senior management desk which I will remember forever. In short, a ball had smashed a stained window of one of our beautiful buildings. The window was an intricate pane that we were unsure of where and when it would be able to be replaced..... A claim was requested from the kaiako (teacher) of the tauira (student) that kicked the ball (and had no cause to be doing so - as his course was not a sports one) that smashed the window. The claim came through and I tell you no lies - the words that make me smile to to this day, are found in the answer to the question what happened?, to which the written answer was "the window picked up the ball and pushed it through the window...." The wind ;-) and no there was no reports of cyclones or tornadoes that day.
2) The sadest
As I worked for such a large organisation - there was inevitably going to be losses - of which were experienced with the deaths of a colleague, fathers, mothers (including mine), sisters, brothers and even babies. In fact I met the smallest tupapaku (body) in my life during my service and more than that, I my life was touched as I saw the physical and emotional turmoil and pain of his mama - of who remains in my thoughts to this day. Next to this is when a tauira took his own life - that was a tragedy and was again one of ths sadest times of my employment.
Over the years I have had to inform people that they were going to be made redundant. I have had to do this on so many occasions that I can't recall the number, but what I can do is remember how hard - not in terms of skills required to do it, but in actually informing someone that their livelihood was over. It was sobering, and no matter how many times I did (and without training) - it was still the hardest. In fact when I saw the movie Up in the Air - I totally related to it... totally.
4) The best
I loved the vision of the organisation I worked for and will always be privileged to have been part of it for so long.... which was whanau transformation through education. This was no more evident than at the graduation ceremonies that are held every year. I will always remember the people the crossed the stage so happy in their achievements acompanied by the calls from the audience of their whanau (family). I was always stirred by the pride of the families as they did a karanga, or shared waiata or haka.
The one thing that I will miss about my job are the places that I have had the privilege to visit. Being a regional position I had the opportunity to travel throughout the Tainui rohe and saw things and been to places that I had never been before. Included in this are the many Marae throughout four iwi which will always be a highlight. Through work I have also travelled throughout the country and stayed in accomodation that I would never have had the chance to before, including Sydney and Melbourne. But I have to say that nothing will ever take the place of climbing Taupiri maunga to celebrate Matariki this year - now that was priceless.So I thank the people I worked with, many of whom I will never forget - because without the them (and they know who they are) there would have been no memories.
Yours in friendship,
Mxo
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Time Out For Women
I was part of almost 1500 LDS women who met at the Aotea Centre in Auckland on Saturday, 30th July from 9am - 4pm. I hadn't originally intended to go but count my lucky stars that I did.
The theme for the day was to "Choose to Become", ultimately taken from Mark 9:23 where is says "all things are possible to Him that believeth"
I can not put into words how much I enjoyed the day or mesaure the impact of what I heard, as my 'becoming' has not yet been realised - but I can report that I am on my way.
The conference came at the end of some life-changing decisions that I
have made and the timing can only be described as a 'divine intervention'. It was one day - but the lessons I learnt will last forever.
LESSON ONE - I am worth it.
The first speaker's name was Laurel Christensen who has is my new most favourite person. She spoke of some trials and challenges that she has overcome and some goals that she set and achieved which on their own would have been inspiring, however what she taught me is that I am worth it. I am good enough to ask Heavenly Father in faith for the things that I need and want. So often we ask for things or desire things for everyone else but ourselves - but Laurel reminded me that I need to ask for things for myself and to take care of me.
LESSON TWO - Don't be the one person standing in your way
One of the best quotes for the day had to be "don't be the one person standing in your way" which was such great advice to myself. We often put barriers in our own way, by either thinking we can't do something, or being scared to try something new .... The life changes I have made , have opened up the doors for me to take charge of my life, and I am scared about what the future holds, but I am going to be okay because I am determined NOT to be the person standing in my own way to "becoming" anything I want to be.
LESSON THREE - Back to the Basics
The next speaker was Virginia Pearce who spoke about mothers. If you are a regular of mine - you know what I could have done while this topic was being taught - but I was okay. In fact, something that she said about doing the basics - like praying and reading our scriptures - reminded me about my mother as this was her favourite saying... and looks like she wasn't the only one who owned it ;-)
LESSON FOUR - Aligning our lives to Lord's vision of us
Virginia also taught that we should align our lives to the Lord's vision for ourselves. Since that day, I have thought about this often and after 40+ years it is something that I am prepared to do. Don't get me wrong - I have planned my life and asked for guidance before - its just that I have been more of an independant person. The difference this time is that I am going to pray over some options that I have sorted and am going to leave the direction that my life and the lives of my children will take, at the bottom of a prayer. I am unsure of what will happen, but I am ready - watch this space.
LESSON FIVE
"There were so many more lessons that I could have chosen but I have to end with quite possibly the most profound statements made that were so relevant to what I am going through - I actually felt that the speakers could have been sitting across from me in a one on one interview.... QUOTE ONE "if it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don't give up when the pressure mounts. Certinaly don't give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. Face your doubts. Master your fears. Cast not away therefore your confidence. Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you". Jeffrey R. Holland and from Eleanor Roosevelt QUOTE TWO "you gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along'. You must do the thing you think you cannot do..."
So I came away with so much more than I had taken in and with my new sense of determination and motivation - I believe that I am at the start of a wonderful journey.
Yours in friendship,
Mxox
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Stressed out?
One evening after being unsuccessful in stemming his bleeding nose, and after his mother's medical advice - my son jumped on the internet and found out for himself how to stop it from bleeding.... Somewhere in the world someone had the same problem and had found a way to solve the issue and helped my 15 year old on the other side of the world.... Ain't technology grand!?
Everyone is a little bit stressed and may even be heading towards burnout - but what does that really mean? So I followed my son's lead and thought I would give Mr Google a go and looked up stress and burnout and discovered a goldmine of information on a website called http://www.helpguide.com/
This is that I learnt about stress and burnout.
1) Differences
Burnout my be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn't the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involes too much: too may pressure that demands too much of you physically and psychologically. Stressed people can still imagine, though, that if they can just get everything under contol, they'll feel better. Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People who experience burnout often don't see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress is like drowing in responsibiities, burnout is being all dried up.One other difference between stress and burnout: while your'e usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don't always notice burnout when it happens.
2) How do you know?
According to http://www.helpguide.org/ you know when you are dealing with burnout by applying the three R's. Recognise, Reverse and Resilience. Recognise the warning signs of burnout, reverse the damage done by managing stree and seeking support, and build up your resilience to stresse by taking care of your physical and emotional health.
3) Warning signs
Physical signs and symptoms are feeling tired and drained most of the time and change in appetite or sleep habits. Emotional signs were a sense of failure and self-doubt, loss of motivation, and decreased sense of satisfacion and sense of accomplishment. Finally, the behavioural signs and symptoms are withdrawing from responsibiities, proscratstinating, or taking longer to get things done or skipping work or coming and late and leaving early.
4) Preventing burnout
If you are in this position - some simple tips found on http://www.helpguide.org/ include a) starting the day with a relaxing ritual, b) adopting health eating, exercising, and sleeping habits, c) setting boundaries, d)taking a daily break from technology, e) nourishing your creative side and f) learning how to manage stress. My favourie was setting boundaries which had something simple as learning to say "no" to requests for your time. If you find this diffidult (which mother/woman doesn't), remind yourself that saying "no" allows yoiu to say "yes" to the things that you truly want to do...
5) Recovery
Like all things - thankfully stress and burnout have an end. Recovering from it can include three things; 1) Slow down - force yourself to slow down or take a break. Cut back whatever committments and activities you can. Give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal. 2) Get support - turn to your loved ones for support, and 3) Re-eavaluate your goals and priorities - take time to think about hopes, goals and dreasm. This can be an opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to change your course accordingly.
If you are in this place where anything that I have found on this website applies - make some changes. If I can - anyone can ;-)
Yours in friendship
Mxox
Everyone is a little bit stressed and may even be heading towards burnout - but what does that really mean? So I followed my son's lead and thought I would give Mr Google a go and looked up stress and burnout and discovered a goldmine of information on a website called http://www.helpguide.com/
This is that I learnt about stress and burnout.
1) Differences
Burnout my be the result of unrelenting stress, but it isn't the same as too much stress. Stress, by and large, involes too much: too may pressure that demands too much of you physically and psychologically. Stressed people can still imagine, though, that if they can just get everything under contol, they'll feel better. Burnout, on the other hand, is about not enough. Being burned out means feeling empty, devoid of motivation, and beyond caring. People who experience burnout often don't see any hope of positive change in their situations. If excessive stress is like drowing in responsibiities, burnout is being all dried up.One other difference between stress and burnout: while your'e usually aware of being under a lot of stress, you don't always notice burnout when it happens.
2) How do you know?
According to http://www.helpguide.org/ you know when you are dealing with burnout by applying the three R's. Recognise, Reverse and Resilience. Recognise the warning signs of burnout, reverse the damage done by managing stree and seeking support, and build up your resilience to stresse by taking care of your physical and emotional health.
3) Warning signs
Physical signs and symptoms are feeling tired and drained most of the time and change in appetite or sleep habits. Emotional signs were a sense of failure and self-doubt, loss of motivation, and decreased sense of satisfacion and sense of accomplishment. Finally, the behavioural signs and symptoms are withdrawing from responsibiities, proscratstinating, or taking longer to get things done or skipping work or coming and late and leaving early.
4) Preventing burnout
If you are in this position - some simple tips found on http://www.helpguide.org/ include a) starting the day with a relaxing ritual, b) adopting health eating, exercising, and sleeping habits, c) setting boundaries, d)taking a daily break from technology, e) nourishing your creative side and f) learning how to manage stress. My favourie was setting boundaries which had something simple as learning to say "no" to requests for your time. If you find this diffidult (which mother/woman doesn't), remind yourself that saying "no" allows yoiu to say "yes" to the things that you truly want to do...
5) Recovery
Like all things - thankfully stress and burnout have an end. Recovering from it can include three things; 1) Slow down - force yourself to slow down or take a break. Cut back whatever committments and activities you can. Give yourself time to rest, reflect, and heal. 2) Get support - turn to your loved ones for support, and 3) Re-eavaluate your goals and priorities - take time to think about hopes, goals and dreasm. This can be an opportunity to rediscover what really makes you happy and to change your course accordingly.
If you are in this place where anything that I have found on this website applies - make some changes. If I can - anyone can ;-)
Yours in friendship
Mxox
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Lessons from a Manicure
It never ceases to amaze me where I get lessons in life - but I take them as they come... and this week has been no different and come via my beautifully manicured nails - albiet false, nails ;-)
I have a neighbour that I have lived next door to for almost 30 years. She is stunning, has a beautiful figure, is always immaculately dressed, her make up is always nicely done and she wears georgeous jewellery. She works hard, is married and the mother of four children..... but regardless of ALL of that, the one thing that I have always admired of hers - were her nails. They have been manicured, long before there was a nail shop in every mall - and were done by a real beauticians - which was a long time ago ;-) I had often wondered what it would be like to have nails just like hers - and decided after some other friends had theirs done - that I was finally going to have a try. So I got my nails done. They are pink with a little diamante in the corner of each nail. Don't look too closely - otherwise you will see they need what is called "infilling" - someone else will have to explain what that is - as I have no idea and just know that it costs $5 per nail ;-). The one thing this had taught me is to be careful for what you ask for as you may just get it - and it's not quite what you wanted...
This is actually a shopping tip that I have picked up over the years - that just because it looks good on a mannequin or in a catalougue - it does not mean that it is going to look good off the hanger and on your person. Just because nails look beautiful in the magazines and my neighbour and even my friends - it does not mean they were going to look good on me....
I have learnt from my experience that real is better than false. The professionals did such a great job in filing my false nails that I can't even cut through anything. In fact today, I dropped some paper on floor and I struggled to pick them up because my 'new' nails couldn't get under the paper to pick it up.... Yes they didn't cause any runs in my stockings but I would rather have a good scratch - than having beautifully filed and rounded finger nails... It's just not natural ;-)
I was thinking the other day - why I had never got my nails done before or grown them too long - and then I remembered - I'm a piano player and the finger tips are very important in playing and with these nails - the 'clinking' noise is almost louder than the sound..... the cost of a memory lapse....
5) Never again
There are some things that you will only do once - and I think I have found mine. It took 40+ years to try it - and once was certainly enough for this classy chick ;-)
I am just grateful, the lessons from this experience were soft on me and didn't cause any heartache or sorrow... Hopefully the one thing that you will never do again is as kind to you as it has been to me.
Yours in friendship,
Mxox
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Composers...
Having almost two blocked ears, I have been given a heightened awareness of what it must be like to be deaf. I plan to get my ears unblocked tomorrow - but I know there are many people who can't. Being someone who wears glasses, my ability to hear was very important to me - and with that being dulled, I have again a greater appreciation for people like my neighbour who is both deaf and blind. One of things I missed the most is the ability to hear music and my inability to hear myself and others singing. The one person I thought of then was Beethoven and how he overcame this challenge to be one of the greatest composers ever......
Here are some insights into some of our greatest composers....
1) BEETHOVEN
Here are some insights into some of our greatest composers....
1) BEETHOVEN
Beethoven, as a teenager lost his mother and supported his brothers. However, at twenty-eight he realised he was beginning to lose his hearing. He quickly started pulling himself away from others because of this. At forty-nine this bold figure with shabby coat, torn sleeves, and heavy thicket of hair could communicate only by writing. Once when he felt death near, he wrote a message to his brothers, saying: “Almost alone in the world, I dare not venture into society more than absolute necessity requires.” Then he added, “O God! Thou lookest down upon my mysery; thou knowest that it is accompanied with love of my fellow creatures, and a disposition to do good.” (G. T. Ferris, The Great German Composers, pp. 131–32.) And from that mind that could not hear men talk came the roar of joyful music. He wrote it on scraps of paper, on walls, blinds, and tables. Great symphonies and choruses have carried his powerful tidings to the world. He was fifty-five when that momentous No. 9, known as the Choral, was completed in 1826. At fifty-six he was dead.
2) HANDEL
Elder Spencer J. Condie writes in an article in 2010 called 'Handel and the Gift of Messiah' of a composer who had become dissillusioned with his life and after returning from a long walk, picked up a amnauscript filled with scripture referenece from Isaiah foretelling the birth of Jesus Christ and describing His ministry, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. He was so inspired by those words that he could not write fast enough.... and completed the work, which will remain one of his most defining compositions, in just three works. Upon finishing it - he humbly stated that "God had visited me" (Stephan Zweig, The Tide of Fortune: Twelve Historical Miniatures (1940), 121). Following the first London performance of Messiah, a patron congratulated Handel on the excellent "entertainment" to which he replied - "My lord, I should be sorry if I only entertained them - I wish to make them better" (in Donald Burrows, Hande:Messiah (1991), 28)
3) MOZART
3) MOZART
In music one year, after making ammendment after ammendment to my compositions, my teacher told us about Mozart's ability to write music ready to be played without error... Not much help to me at the time, but something that I have never forgotten... And then just last week some 25 years+ later - as in just last week I actually learnt what this was. Mozart had an eidetic or photographic memory. In his own words, Wolfgang Mozart described how he used the creative process: “Those ideas that please me I retain in memory. … All this fires my soul and, provided I am not disturbed, my subject enlarges itself, becomes methodized and defined, and the whole, though it be long, stands almost complete and finished in my mind, so that I can survey it, like a fine picture or a beautiful statue, at a glance” (in Brewster Ghiselin, The Creative Process, Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1952, p. 44). Truly amazing, as is his music.
4) SCHUMANN
Having been exposed to his music but not playing much of it - I was once told that Schumann wrote music for his wife to play, she herself being an accomplished pianist. I also remember that the fingering in the music is what we call extended which requires your hand to be spread out and in some places complex. My teacher told me that was done because Schumann's wife had large hands.... I'm not sure if this was true or not, but is something I will never forget, 1) that a man loved enough to write for his wife and 2) that a man would accomodate his wife's challenges and write music to suit. Recently, I have discovered that after Schumann passed, his wife remained the main editor of her husband's work and was responsible for the music of Schumann living on long after his death - and that is love.
I can't wait to hear again..... and promise to listen better and never take my hearing for granted again!
Yours in friendship,
Mxox
I can't wait to hear again..... and promise to listen better and never take my hearing for granted again!
Yours in friendship,
Mxox
Sunday, June 19, 2011
A week of firsts....
Sarah Vaughn sings a song that has the words "what a difference a day makes - twenty four little hours...." and I couldn't agree more. This past week is only a tiny space of time in a life full of many years.... and yet there was room for firsts.....
1) Taupiri Maunga
To celebrate Matariki a group of my colleagues, students, Kuia and Kaumatua climbed Taupiri maunga (mountain)at 5.30am, led by Kingi Tuheitia. At the top, we shared karakia (prayers), waiata (songs) and whakapapa (geneology) of Taupiri and Pirongia, the surrounding area and the beautiful Waikato awa (river). We listened to stories about the tupuna (ancestry) of the Tainui tribe and Kingitanga. It was the first time I had been there and the view was spectacular. The wairua (spirit) was peaceful and it was beautiful.
2) Thames Graduation
Where I work, the phrase second chance learners is used to describe our students. Its description tries to encapsulate the failure of the education system in our student's lives and how coming to Te Wananga o Aotearoa bridges that gap and more, by providing a holistic and healing way of learning. This is never more evident than at a graduation ceremony. There are people there that cross the stage for the first time in generations to complete a certificate and gain a tohu (award).
3) Swimmer's Ear
I learnt to swim as a child. Although not as good as my younger sister and brother - it was still something that I did better than anything on land ;-) After 20 years, I have returned to the pool to try and shed some of these well loved kilos I carry ;-) After my first session back, and for the first time in my WHOLE LIFE - I get a blocked ear.. I shrug it off. Then the week later, the same thing happens and it takes four days to come right, then the next it takes six days to unblock. I then decide - enough is enough and I get some earplugs. I put those in - and after that session I have had a blocked ear every since. I go to the pharmacist/chemist and explain my symptoms and he tells me I have "swimmer's ear" and gives me some drops which are called Swimmer's Ears. First time ever!
4) Writing Retreat
I am blessed enough to be invited (well I invited myself) to a writing retreat at the Waikato Tainui Research and Development College, Hopuhopu through work. If you get time, google it and see what a wonderful legacy has been started in this place.... It is the first time I have been here and it is a fantastic facility. Each person has their own room with a desk and a bed and NO tv - that's how serious the people were about the impetus of this facility to enhance one's learning in pursuit of excellence. I'm loving it. I just need to get a Phd proposal out of the next two days ;-) after writing my blog ;-)
5) To be served
My new Personal Assistant started work for me this week. Before leaving work one night, she comes in and asks if its okay if she moved my office around and I say "that's fine". My office and especially my desk looked like a bomb has gone off and I was too overwhelmed with everything to do something about it and as a colleague said after seeing my car - it truly was a reflection of my mind............Anyway, when I get back to my office the next afternoon after a day in meetings - my office has not only been re-arranged, but every little knick-knack (and you have to know I have many ;-)) is back up on the walls, on shelves. My desk is tidied. My filing is ordered. The flow of work is clear. And everything is right with the world. I don't know if this is going to continue. I'm too scared to get used to how this feels - but for the first time I feel like someone really wants to serve me - and I will never ever forget her - EVER! Thank you Arozxox
Look out for the firsts - they may never be repeated but will definitely not be forgotten....
Yours in friendship,
Mxo
1) Taupiri Maunga
To celebrate Matariki a group of my colleagues, students, Kuia and Kaumatua climbed Taupiri maunga (mountain)at 5.30am, led by Kingi Tuheitia. At the top, we shared karakia (prayers), waiata (songs) and whakapapa (geneology) of Taupiri and Pirongia, the surrounding area and the beautiful Waikato awa (river). We listened to stories about the tupuna (ancestry) of the Tainui tribe and Kingitanga. It was the first time I had been there and the view was spectacular. The wairua (spirit) was peaceful and it was beautiful.
2) Thames Graduation
Where I work, the phrase second chance learners is used to describe our students. Its description tries to encapsulate the failure of the education system in our student's lives and how coming to Te Wananga o Aotearoa bridges that gap and more, by providing a holistic and healing way of learning. This is never more evident than at a graduation ceremony. There are people there that cross the stage for the first time in generations to complete a certificate and gain a tohu (award).
3) Swimmer's Ear
I learnt to swim as a child. Although not as good as my younger sister and brother - it was still something that I did better than anything on land ;-) After 20 years, I have returned to the pool to try and shed some of these well loved kilos I carry ;-) After my first session back, and for the first time in my WHOLE LIFE - I get a blocked ear.. I shrug it off. Then the week later, the same thing happens and it takes four days to come right, then the next it takes six days to unblock. I then decide - enough is enough and I get some earplugs. I put those in - and after that session I have had a blocked ear every since. I go to the pharmacist/chemist and explain my symptoms and he tells me I have "swimmer's ear" and gives me some drops which are called Swimmer's Ears. First time ever!
4) Writing Retreat
I am blessed enough to be invited (well I invited myself) to a writing retreat at the Waikato Tainui Research and Development College, Hopuhopu through work. If you get time, google it and see what a wonderful legacy has been started in this place.... It is the first time I have been here and it is a fantastic facility. Each person has their own room with a desk and a bed and NO tv - that's how serious the people were about the impetus of this facility to enhance one's learning in pursuit of excellence. I'm loving it. I just need to get a Phd proposal out of the next two days ;-) after writing my blog ;-)
5) To be served
My new Personal Assistant started work for me this week. Before leaving work one night, she comes in and asks if its okay if she moved my office around and I say "that's fine". My office and especially my desk looked like a bomb has gone off and I was too overwhelmed with everything to do something about it and as a colleague said after seeing my car - it truly was a reflection of my mind............Anyway, when I get back to my office the next afternoon after a day in meetings - my office has not only been re-arranged, but every little knick-knack (and you have to know I have many ;-)) is back up on the walls, on shelves. My desk is tidied. My filing is ordered. The flow of work is clear. And everything is right with the world. I don't know if this is going to continue. I'm too scared to get used to how this feels - but for the first time I feel like someone really wants to serve me - and I will never ever forget her - EVER! Thank you Arozxox
Look out for the firsts - they may never be repeated but will definitely not be forgotten....
Yours in friendship,
Mxo
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