Thought-provoking little booklet handed out at the release of The Dark Horse Conversation: Nonprofit Leaders Talk About Vocational, Organizational and Civic Renewal
If you’ve ever wondered if you were in the wrong occupation or felt you ought to be doing something more meaningful or reflective of yourself, read on. Last night, I had the privilege of attending the release of The Dark Horse: Nonprofit Leaders Talk About Vocational, Organizational and Civic Renewal–a paper produced by Pat Thompson, Metcalf Foundation Innovation Fellow and Visiting Scholar at Massey College.
I’ve noted before on this blog that Pat is a friend and mentor of mine who has lent me her ear on a number of occasions. In addition to being extremely bright and insightful, Pat is infinitely curious–a quality that in my view always makes a person that much more interesting and engaging. A navel gazer, she is not. She is immensely intrigued by the vocational paths people choose and what may or may not make them take the path less traveled, or the path that invokes trepidation. Needless to say, she is encouraging when it comes to facing one’s fears or turning a preconceived notion on its head.
In conjunction with the release of The Dark Horse paper, Pat has also launched onealphaavenue.org - the home of good conversation about work and vocation. It’s sure to evolve into a lively online spot for people to share stories and seek guidance on their own vocations and how they can best land on, or jump off with both feet, to a place that brings them joy and satisfaction.
Lucky me, Pat has featured my personal story on the website. And for the record, I’m still searching, both internally and externally.
As a take away at last night’s release party, Pat handed out the cool little booklet that you see above. A conversation piece to be sure, with plenty of thought provoking questions and quotations.
Some may be quick to dismiss a question like ” What is my life telling me about who I am?” as flaky. In fact, I could easily be classified as that dismissive type. But at this stage in my life, when I’m at a vocational crossroads, I figure I owe it to myself to examine all angles.
What have I got to lose? Certainly not a job.
