The
Monthly E-Newsnote for Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal September
2006
connectingpoint
“Autumn is a second
spring when every leaf is a flower.” Albert Camus
There is lots of news to
share with you this month. We hope you find some inspiring thoughts and ideas
here that will help you step into the beginning of this beautiful fall season.
We find that sharing personal stories makes the transitions in our lives more
navigable… please write back and share some of yours that we can pass along to
the rest of the Centerpoint Community!
In this
issue
Click on
the following links in order to jump ahead
-
Some Thoughts from Our
Executive Director
-
A Note
from the Front Office
-
Community News
- Carol’s on TV!
-
Look
Forward to Monday Again™
Thoughts on
Fall
by Carol Vecchio
It’s been
two full years since Centerpoint moved to the Talaris Campus and we were able
to fulfill another part of our vision. It continues to floor me just how fast
time races on and how quickly life passes by; it seems like only yesterday that
our scores of volunteers were pulling up carpet, erecting walls, laying tile,
and painting to get ready for our September 2004 opening.
Each day as I look out my office windows at all the
astounding greenery and wildlife, I get to watch the changing of the seasons.
Sometimes the changes are so subtle that I almost miss recognizing things like
differences in the light as the sun shifts in the sky. Other times, like today,
nature just hits me over the head. The squirrels are busy knocking down the
acorns from the trees onto our metal roof (talk about hitting me over the head!
J) and the grey and the coolness feel like such a stark contrast after our
sunny, warm and long summer here in
At this
time of year as we edge into fall, I find myself trying to notice the seasonal
changes more and ask myself some essential “fall” questions like:
·
What
needs changing in my life?
·
What
am I still doing out of habit that no longer fits for me?
·
What
do I need to let go of in order to live more fully?
If you
haven’t as yet visited our amazing location, I hope you stop by soon. Just
being here may be the catalyst you need to help you ask your important questions
that will allow you to grow and live more fully too.
A Note from Megan, Our Front
Office Manager
Wow, it’s
almost been a month since I’ve been here at Centerpoint! I can’t believe how
the time keeps flying by. Some days it feels like I’ve been here forever and
other days I am definitely aware of being new! I really want to thank all of
you for the nice warm welcome and also for bearing with me as I attempt to
gently slide into this new position. I have met so many wonderful people
already and am constantly amazed at how helpful and willing everyone has been in
assisting me with the transition. I know it’s not only a change for me but is a
change for all of you as well.
I really
feel like I have found a great place to be here at Centerpoint. Not only is the
view outside my window beautiful but I’ve also been finding myself excited for each
work day. I no longer hit snooze on my alarm clock 5 times before rolling out
of bed and throwing on the nearest thing I can find that is only slightly wrinkled. I don’t blindly run
into walls, scoring new bruises and stubbing every toe that I have ever had in
my short life while searching for the coffee maker which hasn’t moved since I
plugged it in the day my place became my own. My mornings are no longer filled
with silent curses at the stressful and wretchedly mournful day I am about to
begin. When I wake up I actually enjoy my feet touching the floor, being
greeted by my tornado of a kitten and getting ready for the day at Centerpoint.
I am truly blessed for this wonderful opportunity to be working in an
environment that encourages growth, having and expressing an individual voice
and working as a team. As I step back and look at where I am this fall I can’t
help but feel an overwhelming amount of happiness and relief.
Come visit
me soon, I can’t wait to meet more of you. Take care and good luck in all the
changes and growth this fall will bring you.
Thanks,
Megan
Murphy
Front
Office Manager
Thursday
Evening, Sept 28: Career Forum
Want to explore careers in the Environment and Ecology field? On September 28th
at 6:30pm Centerpoint Institute is bringing together a panel of experienced
professionals from Seattle Public
Utilities,
Get the skinny on what
it takes to enter and succeed in this specific field. Attendees have the
opportunity, if they so desire, to hang out after the panelists’ presentations,
dive a little deeper ask more specific questions, and network with other
attendees. Please call (206) 686-5433 to pre-register. Free for Associate,
Sustaining and Friend members, $22 for others.
Saturday,
Sept 30: Navigating the Second Half of Your Life
A day of workshops
and community connections focused on the issues of midlife and beyond: money,
health, and career. Our own Carol Vecchio is the keynote speaker and Vickie
Chaffin is facilitating a workshop on defining your career vision. Co-sponsored
by Centerpoint and
1st
or 2nd Week in Oct: Centerpoint 4-Day Retreat
We’ve been
getting a number of inquiries about our in-depth, life-changing 4 (and a half)
day Retreat so we’re making final arrangements to make it happen! There are 2
(maybe 3) spots open. Are you ready to transform yourself and develop a passionate
vision for this next chapter in your life? Call (206.686.LIFE) or email us soon to let us know if you’re
interested!
Sunday, Oct
22: A Fun Afternoon Out that Benefits Centerpoint
Music and Art Gala Come join in a fun
celebration of fall. Hear live tango, baroque, and gypsy music as
performed by the duo Clave de Sol while viewing artwork of Christine
Olason. Sunday, October 22, 2006 at The Kirkland Woman’s Club, from 3:00
to 6:00 pm. Located at
P.S. A former retreat participant is organizing as well as playing in
this event. It’s an opportunity to celebrate folks who are launching creative careers.
Megan, Carol and Susan Mason-Milks are all planning to attend… won’t you come
too?
Friday
through Sunday Nov 3-5: Re-energize Your Career
If you’ve
“been meaning to” look at where you’re going but just “never find the time”
then you’ve got no more excuses! This weekend is designed to help you
jump-start your life and career planning. Reconnect with your passions and
define some specific next steps for fine-tuning your focus and your choices.
Facilitated by Susan Mason-Milks and Carol Vecchio. Find out all the details on
our website. Please call 206.686.5433 or email us to register.
Community News – Centerpoint on TV!
Watch Carol
Vecchio’s interview with Tony Ventrella on Comcast Local Edition, CNN, Channel
45!
Carol
Vecchio, our co-founder and Executive Director, was interviewed about
Centerpoint on Comcast Local Edition. It began airing Wednesday, September 6th
on CNN’s Headline News (
9/15 – 1:50
pm, 5:50 pm
9/16 – 3:50
pm, 6:50 pm
9/17 – 4:50
pm, 6:50 pm
9/18 – 1:50
pm
9/19 –
12:50 am, 4:50 am
You might
even want to email Comcast Local Edition to let them know you enjoyed it and
share a bit of your own experience with them!
The
possible interview with The Today Show didn’t pan out at this time but that’s
not stopping us. We feel compelled to find a way to share Centerpoint’s unique
approach both locally and nationally. If you have contacts and ideas on how we
can do this, please let us know!
Did You Know?
Centerpoint
relies on memberships to help sustain us… sort of like KCTS or KPLU, our annual
budget relies on you to continue to support our work even after you’ve taken
advantage of the programs and services that you need. What you may not know is
that we’ve added another category to our membership list.
You can now
become an annual Sustaining Member
that has an amazing, extra benefit. In addition to all the benefits of
Associate Membership, you can re-take any workshop at Centerpoint for free,
on a space-available basis. That means no matter when you took LifeWork
Renewal, Passion Search, Exploring Options, Getting Unstuck, or some of our
adjunct workshops like Thinking of Becoming Your Own Boss, you can re-enroll as
many times as you like in the ones you have taken in the past, for as long as
you maintain your Sustaining Membership level.
We want you
to be able to continue to deepen your experiences of what you learned through
your workshops. If you’d like to become a Centerpoint Sustaining Member, please
call (206.686.5433) and sign up today. We need your support!
(Please note: We have to do this on
a space available basis since we keep our workshops so small and we can’t turn
away paying clients. That just means that you will be enrolled on a waiting
list and may not know until a few days before whether there is a spot available
for you.)
Look Forward to Monday Again!™
LifeWork Renewal
If you or someone
you know is in need of gaining a fresh new perspective on the changes you have
been experiencing in your life and work then this just might be the right fit! Upcoming classes: condensed session (includes
Associate Membership) Wednesday September 20th with Cody Strauss, $139;
all-day session Saturday October 7th at 9:30am to 4:30pm with Trudy
McKnight, $139. Please call 206.686.5433 to register.
Passion Search Uncover
what gives your life meaning and purpose.
Create a clear, compelling vision for your next chapter.
We still
have a couple of spaces in this Saturday’s series but you need to register
quickly so you can do your homework! Call 206.686.5433 to register today.
Our Monday, September 18th series is full; we are offering one
beginning on Wednesday, September 20th through
If you are interested in
a class but have schedule conflicts, Centerpoint keeps track of requests for
date and time changes or additions.
Individual sessions are also available.
Please contact us
for more information.
Calling All Volunteers!
Here at Centerpoint we
thrive off the help of volunteers. Without the hard work they give us we would
not be able to provide the level of support and services that we currently do in
the community.
As a volunteer you are not
only giving back to Centerpoint but you are also surrounding yourself with a
positive, stimulating and growing environment. The people we work with are in
the process of making very important and significantly powerful changes in both
their career and personal life. If you find yourself in a similar transition
then Centerpoint just might be the right place for you to begin your journey!
We offer a wide variety of
volunteer opportunities. Some of the positions include assisting the front
office with administrative duties, distribution of our catalogs/flyers in or
around the
While volunteering your
time you’re not only building your resume but you can also accrue “credits” for
certain number of hours worked that we allow you to use towards classes or
workshops we offer on a space available basis.
If you are interested don’t
hesitate to contact us or fill out an application, hope to hear from you soon!
As a
non-profit institute, Centerpoint strives to serve the community in every way
possible. We need your help to do
that. Following is a list of items that
Centerpoint will need to help us move forward technologically and in our
services. If you would like to donate
earmarked money for these items, please let us know. Besides the tax deduction, you or your
organization will be publicly recognized by Centerpoint Institute for your
contribution.
Adobe
Creative Suite
Digital
Audio Recorder (3)
Digital
Camera (video and still photography) (1)
DVD player
(2)
Centerpoint Institute for Life and
Career Renewal
4000 NE 41st Street
Building D, Suite 2
Seattle, Washington 98105-5428
tel/fax: 206.686.LIFE (5433)
www.centerpointonline.org
...inspiring
people to discover creativity, passion, and renewed commitment in life and at
work
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