connectingpoint
June
2007 The Monthly E-Newsnote for
Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal
…inspiring people to
discover creativity, passion, and renewed commitment in life and at work
“Our consciousness rarely registers the
beginning of a growth within us any more than without us; there have been many
circulations of the sap before we detect the smallest sign of the bud.” –George Eliot
All that sap circulating can reward you with things
you might just take for granted. The
first time I was introduced to the concept of “unconscious competence” I came
to realize how many skills and talents may lay dormant in us without some
internal impetus to express them. At the
core of many Centerpoint workshops and classes is the intention to give your
competencies permission to reveal themselves to you once again so those
unexpected buds can keep growing…
In
this issue
Click
on the following links in order to jump ahead
Lot of News from our Managing Director
Greetings from the Front Office
Not to be Missed!
We Really Could Use
Your Help
My husband calls himself an “urban homesteader.” He loves to plant things,
nurture them as they grow, and then harvest them for a purpose—eating them or
selling them to our local green grocer.
Just recently he discovered an interesting gardening tidbit… that if he
germinates seeds on our heated bathroom tile floor they begin developing roots
in record time.
So for the past couple of months I’ve been sharing
our one, small bathroom with egg cartons full of dirt and seeds covered in
plastic bags. I can’t tell you how many times, in a sleepy stupor, I’ve
actually stepped on them. (It’s a lot more times than I’ve admitted to my
husband. J)
What really amazes me is that I haven’t ever
damaged any of these tiny, growing things. You’d think they’d be extremely
fragile as they attempt to take root and push out their little green leaves.
But they are extraordinarily resilient.
These amazing little plants are teaching me quite a
few lessons. One is directly connected to Centerpoint and its bigger vision
that, in last month’s e-newsnote, I promised I’d share with you. Centerpoint’s
vision contains a seed that will grow into a huge change… a paradigm shift in
the way that everyone thinks about work and careers. This new paradigm embraces a cyclical, organic
approach that is actually applicable to all aspects of life.
The old “climb the ladder at any cost,” linear perspective where everything is
expected to expand continually and forever is a myth. Why has the collapse of
the booms that we have recently experienced – dot com, for example – surprised
anyone? We know that the bubble must burst at some point but we continue to
delude ourselves that this
time it will be different. In historical, environmental, and economic terms the
cyclical nature of life is obvious; Centerpoint understands this perspective
and has designed a practical tool or “map” for navigating these cycles in our
personal lives and careers that is easily accessible to all ages, ethnicities,
and socio-economic levels.
Here’s an example of the power of this cyclical,
organic approach: Centerpoint facilitated a short workshop for a group of women
at a transitional housing center for battered women. It was necessary to have
interpreters for some since they hailed from all over the globe and many were
not native English speakers. At the end of an hour and a half, these women
understood the wider spectrum of choices before them. One commented: “I don’t need to be, or want to be, a victim
any longer.” Wow.
This approach creates life-changing results and is
the foundation to every service we offer at Centerpoint. Many of you have
learned about this by enrolling in our LifeWork Renewal™ workshop. You
understand that it’s essential to step back and be gentle with ourselves as new
directions and visions take hold.
In this green month of June, please nurture your
own seeds of change so that they can take root and create a more beautiful world.
And, don’t worry if someone steps on your tiny, growing vision in their sleepy
stupor. They won’t do any damage because, if your ideas come from your heart,
they will remain alive, resilient, and continue to thrive and grow.
And, please let me know if you’re interested in
helping Centerpoint its seeds and spread its message of how to navigate career
and life changes more gracefully and effectively. Eventually we want to create and grow Centerpoint
seedlings in other parts of the country so more people can understand how to
find purpose and meaning in their lives and their work. It’s a big vision and
we can’t do it all by ourselves. We need you and other members of the
Centerpoint community to join us in this effort. Please see the section
below for some ways that you can help; we’re open to any ideas you may have
too!
With warmest regards and until next month,
Carol
Carol Vecchio
co-Founder and Executive Director
Hello to All of You:
The
June 21st Career Forum: Working
with Animals was highly successful. Headliners included four panelists:
Lola Michelin, Northwest School of Animal Massage www.nwsam.com; Dr. Marta Nobrega, www.mercyvet.com; Richard Huffman, Purrfect
Pals, www.purrfectpals.org and Karen
Stone with the Pima Medical Institute, www.pmi.edu/locations/seattle.asp.
They
shared their expertise and insight of the animal care industry with Forum
participants. Great questions and answers were presented with networking
rounding out the evening schedule. These forums are truly a quality, meaningful
and relevant experience; I hope you will join us for our fall event. Our topic
is still to be determined so if you’d like to learn about a particular
industry, please contact me!
In
addition to our new, free Wi-Fi service for members, we now have conference calling
capabilities. Speaking of which, we invite you to utilize our meeting
facilities for your upcoming conferences, retreats, seminars, training programs
etc. at our stunning setting that is one of the hallmarks of Centerpoint’s
vision. We are full service, have free parking, wireless capabilities, beverage
service and more. We can even assist you with menu planning and meal service.
And all at very affordable rates! Call me directly for information and
scheduling.
To
meet the demand for more individual counseling sessions, we have added two more
days per week and now have counselors available Monday through Thursday. Please
contact Marcella at 206.686.LIFE to set up your next appointment.
Check
out our listing in the Seattle Networking Guide under the education/alumni
section. www.seattlenetworkingguide.com.
Preliminary
work is beginning for fall classes and schedules. We’re planning on a couple
new offerings focused on those in the career management stage of the process.
Stay tuned for more details. Any additional ideas or suggestions you’d care to
share with us??
Well,
that’s all for now Centerpoint Community. Enjoy your summer season and stop by
for a relaxing, renewing experience or just to visit. Coffee is on us!
All
the best,
Steve
Bullock
Managing Director
I
field many calls throughout the week and the most frequent inquiries I receive
are from our clients who are weighing their options between individual
counseling or a group setting through our classes such as Passion Search.
Here are some things to
think about when making these decisions:
In
general the group process is the better way to go because of the group
feedback, other perspectives from your classmates, more support, less isolation
and the accountability to the group for doing homework. This is often a useful
structure for people who like small group interaction and clear
milestones.
On
the other hand if you are not comfortable sharing details of your life in a group
setting, the focus of individual attention from a counselor may be better and
more appropriate for you.
We
pay very close attention to the feedback we receive from our workshops. It is
very heartening to me that some of the most frequent responses are about the
masterful way our facilitators put the group at ease and set the tone for the
discussion. The results engender a deliberate and thoughtful perspective from
everyone involved.
So
start out slowly or jump in with LifeWork Renewal and Passion Search, but just
start, you’ll be glad you did.
Marcella Van Oel
Front
Office Manager
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: the condensed session on July 25th from 6:15-9:15pm with Catherine Follett or
all-day session Saturday July 14th from 9:30am to 4:30pm with Jill Boyd(Condensed Session includes Associate Membership). Please call
206.686.5433 or email
us to register.
Uncover what gives your life meaning and
purpose. Create a clear, compelling
vision for your next chapter. Upcoming classes: Six Fridays beginning July 13 at
10am (time varies, click here
for the exact days and times) or nine Mondays, starting July 23rd
from 6:30-9:30pm; both series are with Catherine Follett. Please call 206.686.LIFE
or email
us to register.
Learn to bring your style to the most valuable—but
most misunderstood—technique of career exploration and job search. Find out how
networking can be fun and
effective! This workshop overlaps with
our Exploring Options series so you and they have more people with whom to
network! On Monday, July 16th
from 3:00 to 6:00pm facilitated by Catherine Follett and Carol Vecchio. Please
call 206.686.5433 or email
us to register.
Crossroads
at Age 50+ For Women
A three-hour workshop designed especially for women
to enhance your self-awareness while exploring and clarifying the myriad of
choices for a meaningful and enjoyable future. Join Jo Kelly Welch on Saturday,
July 21st 10:00 am to 1:00 pm for an enlightening experience. Please
call 206.686.LIFE or email
us to register.
If you are interested in a class but have
scheduling conflicts, Centerpoint keeps track of requests for date and time
changes or additions. Individual
sessions are also available. Please contact
us for more information.
Support
Circle Update: Last month we
announced an open house for those interested in forming Support Circles. We had
18 people who registered/showed up! Wow!
It’s clear that there’s a need for on-going support, accountability, and sharing
of resources and cheerleading.
One Support Circle that was created from our May 30th
open house has started meeting on Thursday evenings and is about to begin some
short-term facilitation to get them started out on the right foot. If you would like to join in or start a
How might you be able to help?
- Tell everyone you know about the benefits of working with
Centerpoint.
- Recommend our services to your organization.
- Make a tax-deductible donation to Centerpoint and get it matched by
your employer (see below).
- Renew your membership.
- Join the Board. (Meetings are
by conference call on the third Tuesday of each month from 8:00 to 9:30 am
and face-to-face once per quarter.)
- All of the above! J
The Board has some specific and concrete
initiatives for this year with which we desperately need your support:
Marketing, Media Connections, PR: We need to let people know we’re here to
help. Centerpoint is the best kept secret around! J We’ve been providing
the highest quality career counseling services for the past 15 years. Most of
our referrals come from word-of-mouth which is a very positive thing. However,
we need to find creative strategies to reach more people and organizations so
we can be of more assistance to them.
Developing a Sustainable Business Model for
Centerpoint: We need to
be a healthy business for the long haul. We’re looking to institute even more
operating practices gleaned from the for-profit world.
How can you help out to ensure Centerpoint’s future
so we’ll be here when you experience your next transition? J
As a non-profit organization, 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. We would love it if you could donate an
actual item, but of course we’d also accept a cash donation to cover the costs!
Besides the tax deduction, you or your organization can be publicly recognized on
the Centerpoint website for your contribution.
Digital Camcorder with Internal Hard Disk Drive (1)
Adobe Creative
Upgrade to FileMaker Pro 8.5 (1)
FileMaker Pro 8.5 (2 @ $299)
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
Office Hours: Monday –
Thursday 12:00 to 7:00pm, Friday 12:00 to 5:00 pm; Saturdays resume in the Fall
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Copyright ©2007 Centerpoint Institute. All Rights Reserved.