connectingpoint
October 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

Welcome to the latest edition of our e-newsnote!!

"What lies before us and what lies behind us are small matters compared to what lies within us. And when we bring what is within out into the world, miracles happen." --Thoreau

And, please let us know how we can help you to "Look forward to Monday again!"

In this issue
Click on the following links in order to jump ahead

From our Executive Director
A Note from our Program Director
Greetings from the Front Office
Not To Be Missed!
Upcoming Workshops
Looking for a new or used LCD Projector...

And the Fall Continues...

The campus is strewn with fallen leaves. When you drive in, you can hardly see the road because they're everywhere. It's very beautiful... in its own messy sort of way! Add to that the falling acorns. We have a metal roof on our building so we get to hear the clunk, clunk, clunk of every acorn that makes its way to the ground. They're sometimes so loud the noise can be quite startling... especially in the middle of a counseling session!

In a few days, the maintenance crew will be here to pile up and discard the leaves. I find I'm always a bit disappointed when they arrive. I enjoy seeing the patterns into which the leaves fall and watching them as the wind picks up and they circulate willy-nilly around the campus. Since we are surrounded by so many beautiful trees, the grounds crew can't ever keep up with them all but, boy, do they try their best. Sometimes I think they should just forget about it and let nature take its course.

But that's not human nature, is it? We often want to put things in neat order; it makes us feel like we have some control over our environment. But, you know what? I believe we only have control over one thing... our personal choices. That's what I've been continuing to understand over this past month. I mentioned in the last e-newsnote about my confusion around some family members having some well-buried resentments that I had no idea were there. Since then, I've been back to visit family for my parent's 60th wedding anniversary and had to deal with my feelings around the situation in real time.

While my natural inclination is to bring uncomfortable issues to the surface and address them directly, I came to understand that that wasn't possible in this situation. Not being able to work things out is a very frustrating experience for me. After realizing that the family members involved had made their own choices to not address this conflict directly, forcing the issue would have been futile; it would have just inflamed the resentment and made the situation worse.

So I chose to be as compassionate as I was able to be to my relatives (not necessarily easy to do all the time) while listening to and honoring my own feelings. I also decided to talk with another family member to get his perspectives; I found that extremely supportive and healing. I'm not through processing this whole thing for myself but feel I've been able to let go of and grieve another layer or two of it.

Talk about messy! But I'm grateful that this situation has helped me grow and learn more. And, isn't that what life's for? My relatives don't quite get that right now. Will they ever? I'm not sure. What can I do to help them? Continue to let go of my expectations and disappointments around this whole thing and set healthy boundaries. Fall's the perfect season for those things.

With warmest regards and much growth until next month,
Carol

Carol Vecchio
co-Founder and Executive Director

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Harvest Time

It’s October- leaves are falling and harvest time has arrived. I think of one of my favorite stories by David Whyte when he talks about “Sometimes you just have to harvest yourself” – In everyone’s life we are faced with opportunities that, if we don’t recognize them or we don’t act at that moment, that particular convergence of opportunity will be no more. It will “rot” if we don’t harvest it. All of us have “un-harvested opportunities” in our lives. One of mine was not trying out for the University of Washington women’s basketball team (this was in the early 80’s). What kept me from harvesting? Fear of failing, pride, youth, and lack of encouragement (I didn’t know anyone here in Seattle). That I might not have made it isn’t the point anymore. What needs harvesting in your life that if you don’t pluck it, it will rot? What is coming to a particular convergence for you? What encouragement do you need to harvest yourself? Who can support you? Sometimes the work at Centerpoint is to help with that extra nudge, that extra support, the encouragement to “pluck” oneself. We don’t have to harvest ourselves alone – thank goodness! Have a wonderful October!

Warmly,

Catherine

Catherine Follett
Program Director

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One Step at a Time

October has been busy month at Centerpoint.... everyone seems to be settling in to a busy fall. One thing I have been thinking about is how can I follow my passions more fully and be attentive to the places where I need to take the next step. Many times what is need is to put one foot in front of the other and continue to cultivate a willingness to risk. More often than I care to admit, I get trapped by fear and self-doubt. Yet, there are also moments where I'm beginning to notice that I can confidently step ahead and things turn out just fine and sometimes even much more than fine! For example, I just recently began taking a Salsa dancing class. I have been thinking about doing that for about a year now. So, the other day, I made the call and signed up. I am enjoying it and improving my skills. I am so glad I signed up for the class! Sometimes, one step can open the door to many others... just like in dancing! :)

I am so appreciative of the encouragement that I receive at Centerpoint to continue to move forward in my vocational gifts, talents, and skills. It is an excellent "greenhouse" of sorts to grow and sometimes certain areas get ripe and need to be harvested. It is like this in our lives... What area in your life can you take the next step, no matter how small it may seem? We here at Centerpoint are ready and able to stand alongside and support you in this process.

Enjoy your October! Give me a call in the office if you have any questions or would like to sign up for anything.

Shelley

Shelley Pearson
Front Office Manager

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Not To Be Missed!

BRAND NEW WORKSHOP!
Surviving the Holidays... Without Gaining Weight or Going Crazy!!
This 1.5 hour workshop offers practical tips on how to find balance during the season, which in turn will bring more joy and peace throughout the holidays! Plan ahead this year and learn some practical strategies to navigate these high-calorie, high-stress days. This workshop, facilitated by Gail Hilderbrand, is on Monday, Nov 12th from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Tuition: $38 ($30 for Centerpoint Associate Members). Please call 206.686.LIFE to register.

Career Forum: Food Careers
Are you growing tired of your current job? Inspired by the Food Network and are considering entering the culinary world but don't know where to begin or what resources are available to you? Then this might be the event for you! On November 7th, 2007 from 6:30-8:30pm, Centerpoint is bringing together a panel of some of the most sought after "foodies" in the Seattle scene for in-depth discussions of their inspirational careers and how they turned the ideal into reality. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists.

The panel includes the Executive Chef from Union Square Grill, Eric Hellner; the Owner and President of Ezell's Famous Chicken, Ezell Stephens and business partner, Lewis Rudd; and the Founder of Cascadia Consulting, Tiffany Diamond. If you would like to register or to receive further information, please contact us at 206.686.LIFE. The event is free if you are a Centerpoint member and $24 for the general public.. Pre-registration is required. We are also looking for volunteers to help with the event. Please contact, Shelley in the Front Office if you would like the opportuntiy to help with this amazing career forum!

Save the Date: KPLU Graduate Degree Fair on January 9th, 2008 from 2-8 PM. Plan to attend the workshop, "How Does a Graduate Degree Fit into Your Future?" facilitated by Carol Vecchio.

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Upcoming Workshops...

How Introverts Can Thrive In An Extroverted World
In the first two-hour session, learn strategies that you, as an introvert, can immediately use to communicate more effectively, especially with people you don't know. At the next session, discuss the techniquies that worked for you and uncover ways of handling what's still a challenge. This workshop, facilitated by Jo Kelly Welch, is on two Saturdays, Oct 20th and 27th from 10am-12pm. Act fast, this class begins Saturday! Tuition: $83 ($71 for Centerpoint Associate Members). Please call 206.686.LIFE to register.

Advance Your Career: Practical Tips to Get What You Want
Learn valuable, proven strategies to advance your career and get what you want from your work. Determine the next steps you need to take that have a high positive impact with a relatively low level of effort. This workshop, facilitated by Annie Kurz, is on Thursday, Oct 25th from 12pm-1:30pm. Tuition: $38 ($30 for Centerpoint Associate Members). (Box lunch is optional at an additional $11.) Please call 206.686.LIFE to register.

LifeWork Renewal
If you (or someone you know) are in need of gaining a fresh new perspective on the changes you have been experiencing in your life and/or work then plan to attend this workshop! Upcoming classes: if you're in a big life or career shift, plan on the all-day session Saturday, Nov 3 from 9:30am to 4:30pm or attend the condensed session on Thursday, Nov 15th from 6:15-9:15pm (Condensed Session includes Associate Membership). 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. Upcoming classes: The next nine-week series begins on Tuesday Nov 13th at 5 PM with Trudy McKnight. We also have an Early Career Passion Search (for those in their 20's and early 30's who'd like to participate in this process with their peers) 10 Tuesdays beginning on Dec 4th with Cody Strauss. Please call 206.686.5433 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 call 206.686.LIFE for more information.

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We Really Could Use Your Help!

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.

LCD Projector (our current projector is so antiquated it can't even work with our laptop!) :-(
Digital Camcorder with Internal Hard Disk Drive (1)
Adobe Creative Suite 2 (1)
Upgrade to FileMaker Pro (1)
FileMaker Pro

How else 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! :-)

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! :-) 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 would you like to ensure Centerpoint’s future so we'll be here when you experience your next transition? :-)

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Centerpoint Institute for Life and Career Renewal
4000 NE 41st Street
Building D West, 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