A few weeks ago, I talked about a recent in-person event that Henrieta and I led. It was an amazing experience, and a great entry back into in-person events. A few days after that event we lead a virtual event for a group in another state. It was an amazing experience, and a meaningful interactive virtual experience. After every event we take time to process. We share our thoughts, joys, and concerns about the experience. After both events we commented – “This is why we do what we do!”
My -why- is to share my passions and gifts. By sharing my passions and gifts I hope to create a positive community among participants and leaders (including myself – you know - it is always about me!!). I am continually awed that after all the years that I have been doing this work I still leave an event touched in some very special way by the people that I have met, the stories that they have shared and the gift of the time that I have been blessed to spend with them.
This is not to say that every event is perfect, and every participant is amazingly wonderful. I have experienced stressors, mistakes, and challenging participants and situations. How I chose to process these situations is important. A crucial step in working through the challenges is to re-state and refocus on -why-. Why am I doing this? Once I bring my -why- to the forefront, I ask myself; What can I learn from this? and How can I move past it?
The -why- centers me, motivates me, and helps set a clear path for what needs to be done. As we move into a season of holiday gatherings, and end of year events (both at home and in our work) I invite you to take a few minutes, and brainstorm/mind map the Why? for your gathering/event.