Velma's Musings | Life, Changes, and so much more…

Life in Corporate Canada

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Velma Gallant

Life is good Corporate Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Still loving it!

I went back to a “normal” job closing in on 2 years ago. I was freaked out about it, but wanted the perceived benefits. Working from home just wasn’t working anymore. I felt like I was working 24/7, and my family life was crumbling around my ears. Not what I wanted. Family is my highest value.

Fast forward to today…this “normal” job thing is working! Love my job, boss, company, coworkers, and weekends!

One of my favourite sayings has been nothing is good or bad unless you say it is so. And that’s true. I’m pretty sure I made my previous “job” experience worse than it needed to be. And, that’s OK. I learned a lot there, working from home, and with each step in my journey.

I’m taking some leadership classes through my work, and I’m loving that. I’m using my creativity in my job, even though it wouldn’t be considered a position that requires a lot of creativity.

Anyway…talking about the job isn’t that exciting a topic. I’m happy with it, but I’m realizing there are some other gaps I can take care of now that the job thing is working well.

Exploring new hobbies. I’ve always wanted to learn an instrument. As my son plays drums, and my husband plays guitar (and drums), I think bass guitar might be a fun one…and I know of a really great teacher nearby.

There’s a culinary school that does little classes for the amateur chef 😉 that I’d like to visit. They have classes like knife skills and more. Did a class with a group and learned a lot, so I think learning more would be awesome. Food TV is on a lot at our house, so that one seems natural.

Oh, and I just went gluten-free. Not by choice either. After a gluten-binge I ended up with a 3 day stomach ache. Decided I’m tired with my body yelling at me and I just may want to listen. So that’s another thing I’ll be playing with. I’m sure going to miss my vietnamese subs though…until I find a crusty-bun solution.

That’s all for today! Had the urge to write, so I listened. Not sure about that urge though…wasn’t sure what to write so thought I’d just share where I’m at.

Hope y’all are doing well out there in cyberland!

Warmly,

Velma

Purpose

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Velma Gallant

The Thinking Man sculpture at Musée Rodin in Paris (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was watching a documentary the other day. (Can’t remember what it was called, but it was on Netflix.)

Someone on the documentary was talking about Purpose. What he said really got me to thinking (again—nothing new there).

He said when we are looking for our purpose, what we’re actually looking for is acknowledgement.

Bam…right between the eyes!

I had been thinking that the radio show, the mentoring, the speaking…those had to be my purpose. I was to be out there making a difference in other people’s lives…in this specific way. Things seemed to be pointing that way many times through out the journey in my business.

When I chose to walk away from the business, part of me was thinking I was walking away from my purpose. Part of me knew better than that, of course, but that was part of the pain I was dealing with when I made this decision.

I’ve been thinking a lot about purpose over the past six months. What if my purpose is simply to be the best parent I can be to our son? What if my purpose is to be the best wife I can be to my husband? What if my purpose is to be the best daughter I can be to my Mom? What if my purpose is to be the best friend I can to my friends?

Even more granular than that…

What if my purpose is to be the best me I can be?

Gulp.

What’s the best me? What does that look like? What do I WANT that to look like? Will I still include outside acknowledgment in that description, or can I be happy with my own acknowledgement?

Again, what’s the Truth I’m telling myself when I answer these questions?

I would like my “best me” to be based solely on my own acknowledgement. But I have to be perfectly honest. I’ve always included other people’s acknowledgement in my vision of me.

Ouch. Always? Yup. Always.

So…

What if I practiced creating a vision of Me based on my choices?

I do pick being the best Mom, Wife, Daughter and Friend I can be. I pick being kind. I pick being as non-judgmental of myself and others as I am able, and to practice more allowing. I pick being a better caretaker of my physical body. I pick being a better caretaker of my heart. I pick being a better caretaker of my mind.

I pick being a better caretaker of my Me.

What does your “Best You” look like?

Is that enough Purpose for you?

Warmly,

Velma

Back Surgery Anyone?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Velma Gallant

Saw this picture on Facebook, and I had to grab it!

I’ve learned more about Law of Attraction and life by things not working out the way I had them planned. Case in point releasing my business and going back to the corporate world. That was NOT as I had planned it.

AND…

I have always believed there was a part of me that knew what was going on, even when “I” didn’t.

SO…

What was going on? Why weren’t things working out the way I planned?

I remember being much younger and my Mom laughing at all my plans. I learned later that they were better described as Intentions I was flexible on.

My business wasn’t one of those plans I was calling “Intentions I was Flexible On”. It was something I was hard nosed about. It had to be this way, and it had to be this way by this date.

Guess how I was feeeeeling when I was being a hard nose? I was not vibrating high if you want to use LOA terms.

I was in fear a good lot of the time!

It got to the point that I had to make a decision, and it was a tough one. That’s why this picture made so much sense to me when I saw it today.

I had to get some backbone to make the decision I made.

I had to make a decision that was contrary to what I thought I wanted.

I had to call into question what I thought I wanted and look deeply into what I TRULY wanted.

TRUTH.

I had to ask myself some really tough questions and be 100% honest with myself.

Is this business (as it is right now) making me happy? – No.

Is this business achieving what I need it to achieve? – No.

What is truly important to me? – My family.

(Family is my HIGHEST Value. It rises above all else.)

Is this business serving my family? – No.

What do I need to serve my family better? – Income and time.

What would give me these things in a way that I can achieve fairly quickly? – Win the lottery. Get a job.

Clearly getting a job was more within my personal power, so I went after that one.

There was one tool I was still using during this time, and that was my Joy Journal. It’s the one tried and true tool I’ve used over the past 7-8 years. It’s not something I use every day, but it is something I use in one form or another when things aren’t going my way. It’s easy. It can take as few is 2 minutes, but more often than not it takes 5 minutes. Manageable, especially when you’re stressed.

Are you willing to wear your backbone proudly, even when things aren’t going the way you expected or wished they would?

What are the tough questions you need to be asking yourself? Are you willing to tell yourself the truth?

It’s this kind of back surgery that helps you to stop looking back, and begin walking forward proudly.

Warmly,

Velma

Did I forget?

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Velma Gallant

Heart (Photo credit: mozzercork)

Yes. I did forget.

At first, I wrote because I couldn’t silence the things racing through my my heart. I spoke because my heart spilled out through my voice too.

Then my mind kicked in. What if what my heart spoke of could fund my life with my family?

Ok. What if? I didn’t know anything about business. I didn’t know anything about marketing. That’s ok. There are people out there who do and I’ll learn from them. I’ll do what they do.

My mind began doing the speaking and my heart could no longer get a word in edgewise.

That summarizes the life cycle of my business. That is until my mind couldn’t do it anymore and I walked away.

Now I’m beginning to hear my heart again. I don’t care if my writing funds my living. I have a job that funds my living. I just need to write what my heart speaks.

What do you hear when your heart speaks? Has your mind been yelling so loud you can’t hear your heart?

What would it take to quiet your mind so your heart can be heard?

Warmly,

Velma

Peaking Out from Under the Blankets

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Velma Gallant

English: A blanket fort suspended on strings. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is anyone there? I’ve been hiding.

Hiding from perceived prying eyes who may see me in my pain and vulnerability. I don’t want you to see my tear stained cheeks as I judge myself more harshly than anyone else may.

I was walking away from nearly 10 years of work, and judging myself as a failure. Sure, I could talk the talk. “I would be failing my family if I stayed in this.” That much is true, but that wasn’t enough to make me feel better about “Failing Miserably”.

It was enough to stop the judgement.

So what have I been up to? It’s almost 6 months later. There has been a lot that happened.

I got a job. A really good one too! I’m a senior executive assistant in a large corporation. Never thought I’d end up here, but here I am. I enjoy the people I work for and with. The work itself is enjoyable.

Working in “Corporate Canada” is better than I remember. But then again, this past six months has been a lot of learning about Judgement. Apparently I was pretty good at judging things in a way that didn’t serve me.

I judged working for someone else as bad. It’s turned out to be pretty good on a lot of levels. But then again I’m not the same person I was 6 years ago when I left the corporate world.

I judged walking away from my business as bad. It’s turned out to be pretty eye opening. It was an opportunity to re-evaluate and return to my highest values. I was working so hard to “succeed” that I was neglecting other parts of my life.

After six months I’ve made a few more discoveries too.

I miss writing. A lot. Not the mind-bending “I have to write something brilliant” writing. Just writing. Pouring my thoughts and heart out writing.

I miss the interviews I was doing with Welcome Changes Radio, but I am also clear that now is not the time to reopen that door either. I don’t honestly know if it will open again or not, and for now I’m okay with that.

I’m still using a lot of the coaching skills where I am. I like that.

We are always where we are supposed to be. We will always be in places that require us to share our talents, skills and gifts. How we share them is not always the way we expect.

I may hide under my blanket from time to time, but that’s OK. Sometimes we all need that quiet replenishing time.

What about you? Have you hidden and replenished? Are you still hiding? What did you come to understand in those times? Were you OK with withdrawing?

2012. A year of change.

I wonder what’s on the horizon for the next 5 months.

Warmly,

Velma

PS ~ Ever played the Tent Game when you were a kid? Where your room became a fort as you tore the blankets off your bed and used every piece of furniture to create your hideout? Maybe hiding under the blanket isn’t all that bad. Not if you use your imagination just a little.