On Tuesday I arrived at my first destination,  at my sister’s new (but old) house in Easthampton, MA and am just getting my bearings. My niece, Katya who is home for the summer and goes to Smith College just 5-10 minutes away in Northhampton, where I am eating breakfast as I write this. I am passing time at a very quaint breakfast place before I go to check out my first local yoga class. One of my oldest and dearest friend’s lives nearby and has four horses. This area is a mix of old stately prep schools and colleges, rolling green hills, farms, clever shops  and lots of water– rivers, lakes and brooks. After living in Texas during the harshest drought in history, I am looking forward to being wet!

Enjoy this video of Jane Lynch, giving the commencement address at Smith last week:

Do you have a mentor? The definition of mentor that I like best, came from a mentor named Frederic Hudson who said “mentors are models that care.”  I have had a few great mentors in my life but none have made more of a difference in my life than  Jo Todd, PhD.

I was reminded of that this weekend when I attended a retreat she facilitated at her center called The Healing Alliance in Austin, TX. It was a wonderful way to connect to the divine, good friends and myself as I prepare for this traveling journey.

Jo is a magnificentteacher and  has provided me spiritual counseling and mentoring for over 13 years. Her unique blend of intellect, creativity and magic has helped me better align my inner life and my outer life  by helping me develop my intuition, my relationship to the divine and my calling. Bright Livelihoods, would not exist without her loving support and wisdom.  I am very grateful for her, the work we have done together and would recommend her and her work to anyone who is ready to go deeper and have a more vibrant existence.You can join Jo’s blog and learn more here.

If you are looking for a mentor, think about these questions:

• Who do you admire?
• Who has wisdom you have not yet developed?
• Who can help you find and follow your dreams?

Well, my adventure has been transformed from a car trek to a plane and train venture. The main reason for this transformation is that a foot injury would have prevented me from really enjoying a camping trip.This required me to pare down even further which was actually enjoyable and freeing.

This week I sent my 7th and final box of belongings to my sister’s attic in Easthampton, MA and sold my car. I will be traveling with two small suitcases, a computer and a purse.  I must say letting go of most of my stuff has been very freeing. Honestly, I was hoping to have less than 7 boxes but am pleased with my progress and here is the inventory,

1. Shoes

2. Photos and momentos

3. Spring and summer clothes

4. and 5. Fall and winter clothes

6. Christmas decorations (not opened since 2007)

7. Business and personal papers, tennis racket, yoga mat and some miscealanous stuff

Hmmm, now that I see it in print I must say it does not look so bad fro 52 years of collecting.  Next week I will be writing from my first stop on the journey, the North East and telling you about a creative project I am going to do while I travel. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!

 Everyone has different needs as they change careers. It is personal and unique process.

That being said, I have found that it can be helpful to look at patterns in career change and  I have devised four categories as a new way to begin with clients.

Which of these four categories sounds most like you?

1.       Over Jobber – You are done mentally with your current work but may have no idea what to do next.

2.       Idea Launcher- You have one or many ideas about what you want to do next, but need help deciding how to move forward.

3.       Next Lifer – You are already in a career transition either by choice or maybe you have been forced into one through something like a layoff.

4.       Horizon Gazer – you are very content with your current work situation but you are the type of person who is always looking to up your game.

Once you identify your category, see if this advice can help you move forward:

Over Jobber – Do your best to reconnect to your passions at work if possible or at home. If you forget what they are, spend time reflecting on your past and identifying when you were happiest. For example, I recently worked with a client who hated his job tasks but enjoyed the people he worked with so he focused on helping them which made his job more tolerable as he figured out what to do next.

Idea Launcher – You probably need a process for decision making and action. The first thing you can do is to list all you ideas and then prioritize them. Next take small steps to research the feasibility of your top idea and do your best to create momentum.

Next Lifer – Before you can move on to your next chapter, do your best to complete your last chapter well so you can create psychic and physical space for what is next. For example, if you have been laid off, you may need to meet with other staff members to say goodbye and feel complete with your last job.

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Whether you want to grow your career in the industry you are already in, change career tracks or start a business your ogranization, you need one or more ideas that will inspire you to action. Use this  3P guide to bright ideas to help you generate your own ideas:

Passions:

• What do you love to make?
• What do you love to buy?
• What do you love to do?
• What moves you to tears?
• What ignites your curiosity?

Problems:

What are the problems that intrigue you regarding:

• Service
• Product
• Social Issues
  
• Technology
• Health
• Convenience
• Education
  
• Government
• Competition
• Your own area of interest
  

People:

• Who do you love?
• Who do you admire?
• Who do you like hanging out with?
• Who do you envy and why?
• Who do you want to help?
• Who is easy for you to serve?
• Who do you think you understand best?

Using this guide and ideas you already have make a list of 10 ideas and choose one or two to explore. Let me know what your results are here.

I believe young people can grow up and have, not just a job, but a remarkable work life fueled by talents, passions, and purpose. Unfortunately,  often schools and parents are not offering the support needed to get young people on this track.  Here are a few tips to help you move your kids toward enjoyable and meaningful work:

If you are a parent of a teen or young adult, you may be concerned about getting your child into the right school. You may want to focus more energy and time into the right career direction that matches their talents and interests, first:

Thirteen years ago after completing graduate school and having an epiphany in Costa Rica, I packed up my two bedroom upper west side rent-controlled apartment in NYC and set off to find a new home on a 15,000 mile car trek around the western US. I landed in Taos, New Mexico where bought a three bedroom home and stayed for three years before I sold that home, furnished.

Since then I have lived in Brooklyn and Austin and I am currently on my way to another soul adventure to find a new home or at least spend the summer out of the Texas heat. This sort of periodic drastic move seems to be my natural pattern and each time I learn to travel lighter. Last week I sold all of my books, placed my good kitchen stuff into my brother’s guest apartment  and took my furniture to a consignment store. My project this week is to sort through my clothes, my office materials, camping equipment  and art work so all my belongings fit easily into my car.  I will be giving anything of value that is too bulky away to friends, family and goodwill.

The plan so far is to leave Texas in early May and to visit  friends, clients and National Parks. The key of having a real adventure is not to plan too much.

I will be traveling for the next six months you are welcome to join me through this blog. More importantly, you can do your own “local” soul adventure to inspire yourself. This one that follows was designed for anyone that can spare four hours and is an assignment we give all our clients as part of the programs we offer:

The “soul adventure” can really free your imagination, and open you up to your new path.  Create this day with the intention of gaining clarity regarding what your soul work is.

Clear your calendar for a 4-12 hour stretch, and go on a search for your higher wisdom. Here are the rules:

•  Pack a bottle of water, a healthy snack, a notebook or journal, a pen and maps.  Wear good walking shoes and comfortable clothes.
• Leave your house without a plan, other than to go somewhere you have not been before.  You can walk, take public transportation, or drive.
• Do at least one activity you have never done before.
• Speak only to people you have never met. If you prefer, do not speak to anyone. Leave the cell phone at home.
• If you have a spiritual practice, incorporate it into the day. For example, you may choose to pray, meditate, do yoga, go to a church service or a support group meeting.

Record your experience including your activities, inspiring moments, and any resistance you experienced and let me know what happens for you.

Charlie Rose Clip 3222012

Get introduced to leadership legacy of Steve Jobs in this video or see more detail of how you can apply these lessons in the Harvard Business Review article by Jobs’ biographer, Walter Isaacson: http://hbr.org/2012/04/the-real-leadership-lessons-of-steve-jobs/ar/1