One of the things that I’ve discovered in the last few years is that I love to facilitate workshops. I love getting up in front of a group of people and either helping them discover/learn something new or helping them brainstorm new ideas that will make their work more meaningful or effective.
Yesterday I had such an opportunity. We’re undergoing a fairly lengthy and involved strategic planning exercise, and my boss has tasked me with getting us (staff, board of directors, stakeholders) through the process. That means lots of opportunity to brainstorm, facilitate workshops, and basically do what I enjoy doing. In between, there’ll be a whole lot of grunt work (writing reports and workplans, setting up schedules, etc., etc.), but I’m rather excited about the possibilities.
Yesterday, as I cycled home after the session, I felt that old thrill of victory – the feeling and energy you get when you’ve just done something you enjoy, you know you’ve done it well, and you relish the increased insight into what makes you tick. I love discovering my giftedness, and I particularly love it when it surprises me. I love the fact that, at almost 40, I’m still finding out new things about myself. I hope that self-discovery never quits. I hope that, on my death bed, I have one last (or perhaps not last, if the after-life is what I imagine) grand “a-ha” moment.
Makes me think of a Bible verse… “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14