Second week of Winter (15th of the Year to Change)

WINTER	SPIRIT
	December: Gifts & Giving
Week 14: 30 Nov-7 Dec		Giving to others: It's Advent! Send Christmas cards & gifts to friends/family Send an unexpected card to someone you don't usually include Work out how you can give to your community, society, world at large... and then do it!
Week 15: 7-14 Dec		Assessment of own gifts/talents: List current opinion of own gifts/talents, then do the following - Skills Scan: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/get-started.htm Values Card Sort: http://thegoodproject.org/toolkits-curricula/the-goodwork-toolkit/value-sort-activity/ Resumé Review: Print a copy of CV. Using highlighters, mark what you wish to continue (what brings joy!) in green and roles/outcomes to be left behind in orange. Mark in pink anything from the orange areas that could be redeemed in any way. Now revisit and revise original list.

With a pile of Christmas cards ready for posting (including at least one to someone who won't expect it) and having started up a new monthly friendship group (my thing for the community) I turn to my gifts and talents, which I reckon as being intelligent and articulate, having a dry sense of humour, and being kind, organised, imaginative, and creative.

Results from skill set survey:

Equal first: Time Management + Leadership & Management

Equal second: Communication skills + Personal Mastery

Third: Problem solving & decision making

Results from value sort:

My most important values - creating balance, honesty/integrity, openness, & quality

My least important values - fame/success, material wealth, power/influence, & recognition

Resumé Review:

I have set myself a tricky task here, since four years ago, when we moved to France, I effectively took early retirement; otherwise, I would still have three years to work.

The main aspect of being an employee that I am glad to leave behind is not being autonomous, and having to be a 'public face' for organisations when one's own views and/or ways of dealing with issues and other people would be rather different. However, what I find I am not happy to leave behind is the sense of purpose that paid or unpaid occupation brings. Having worked all my life and at the same time been very actively involved in various organisations and endeavours, it is increasingly difficult to find ways to create a sense of meaningfulness, and I have learnt that my personal happiness is bound up with a sense of serving others in some way. Without that I feel both frustrated and vacuous. What brings me joy? Making a positive difference to others, singing, leading worship, being by the sea. With the exception of singing (although without an audience, why would you?) I am not currently able to do any of these - but hopefully in the not-too-distant future at least some of that will change. 

I don't think I need to change my original list of gifts/talents, just look for more/different opportunities to use them! :-)