Faith · Work · Life
Grocery List Shame A few years ago, I ran into my friend Amber Wheeler at the grocery store. I knew Amber from church because she participated in and helped run the Mom’s Group I attended. Since neither of us had any kids along, we stopped to chat. As per usual, I had my grocery list: a crumpled-up, scribbled-on envelope with an old piece of gum tucked under a corner. In contrast, Amber had (I … [Read more...] about Meet the System Sister: Interview with a Professional Organizer
One of my biggest lessons in leadership and what it means to lean into your gifts happened many years ago while watching a basketball game on TV with my husband. It was an exciting game during March Madness and one team was down by a point with just a couple of seconds left. The team who was behind called a timeout to set up a play that would get them a chance for a possible buzzer-beater. If they … [Read more...] about When You Want the Ball: Lessons in Leadership
We spend at least 30% of our lives at work. On average, that’s 900,000 hours over a lifetime. That’s a lot of hours. And if the statistics are also true that 80% of Americans are miserable at their jobs, maybe it’s time to devote some attention to occupational wellness or, to borrow the label du jour, “self-care.” The national conversation around self-care has sadly become associated more with … [Read more...] about 5 Career Self-Care Practices for Christian Professionals
There are many reasons I think everyone should spend some time working in food service, particularly waiting tables. From a Christian perspective, having a job in the hospitality industry is a great way to live out your faith in a very real and authentic way. It’s also demanding work, both physically and mentally, plus it’s an education in maintaining grace under pressure. Another great, if … [Read more...] about Mistakes at Work and How to Recover From Them: Advice from a Former Waitress
Yes, you heard me. No one wants to be your mentor. I know what you're thinking, "Really? No one? Isn't that kind of harsh?" OK, let me think about it some more. Hemming … hawing … STILL NO. No one wants to be your mentor. Of course, there are going to be exceptions to the rule, but just plan on not being one of them. Four Reasons why no one wants to be your mentor 1. Time I guarantee the … [Read more...] about No One Wants to be Your Mentor
If I had to guess, I’d say that maybe 20% of people have always had a pretty clear idea of God’s call on their life. These are the people who knew from a young age that God had called them to serve through…say…teaching. As kids, they taught their stuffed animals, forced their siblings to play school, and sent their pets to the principal’s office. They went to college and got their degree in … [Read more...] about Finding your Calling: When the Answer is the Question
One day it hits you. Why is no one suggesting you apply for the open position? Or, why isn't your boss asking you to head up a new project or join a committee? At first, you brush it off, but you can’t seem to shake the suspicion that you’re not being taken seriously at work. It doesn't make sense. After all, you’re doing everything right. You show up to work on time and you do a good job. … [Read more...] about 6 Reasons Why You’re Not Taken Seriously at Work
I’m pretty sure no one enjoys the feeling of envy, but let me tell you a secret; Envy (and career envy in particular) is a gift. We learn from an early age that it’s wrong to resent and covet what others have, but our career envy is an enormously helpful tool in the process of self-discovery and vocational discernment. In other words, our envy is trying to show us something. "Negative … [Read more...] about The Unexpected Gift of Career Envy
Since you were a kid, you've likely learned to associate fall with fresh starts. Back-to-school mania meant shopping for new school supplies and the excitement of learning who your new teacher and classmates would be. This is the time of year when you can walk into a Target store at any given moment and hear a daughter pleading her case to her harried mother about why she neeeeds a chandelier for … [Read more...] about What To Do With Back-To-School Energy When You’re Not Going Back To School
In the garden center at Lowe's it held such promise. But now? It's a very sad clematis. Plant a clematis they said. It will be easy they said. Four years ago I finally broke down and bought the trellis that lived in my Amazon shopping cart for years (which I love so much I now own 3) and everyone told me a clematis would be the easiest thing to grow on it. Well, "they" were grossly mistaken. … [Read more...] about Bloom Where You’re Planted: Advice for Stay-at-Home-Moms
Wondering how to have a great video interview? You're not alone! This mode of interviewing is becoming more and more common. As with other methods, there are pros and cons, but take a deep breath. There's no reason to panic. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and love, or … [Read more...] about How to have a great video interview
Christians sure love to use the word discernment. And young people are often encouraged to engage in career discernment when it comes time to make big decisions about jobs and education. Discernment simply means "to judge well," but in the Christian context, discernment adds a spiritual component to the very basic human activity of making up our minds about something. This is straight-up WWJD … [Read more...] about Rethinking Career Discernment
I’ve been sitting on this post for…I’m embarrassed to say how long. I’ve deleted, tweaked, inspected, hemmed and hawed over it. I don’t need a psychotherapist to tell me that I’m just dragging my feet. I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW. But, you see, this is my first post to my new blog and website, and I'm feeling just a teensy bit vulnerable and exposed. So far, the "courage to hit publish" is eluding me. … [Read more...] about Getting up the Courage to Hit “Publish”
Last month I talked about my struggle with Impostor Syndrome – the roots of which I can trace back to my childhood. Overcoming Impostor Syndrome has become the work of this season of my life. To recap: The Impostor Syndrome is a collection of feelings of inadequacy and fraudulence that keep us from internalizing our successes; it is chronic self-doubt despite evidence to the contrary. … [Read more...] about Overcoming Impostor Syndrome- Part 2
Unless you've been hiding under a rock the past few years, you've probably heard of Impostor Syndrome. Everyone I've talked to about this topic can usually identify some kind of "impostor" experience. Overcoming Impostor Syndrome, I've decided, is going to be what I tackle as I enter this 5th decade of life. It's my hope that sharing my story in this 2-part series can help someone else on their … [Read more...] about Overcoming Impostor Syndrome- Part 1
Whether you're in a relationship, want to be in a relationship, getting over a relationship, or avoiding them completely, everyone seems to have something to say about them. One thing we often don't discuss, however, in the midst of the hearts and flowers, is how you will balance this relationship with your career. Careers and New Relationships Most of the literature you find on career and … [Read more...] about Balancing a Career and a New Relationship
People who are drawn to meaningful work are often drawn to the nonprofit sector. I am inspired on the daily by my coworkers and interviewees who have made (or are hoping to make) a career that serves the greater good. However, spending any amount of time in a nonprofit organization of ANY kind and you will find that burnout and turnover is high. There are many things that can cause us to … [Read more...] about When your nonprofit job fails to live up to your expectations
A few weeks ago, I turned 40. The birthday itself was perfectly lovely, but the year to six months preceding it … was not so lovely. If it wasn't such a cliché, I guess I might say I was suffering from a mild version of a midlife crisis. I was never in danger of abandoning my family or splurging on a new car, but I did spend some time in existential crisis mode: rehashing my life choices … [Read more...] about Coming to Terms with the Road Not Taken
You've probably heard the trite old saying, "It's not what you know; it's who you know." It might not surprise you, then, that according to most estimates, 70 percent of all jobs are obtained through people you know. I can personally attest to that statistic as I am part of it. Several years ago, I was looking for a job when a friend and former coworker of mine mentioned that she knew about a … [Read more...] about Networking for Introverts
With so many problems created by past generations that need tending, it seems ironic to me that there is a huge, cultural preoccupation with complaining about those of you born between 1980 and 2000. I have seen with my own eyes the glee with which Gen Xers and Baby Boomers label this generation as entitled, participation-trophy-carrying, lazy, entitled, tech-addicted, over-confident, entitled, … [Read more...] about The one where she talks about Anti-Millennial Sentiment
