Core Values

I haven't set an actual goal at this point, to write once a week, but I like the idea that as of today, I've successfully done this for two whole weeks!!! Now, forgive me, anyone reading for entertainment or value add, but at this stage in the game, I'm writing for me....just to do it, to build a good habit - to reconnect with sentence structure, syntax and spelling, all my old friends.....and to reflect on this season of life:)

I remember when the year 2000 arrived....no I'm not referring to all the y2k insanity but rather to a phrase my dad used to repeat over and over prior to that year - "Amy, do you know that you'll be 20 on the 20th in the year 2000?" Well, 20 on the 20th I was that year, and I as contemplate that season of life, it's hard to believe that another 10 years has passed and another decade has begun.

I love round numbers - even numbers that can be organized and divided up in nicely paired parcels....so of course, despite the fact that 2009 was the year I became a bride, I have a certain love for the year 2010:) It seems like a better year than most to start or try something new, and to really succeed at it....whatever that might be. Random I know, but these are the silly things I find myself thinking about from time to time. 2010 also seems like a great year to get organized in the office, to take the effectiveness of my job to a new level and to start preserving my memories of days gone by in a way I can look back fondly on in the future.

The last few days I've attended a professional development conference (ALADN) that has been dynamic. Of course it's easy to get energized by meetings like these, but for me especially, it's the first time I've been in a room with more than 170 other people who do what I do - specifically. I honestly think that I'd started to believe that I was the only one facing the challenges and opportunities that I do in my current job (raising money for the Pepperdine Libraries, among other things). But this week I've been affirmed in every fear and frustration that I encounter in my job and I've been infused with energy, ideas, confidence, and a new hope for the future of my work. Now of course none of this changes how many hours are in the day - but I do hope that it will effect how I perceive and use the hours that I do have.

One of the sessions yesterday was about finding the balance in our lives.....between work and life...and in so doing we were encouraged to look at the things we value most in our lives. It was actually a brief exercise that I recommend you try too:

1. List your personal Core Values
2. What would your family say that you value?
3. Think of a favorite book/movie - are there values you can add?
4. Think about people who push your buttons and why?
5. Do you value the OPPOSITE of these characteristics?
6. Finally, consider your list and prioritize it.
7. Then ask - are any of these things on the floor?

**The facilitator closed the session by explaining that Family, Friends, Health, and Spirit are all made out of glass - if you drop them, they tend to shatter....but Work is like a ball, and it can always bounce back. She encouraged us to remember this as we consider the way that we balance our values and allow them to determine how we spend our time and energy.**

Here's my final list of Core Values:

1. God/Faith/Belief
2. Love/Passion/Jeremy
3. Family/Friends
4. Health/Life
5. Laughter/Creativity/Adventure
6. Growth/Personal Development (why I'm writing this blog:)
7. Achievement/Success/Productivity (work)
8. Flexibility
9. Acceptance

In other words.....LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE.

Of course, this exercise, and my values list are only one of the many things that I'm taking away from this conference, but I share about it here because I think it might be helpful for others to think about, and because the act of reflection often allows information and experiences to really sink into our hearts and minds, and in turn, those things can influence or inspire change. My goal in sharing this information here, is that while I process all the other learning I've done over the last three days and consider how I want to change the way in which I work, I aspire to do that through the lens of these values. Hopefully this perspective will empower me to work for and from the things that I value most, and in a way that enhances my work and personal life overall.

Spring is in the Air...

This has been quite a week and a half or so....don't get me wrong, I don't have much to show for it, but I have been out of my element and that has been good...for the most part. The adventure started with my final juror summons arriving in the mail, complete with NO ADDITIONAL OPTION TO DEFER.

Yeah, yeah, I guess there is no good time to "serve our civic duty" so I was game to get called in Monday...nope, no duty, cool. So I called Tuesday...nope, Wednesday...nope...maybe I'm in the clear. But oh Thursday, Thursday...please report to the criminal justice building etc etc so report I did.

If I'm being honest, even Thursday I was still hopeful that I might be home free - complete with the final episodes of Season 5 of Lost on my laptop, I figured I would just sit through the day and be free to go before the day was out.

Now a reasonable person would wonder why on earth would I think that when the county of Los Angeles pushes 11,000 jurors through their system every day....or was it week?! Regardless, when I was finally called up to a courtroom mid-afternoon, I still thought that maybe, just maybe this would be something short.....well, needless to say, I was wrong....and that's all I can say about that for now:)

So, thus begun my adventures in downtown LA among all those lawful jurors reporting for duty.....walking my way down 6 blocks from the stunning Disney Concert Hall (where I've still never seen a show) and eventually mapping out the fastest route down to the building and up to my double-digit floor for court.

Now the first thing that is great about jury service is getting to arrive mid-morning....yeah, you still have to account for traffic and parking, but mid-morning is a nice time to show up and actually start functioning within the world...I could totally go for a 10-4 schedule with lunch thrown in....I digress.

Second, with the incredible weather in LA, there have been few better days to walk to work or stroll around town during lunch - while downtown isn't my favorite place to be, the sunshine streaming through the buildings and the trees is enough to lift anyone's spirits.

Third, I have finished almost three books over the course of my service. I finished a great book called Bounce by a Pep alum named Keith McFarland - a short but great book about creating resilient companies in tough times. Second, I finished Malibu: California's Most Famous Seaside Community, which is one of the titles featured in the One Book, One City-Malibu reading program this month. Third, I managed my way through the beginning of Fearless Fundraising, a guide to helping equip non-profit boards in their efforts to raise money for organizations. Of course each of these titles relates back to the work I'm doing in the office, but it's a nice change of pace from my jaunt into the world of Stephanie Meyer's New Moon, and the final season of LOST.

One of the other great things about downtown is being so unfamiliar with it. Now I've explored the fashion district, the flower mart, jewelery district, garment district, Alvaro Street, Union Station and even Phillipe's...okay so thanks to Lindsay, perhaps "unfamiliar" wasn't quite the right word....BUT aside from our LA adventure day and a few other soirees, I haven't spent all that much time wandering around town - not enough time to really know my way around. So imagine my surprise one day when I walked all the way around a nondescript building only to discover that hidden beneath was a whole outdoor mall. All I could say was YAY for Quizno's, Carl's, CVS and the Post Office:) I mailed bday cards, baby cards, got a quick snack and did some quality people-watching too:)

So aside from my service, it's been fun to do something a little different, to meet and encounter new and diverse people and to have the chance to explore unknown territory. Now of course this all hasn't made it easy to be away from the office for a handful of days, but it is good for perspective and inspiration and it's just refreshing to do something unpredictable and out of the norm.

Tonight I'm letting this change of pace, seep into my evening routine....despite being sick this week, I'm taking my first step back toward doing something that I love...which is to write....and I'm doing my best not to worry too much about who's reading or what they think....no, I'm just trying to write...something, anything...so that I can get beyond here and start on my journey to somewhere out there....wherever "out there" may be:)

P.S. Have a mentioned recently how much I love Cadbury Creme Eggs?! One fun thing about living in England was that you could get them all throughout the year, not just at Easter. They are over-the-top sugary for me, but mmmm, that frosting...so, so good.