the simplest questions aren't

Seasons of our lives...

so... i love helping people to write resumés. so today, on a whim, i made an offer to the teenagers in my life...

"to the teenagers in my life... if you need a resumé, i'm happy to help. for free. resumé-writing is a passion of mine. i *love* figuring out who you are, what you love, how that shows up in your life, how those things translate to marketable-for-money skills, and how to share that with potential employers. past job experience or not, we can resumé you outside the box. (if you want inside the box, i'm not your girl)."  and i shared some questions that might spark ideas for their resumés.

and then i realized that in this season of life, i'm asking myself similar questions ~ not in relation to just work, but in the context of life, which also includes work. and i'm noticing that some of my answers are different for me now than in the past. and although i expect my self and my life to shift and change and grow, i hadn't noticed *how* different some of my answers are  now. one little shift, here and there, now and then may not seem like much. yet a few years of pondering a LOT, but not necessarily about *those* questions has me feeling a little surprised at how much some of my answers have changed.

so on paper or in my head, i think i'll ponder with the people who take me up on my offer... on my own, going through the steps i'm suggesting for them. the answers matter to me, and not just for resumés. i'm curious to find out where my choices and journey so far have taken me. and curious to see how my current answers will shape my plans, paths, and flight into this new season of my life.

and life is busy, and people need us, and there's never enough time. and that's not reason enough for me to not ask myself those questions again, in this new season of life. to see how my answers have changed. to glimpse and shape the new me that is blooming.

choosing paths, journeys, flights?

so i'm sharing the resumé preparation questions below, in case they might enable anyone here to see your self and/or the new blooms of the women you love as they reconsider life paths and fly into this season of their lives.

NOT exclusively in the context of work, but in the context of LIFE, which might include work:

• identify and list things you love to do and WHY. go deep.

i.e. if you love computer programming, that's not deep enough for what i'm looking for. WHY do you love it? is it truly about enjoying anything to do with a computer? is it about the challenge of solving a puzzle? is it about loving the opportunity to blend math and computer knowledge? is it about the problem solving to hear what someone wants their computer to do, and the challenge and fun of making that happen? is it an area that validates your wish or need to feel smart?

  

if you love fishing, WHY? is it about the chance to be outdoors? is it the challenge? is it a sense of pride that you have the patience and skills to make the catch? is it that you LOVE fresh fish? is it about the opportunity to blend your knowledge of fish, water, the outdoors, ecology, and mountain man/woman traits? is it about the satisfaction of being able to be somewhat self-sufficient? is it about the head-space and mind-space that you go to when you're outdoors fishing? is it about solitude? or about comaraderie with fishing friends? WHAT is it?

  

in the context of work/volunteering:

• identify jobs and volunteering that you loved. and do the why.
• identify jobs and volunteering that you disliked. identify why.  

NOT exclusively in the context of work, but in the context of LIFE, which might include work:

• identify things about yourself that you really like (things you do AND personal qualities)
• identify things you've done that you are proud of

do not even TRY to second-guess yourself for any of the questions, or figure that anything isn't applicable or "good enough". EVERYTHING you like and EVERYTHING you are proud of IS applicable! you are not allowed to rule out ANYthing that comes to mind.

  

as an extreme ridiculous example, i love to poop. that would be on my list, no matter the fact that i have no intention of pooping for a job. (as if there's a job for that anyway.) i value reasonableness and am proud that i try to live it. i don't get to argue myself out of listing it because i might not be reasonable often or consistently "enough". it's stream of consciousness... whatever comes to mind, with no advance deletions allowed.

then... if you were to die tomorrow, and if there was a celebration of your life, what would you hope your friends would say about you?  what would you hope your immediate family would say about you? what would you hope your relatives would say about you? and if you have had any, what would you hope your co-workers and volunteer peers would say about you?

it wouldn't hurt to also google some lists of core values and identify 5-10 core values that resonate most for you.

and if you've gone that far... who IS this person? how is she the same as you in the past? how is she different? what will she dream, and how will you help her dreams to come true? how will you get to know her better, and hug-embrace-welcome-honor her into this new season of your life...?


The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. ~ richard bach