Fifty

I've drifted into a 'countdown' theme for my updates.  It is interesting (to me) that when I count down the time remaining for some long anticipated event, like my sons coming home for holiday break, time nearly stands still.  That date just never gets here soon enough.   So why is it that time accelerates when we are counting down the time we have left to accomplish our goals?  Eight actual days spent on my leave and I'm already feeling late!   I may have to change my theme because there isn't enough time to do all I need to accomplish but the weeks are racing by.  I suppose it does keep me focused on accomplishing goals each week.

At the Agency, the frenetic pace continues.  I was able to meet a lot more people, re-connect with some from the December workshops, and train a new group on  the problem-solving techniques we'll be using this year.  Training sounds like I've done all the teaching and they've done all the learning.  Not so much.  The truth is I keep discovering how the skills I learned in one context translate and apply to this new organization and their needs.  We're on this journey together, each bringing different value and perspective. I can already tell that I've grown from their experiences.  I hope the same is true for them.  

The  most memorable part of the week was actually a meeting at my 'regular' job.  I attended an orientation session with my peers that are the other recipients of our company's social service leave program grants.  Five of us in all, from across the company and across the country.  That bring the total to a very fortunate 504 people over the last 42 years to collect our regular paychecks while 100% focused on a volunteer mission.  Time and money. Pretty amazing commitment to giving back for Corporate America.  

Listening to the presentations about what everyone will be doing was interesting.  All noble causes.  Each doing their part to help others. Everyone passionate about what they were doing.  For example, we'll be applying our talents and energy helping our wounded veterans, those struggling to get food, or  people with no access to traditional healthcare.  Topics we read about every day that might seem to big or too remote for us to even begin to help with.  But every person spoke with compassion and emotion about the gift we've been given to be able to help those in our communities, and around the world.  Yes, we were told just how special we were to volunteer for such work.  That is always nice to hear, for sure.  But the sentiment from around the table was much more about how humbled we feel to have this opportunity.

So on those notes of excitement and emotional highs, we left our corporate board room to venture off into our personal projects.  Driving home, I thought more and more about the work to get done, how to focus my time, and what a great responsibility I had to live up to the expectations of 503 people that have taken on similar challenges.  Terrific.  Just when I thought the bar couldn't get higher!  OK, time to get down to the serious work!