Sunday, October 21, 2012

Ponderings #31


Dear fellow travelers,

Thank you for reading and responding to my Ponderings. You are the blessing.


Today with a few people the topic came up about retiring, a new life. Now I know you are not old enough to consider such an option but many years ago, I also "never" was going to retire, that word "never" again. I would work until they carried me out! How's that for a proclamation?

Then as fate had it, one weekend I went to an ashram, with no agenda. We arrived very late on a Friday night, the next day I was totally disoriented, I was exhausted, hungry, lost and alone. The other attendees were at an intensive.

I finally found the main center and a meditation cave, very, very dark. I slumbered around a bit and found a spot on the floor and stared into the candle on the altar.

After a while, I heard a voice, inside me say,

"Who are you without your job?"

This really rocked me. "What? and who was I?"

I left the cave totally shakened and walked around the grounds the rest of the day emotionally depleted.--- I was my job, I always identified with my job. After all I forged ahead during the EEOC in an man's environment, I was a trail blazer!! I was......

Who was I?.........................Who would I be without my title, without my job?...........

After much purging and the rest of the weekend to process.................................


On Monday I went into the office and resigned. Much to everyone's shock.

But I was Clear.


Fast forward...I have survived, actually thrived. I do have a life, which has manifested in several areas. I haven't looked back except to be grateful for the great skill training I had been given.


Now when someone asks you "What do you do?" What do you say?

What is your identity? and who are you?? You may be very surprised at to who you really are.


I was surprised, and I still am because I am always evolving. I still am discovering other avenues to explore. That's life for me, always ready and to learn something new. And to serve, even if thru the tiny titbits I have gleamed along my way.


Just Pondering on identity.



Linda Patton, RScP, ENTC




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