My husband, David, has been reading The Courage to Lead, by Brian Stanfield of ICA Canada. Last month he attended a workshop in Edmonton and came home enlightened and enthusiastic, and he would now like me to share his exploration of the ideas in the book.
“The Canadian Institute of Cultural Affairs exists to develop the leadership capacity of all people to contribute to positive social change. ICA Canada empowers people to re-imagine their future and equips them to achieve it.” http://www.icacan.org/about
This is an area of life and learning where David and I are fully aligned in our vision and approach, although I think he is somewhat less afflicted by ambition. Possibly once I get my mojo going (and I am hearing it begin to rumble to life, after a year of concentrated healing work), I will use that ambition to begin to craft our idea of working as a partnership to bring the ideas of ICA to life through mentoring, coaching and leadership training that can take us into our future together.
In 2003 I found myself in a degree of shock. I had several losses that disturbed me: Work I love, my second-youngest daughter leaving suddenly for a long way away, and I was told my mother was dying. My mom did not die but my internal system reacted as though it had really happened, perhaps because I was vulnerable from the other losses.
I had been coping with the employment loss quite well, by enrolling in a Leadership Program at Royal Roads University. I thought that with the certificate under my belt, and the excellent references and history of service I had within my organization, I might make a smooth transition into a leadership role, either in my own place of employment or another. These things did not come to fruition at that time, and honestly, most things I have attempted in the years since have been blighted by the shocks I experienced that year. In the eight years since then I have turned in a myriad directions, and found myself blocked in many directions.
I’ll say more about all this as I continue this section of the blog, and if you subscribe you might share with me as I come to a better understanding of the processes of death and rebirth that I experience simultaneously, struggling like the newborn phoenix to emerge from the ashes of my old and weary self.
More later. Time for shopping therapy with my bestie, Holly.
