Standing in the oneness of our similarities rather than the separation of our differences!

I have been with Union Rescue Mission for 3 months now.  I love the work and I love the dichotomy of my new world.  On one end is the enormity of the work to be done. Los Angeles has more people experiencing homelessness than any other city in the U.S. and Skid Row has so many concentrated in one area that the City of Angels has also earned the distinction of being referred to as a "third-world city".  

On the streets surrounding the Mission homelessness is on full display. By day the sidewalks are teaming with activity; at night tents and cardboard boxes join the fray. There are antics and anger and sadness but also smiles and joviality. Inside URM we are part of the solution ~ offering those experiencing homelessness meals, shelter, spiritual encouragement, training, classes, counseling and clinics. 

The employees, my co-workers, are hard-working, committed, no-nonsense yet fun. The mission is evident throughout the building: "We embrace people experiencing homelessness with the compassion of Christ ~ giving hope and healing for a changed life ~ helping them find their way home". As I drive in each day I chuckle to myself at how different my surroundings are from everywhere else that I have ever worked. As I drive away I am proud that today I made a contribution in a way that deeply matters to me.  

The other side of this world, also very different from my previous career, is working with donors - people who give their time and resources to a cause with the sole purpose of making a difference. When I joined URM I was pleased to join the planning meetings for one of URM's largest events, the Hearts for Hope Gala given by the Hearts for Hope committee. 

Hearts for Hope 2014

The Committee, with URM's input, plans and hosts this annual event benefiting Hope Gardens Family Center, URM's facility exclusively for women and children located away in the foothills of Angeles Forest. Each year this group of women pour their hearts into creating an event that raises money and support for the women and children of Hope Gardens.  

Saturday, March 8, was the 2014 Hearts for Hope Gala; what a wonderful introduction to fundraising it was!  The committee came early to set up and were later joined by spouses, family and friends. URM and Hope Gardens staff also showed up in droves, many staying from early morning to late evening.  Moms who have restored their lives through Hope Gardens also joined and one shared her story. In my opinion, it was the perfect illustration of why I wanted to do this work ... uniting those who need help with those who can provide it ... giving the same dignity to the "givee" as the "giver" ... acknowledging the responsibility that we all have to one another and most important to me ... standing in the oneness of our similarities rather than the separation of our differences. It was a stellar evening!  

Hope Gardens Staff

Guest Laila Ali and Entertainers Kylie Hughes and Joy Enriquez

CEO Andy Bales and Honorees Roma Downey and Mark Burnett

I am elated to do my part as a Major Donor Development Representative to bring these two worlds together. I am amazed at how right it all feels. I know, as I knew when I worked to make this happen, that this is God-inspired. It is bigger than me and I am grateful. And certainly for Career Passionists everywhere, this does not mean that my new role does not have its challenges, it simply means that I finally connect to the purpose within the challenge!

This month's Career Passionist ~ Lupita!

This past Sunday Lupita Nyong’o won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave.”  Lupita came to acting relatively recently yet took home the Oscar for what was, amazingly, one of her first films! 

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress

I loved the fact that Lupita remembered in her moment of glory to salute the "why" of the passion behind her work.  In her acceptance speech she shared ... I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own ... it doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. 

... and take on the pain she did!  

Lupita said [on portraying Patsey in '12 Years a Slave']  I was heartbroken by her (Patsey) story. I just felt so sorry for her. I recognized then that I had a lot of work to do to get to a point where I could play her, because feeling that kind of sympathy for someone is no way to actually inhabit them.. She was just simple and she was trying to get by on a daily basis. She's not sentimental about her pain. I had to have the same kind of attitude.  

[on retaining overnight the elaborate scarring makeup on her back, incurred in the brutal sexual scenes with the sadistic plantation owner] They were haunting. I could only sleep on my belly. I was just so aware of them the whole night. I remember fretting and weeping, and then it occurred to me that my discomfort was temporary, and the woman who I was playing, her discomfort was permanent. It just really centered me, and really quieted my soul for the next day's work.

With preparation like that, an Oscar definitely seems appropriate!  The best part however was at the end of her Oscar winning speech, Lupita gave "Career Passionists" everywhere hope and inspiration with these words...  "When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid."  

Career Passionists your dreams are valid too, and as if you needed it, you have my permission to pursue them!  

My pick for this month's Career Passionist ~ Lupita Nyong’o! 

ESFP "The Performer" - What do Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso, Magic Johnson and Ronald Reagan all have in common?

NIn my humble opinion any discussion of career passion must include the Myers-BriggsType Indicator (MBTI).  The MBTI tool consists of multiple choice questions that sort respondents on the basis of the four "dichotomies" (pairs of psychological opposites). Sixteen different outcomes are possible, each identified by its own four-letter code, referred to by initial letters.  I am an ESFP (Extravert, Sensing, Feeling, Perception) also known as The "Entertainer".  I tested as an ESFP 25 years ago when I first took the Myers Briggs and while I hope a lot has changed (maturity, responsibility, etc.) 25 years later I still tested as an ESFP:

E – Extraversion preferred to introversion: ESFPs often feel motivated by their interaction with people. They tend to enjoy a wide circle of acquaintances, and they gain energy in social situations (whereas introverts expend energy).

S – Sensing preferred to intuition: ESFPs tend to be more concrete than abstract. They focus their attention on the details rather than the big picture, and on immediate realities rather than future possibilities .

F – Feeling preferred to thinking: ESFPs tend to value personal considerations above objective criteria. When making decisions, they often give more weight to social implications than to logic.

P – Perception preferred to judgment: ESFPs tend to withhold judgment and delay important decisions, preferring to "keep their options open" should circumstances change.

Other Notable ESFP's include:  Magic Johnson, Marilyn Monroe, Pablo Picasso and Ronald Reagan

ESFPs live in the moment, experiencing life to the fullest. They enjoy people, as well as material comforts.  Rarely allowing conventions to interfere with their lives, they find creative ways to meet human needs. ESFPs are excellent team players, focused on completing the task at hand with maximum fun and minimum discord. Active types, they find pleasure in new experiences. 

ESFPs take a hands-on approach in most things. Because they learn more by doing than by studying or reading they tend to rush into things, learning by interacting with their environment. They usually dislike theory and written explanations. Traditional schools can be difficult for ESFPs, although they tend to do well when the subject of study interests them, or when they see the relevance of a subject and are allowed to interact with people.  Observant, practical, realistic, and specific,

 

ESFPs make decisions according to their own personal standards. They use their Feeling judgment internally to identify and empathize with others. Naturally attentive to the world around them, ESFPs are keen observers of human behavior. They quickly sense what is happening with other people and immediately respond to their individual needs. They are especially good at mobilizing people to deal with crises.  Generous, optimistic, and persuasive, they are good at interpersonal interactions. They often play the role of peacemaker due to their warm, sympathetic, and tactful nature.  Living in the here-and-now, they often do not think about long term effects or the consequences of their actions.  While very practical, they generally despise routines, instead desiring to 'go with the flow.' They are, in fact, very playminded. Because ESFPs learn better through hands-on experience, classroom learning may be troublesome for many of them, especially those with a very underdeveloped intuitive side.

I loved taking the Myers Briggs Test in my early 20's because it helped me learn not to apologize for who I was (acting impulsively, always seeking the amicable route, choosing group activities versus solitary ones).  Sometimes this personality type has not served me well, but it's me and I've learned to navigate it.  I have learned to not react quite as quickly as I would have in the past.  I have come to look forward to time alone time and I have tried to learn to incorporate logic and not just emotion into my decisions (Lol!).  The MBTI solidified my original career-choice as a salesperson and twenty-five years later it helped me to redirect my career.  

All of that said, I strongly urge all "Career-Passionists" ... if you have not done so already ... to take a moment to identify/re-identify what your your career passion looks like so that you may learn ... 

• How you focus your attention or get energy (extraversion or introversion)
• How you perceive or take in information (sensing or intuition)
• How you prefer to make decisions (thinking or feeling)
• How you orient yourself to the external world (judgment or perception)

TAKE THE TEST AND PLEASE CHECK IN AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU ARE! I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU! :) In the meantime, here is a list of Career Choices for the ESFP: the Entertainer/Creator personality.  ActorArtist Admin Assistant Coach Comedian Church Worker Child Care Entrepreneur Fashion Designer Human Resources Interior Decorator Lawyer/Attorney Marketer Musician Painter Psychologist/Counselor Photographer Recreation Worker Receptionist Systems Analyst Supervisor Sales Representative Social Worker Scientist Technical Specialist Trainer

Follow the yellow brick road

"It's always best to start at the beginning -- and all you do is follow the Yellow Brick Road" Glinda the Good Witch's quote to Dorothy about starting her journey on the Yellow Brick Road" in "The Wizard of Oz." 

You are working towards your goal even when you do not realize it. I have been in my new position as a Major Donor Development Representative for the Los Angeles Union Rescue Mission for four weeks now.  It has all been a completely new experience and it has been just right!  I am honored to work for the oldest rescue mission in the city, the largest of its kind in the nation, and the only Christian-based mission in Los Angeles’ Skid Row. I appreciate that the guests do not need to be Christian to utilize the services.  However, if they seek it, we offer the amazing solution of Jesus’ love and grace which redeems and restores.

I wondered why it all felt so right. Then this weekend as I was writing my blog, learning Twitter, researching future blog topics, watching Super Soul Sunday, etc. I came across something I had written two years earlier describing my vision for what I wanted my career to look like... 

WHO: INFORMATION OFFICER, FUNDRAISER, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, PROJECT MANAGER, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY MANAGER

WHAT:  COMPANY/CAUSE I BELIEVE IN, DEVELOP & IMPLEMENT STRATEGIC PLANS, RAISE AWARENESS, RAISE FUNDS, DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, USE MEDIA BACKGROUND TO ADVISE, EVALUATE EFFECTIVENESS OF PLANS, ACT AS A SPOKESPERSON, PARTICIPATE AND REPRESENT ORGANIZATION  AT SPECIAL EVENTS, NO SALES!! NO MORE MONTHLY TRAVEL EVER!!!

WHERE: AN HOUR OR LESS COMMUTE FROM HOME

HOW: A MULTI-CULTURAL OFFICE WITH ALL AGE GROUPS/ETHNICITIES/SOCIO-ECONOMIC LEVELS, LED BY SOMEONE WHOSE VALUES I ADMIRE AND ARE REFLECTED THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE CONNECTED

OK, that won;t be me, but you get the idea!

WHY: TO FIND THE CAREER THAT I CAN GROW OLD WITH AND RETIRE FROM  

Having spent my 20’s and early 30’s with the #1 criteria being “How much money will I make?" quickly followed by #2 "How much time will it leave for me to be a Mommy?"  This list was different. It was about a career that I believed would speak to my soul. I wrote it and tucked it away but obviously it was still top of mind because it perfectly describes my work place. It's my yellow brick road, the road to my standard of success and happiness. I do not know the final destination yet but I don't have to.  I have started down the road!

So that is a recap of my first month as a URM Donor Development Representative. This week I will start setting appointments to meet my assigned donors; the wonderful people who support URM. Some have just made their first donation and others have been faithful supporters for 20 years or more. I cannot wait to hear their stories and to learn why this organization is important to them. I will be sure to let you know what I discover. Please check back often or subscribe by entering your email address in the "Follow by email" box. 

If you would like a personal tour of URM or Hope Gardens please contact me personally at (213) 316-2752 / dhicks@urm.org. If you'd like to donate please do the same or to donate anonymously: http://urm.convio.net/site/PageNavigator/signup.html

Love and Light, Dawn