Loving days off!

So I have the day off at both work and Lush for Columbus Day!
I was so excited this morning. First for the chance to sleep in because I had a really busy weekend and second for the opportunity to spend the day in reflection and do things that I want to do. I'm debating wether I should do this like every two weeks. Just take a day off, it has been so much fun.

I have spent the day sprawled out on one of the lawns of Penn's campus. It's gorgeous, the leaves are starting to change and it's a nice warm sunny day. Reading books is def. one of my favorite pasttimes. I also found that I can access computers and the library on Penn's campus with my ID, cha-ching. They have rocking chairs in here which are by far my most favorite things in the world.

I'm currently reading this book by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek called Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary people creating extraordinary lives. It is a really good book and I recommend that everyone I know go to your local library or bookstore and pick up a copy. I'll give you an excerpt:

This book is about how to lead an entrepreneurial life -- discovering what we call our core identity, envisioning the good life, and taking action to pursue it with all the grit and vigor we can muster. It illustrates life entrepreneurship through an actionable framework and stories of fifty-five extraordinary people who have blazed these trailes. We wrote this book to help people lead meaningful and significant lives. It is for a wide ranging audience, including emerging leaders and budding entrepreneurs; those interested in entrepreneurial leadership, personal development and community building; and those contemplating or experiencing a life or career change, facing a challenge or crisis, or starting to think about their legacy. (pg xix)

I know the book may not resonate with everyone the way it is resonating with me right now, but has a ton of helpful tools and guides which at the very least may be something you can past on to someone under your guidance.

I'm looking forward to next week. We're going to DC for our early service training. I love meeting up with the other wonderful people in my organization. I always learn so much and feel so invigorated. It will also be nice to get away from the office and do some me things.

I also was the recepient of a wonderful sermon on Sunday. God always has a way of reminding us of what is important. Our pastor reminded us that we musn't spend so much time focused on internal conflict but rather on our purpose in the community. How true in a time when you usually need to get things done with people who are just hard to get things done with...

Ta-Ta loves! Keep living the good life!

Quote: Everything that happens to you is your teacher. The secret is to sit at the feet of your own life and be taught by it. Polly B. Berends

Quote(2) When you come to the end of all the light you know and you are about to step into the darkness, faith is knowing one of two things will happen. Either you find solid ground underneath you or God will send you people who will teach you how to fly. Edward Teller quote paraphrased by Cory Booker.

What a wonderful week!

I had a great week.
Best part, this Wednesday. Our Director of Programs and our program manager were in town and Josh and Paul came in and we interviewed new program managers. It was a very rewarding experience to be apart of. I realized I really love developing teams and programs in general. Discussing all of the variables and strategizing about what will work and what won't. As well as looking at needs of our organization and seeing what things fit together to get us there. It was a great day. We had two interviews and it took all day and it was great!
It was great that our National Office staff let us be involved in that interview and gave us insights into the big picture elements that will influence their decision.
It's been a long difficult road trying to find the right fit for the position. I have strong feelings about one candidate but I feel like each of them would bring different strengths that could help our organization.

Our volunteers are starting in the office and I couldn't be more excited. They are wonderful and I feel like I'm going to learn so much this year just from working with them. I feel so afraid at the same time. Like a parent afraid of failing my kids. I have this subtle uneasiness that I'm not doing enough for them, not working hard enough. But I balance that out and realize this is a learning experience for me as well.

I really enjoy working in teams and the added team element to having the volutneers is exciting to me. Shawn and I def. need someone to buffer our interactions and add a different perspective. It will be refreshing to have them.

Okay It's been a long week and I am really hungry. So pieces and reeses until next time.

I believe that we should remove the last barriers which stand between millions of our people and their birthright. There can be no justifiable reason for discrimination because of ancestry, or religion, or race or color.
I believe that to inspire the people of the world whose freedom is in jeopardy and to restore hope to those who have already lost their civil liberties, we must correct the remaining imperfections in our own democracy.
We know the way. We only need the will.
President Truman

the olympic feat

This morning I was finally able to succesfully dress for the cold weather. It was in the 40s this morning and I had no idea what I was going to successfully dress for work and dress warmly. But alas, after much layering and fangelling I was able to compile a warm setup and I wasn't the least bit cold unlike the past few days where the chill hit my bones. However trivial it may seem it made me really excited this morning and I was very excited about not shivering all the way to work.

I read this really inpsiring story this morning about two young men from a village near Kenya who built a health clinic for the people there. I thought I'd share it. The were inspired after participating in a service immersion trip which warms my heart. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25573377/. I am so low energy. I need to get excited about something.


Quote: I am done with great things and big plans, great institutions and big success. I am for those tiny, invisible, loving, human forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water, which, if given time, will rend the hardest monuments of pride. William James

streets of philadelphia

G'day all!

I had a wonderfully busy weekend at Lush. I worked both Saturday and Sunday which means that fortunately I don't have to work any nights this week except for Thursday.
It was very tiring. We had a birthday party in the store on Sunday for this 12 year old and her friends. At the same time we were having a garden party which was equally tiring but also very fun. As I was ringing up one of the customers, she said to me "this must be a really fun place to work." It can be very tiring though and sometimes I forget I'm selling and get really attached to our customers. And then they leave, never to be seen again...

On Sunday Mr. Jackson came over and we had dinner. Which I burned a little but I still hope it was a nice introduction to Philadelphia and NSP. We had a great long conversation.

I was really pumped afterwards and I needed to burn off that energy so that I could get some much needed rest for the week. So I took a nice long bubble bath, listened to some calming music and tried to think of absolutely nothing at all. It worked fairly well. I've been reading a lot of work related books or books that somehow tie into my proffesional development at work but I realize that I need to start reading more leisurely books. I have a whole list of things but when I get to the library I see all of these other books and just can't help myself.
I'm currently reading type talk at work, or something like that. It's about the use of MBTI personality assessment in understanding your worksytle and those of the people you work with. It's really interesting and givenme more insight into myself as well as my Philly team members. It was also interesting because the book talks about stress and how your personality can change, this is what it said about my ENFPness "a normally gregarious, effervescent, imaginative, somewhat absentminded and spontaneous ENFP can turn into a pensive, noncommunicative, detail oriented, rigid individual-- in other words, the worst version of an ISTJ."
I wish I had known that like 12 months ago, it would've made other things make a lot more sense.

Shawn and I had our weekly meeting this morning which was preceeded by me spilling hot chocolate all over myself. Nevertheless it was good. We had our steady flow of volunteers in the office, minus a few no shows.

Now we're in that really boring low energy part of the day that literally sucks the life out of me. Our office is so miserably quiet and empty. It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't like this for such huge parts of the day. but ehhh...
I am really tired and want to take the subway home but I haven't walked home in a while and would appreciate the fresh air and opportunity to do some excercise.

I'm happy that it is October. It's my favorite month of the year. Also we get to go to DC in a couple of weeks to meet with our National Office staff and other site coordinators. I can't wait to see everyone! I love the organization I work for and the anticipation makes me antsy!

Quote: Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why, when I am in special need of help, the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim. William Feather

Song: Standing outside the fire by Garth Brooks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLLMf43IQw0&feature=related

Good Morning!

I really didn't want to wake up this morning. It was one of those, can't I just sleep a little longer mornings.

Last night when I got home I was antsy and I wanted to go out to eat just to get out of the house. I stopped over by the Ethiopian place that I share a wall with and had a delcious and very filling meal.

Then I came home and crashed.

I stopped at McDees before coming into the office. It's a pretty sketchy McDees full of North Philly character. I really treasure it. The service is always completely horrible and the food is questionable but it has really carved a place in myheart.

As I was walking toward my building there was a huge crowd of young adults in front of thebuilding. This isn't unusual considering there are a lot of programs focused at youth in our building. What was unusual was that there must of been around 70 young girls all with children and some young men as well. My heart warmed for them. It reminds of me of the alternative break trip I did in my first year at UF. It was focused on juvenille justice. I got so attached to those girls and they've stayed with me ever since.The office is quiet. eww.
Yesterday it go so quiet and dull in here. Our office really needs an injection of life and energy. I have a ton of volunteers coming in today and I'm excited, hopefully we can get them pumped up.

I listened to the recap of the debate on the radio this morning. I'm sure this will disgust some people but I don't have any favorites in this election and I'm not really passionate about any of this candidates. It's my Pness keeping the options open till I receive more information.

Okay folks enjoy the day!

Quote: Life is not a dress rehearsal. Everyday, you should have at least one exquisite moment. Sally Karioth

Doing it big

Guess What??
I got employee of the the month for September at Lush!
It was a great night. We had our monthly meeting last night which was so much fun. Lots of food and Alyssa and Lauren (our managers) showed us their pictures from their managers meeting in Vacnouver. We were also joined by a bunch of the managers in training. They shared with us all of the reasons why they love Lush and it made me love it that much more. I've been trying to come up with ways to motivate myself be more present with our customers and drive more sales. I hate the idea of selling but really our products are amazing and also great for the environment. I look at my work as making relationships with people, educating them about earth friendly products that are great to them and encouraging people to replace their products at home with our wonderful products.
We also got to see all of the products that we're coming out with for Christmas and I got to take three of them home. It was so much fun and we had some really amazing hummus. mmmmm.

It's been a nonstop day at work and it's only getting busier. I've been doing trainings. I finally finished developing our training. I got really energized today because I created a whole new aspect to training that challenges the volunteers to really think about the impact that they're going to make and what contributions they want to give to NSP while they are volunteering with us. I even added these little inspiring quotes. I notice I really get drained going over the details of client service with new volunteers, but they are important and I can't assume that our volunteers know everything they need to.
I'm definitely looking forward to the opportunities where we can have all of our volunteers together, reflecting and thinking of really creative ideas for our office.

We've even gotten a few more applications in. Unfortunately one of the volunteers that had come to an information session, didn't feel that comfortable in the nieghborhood around our office. I don't tend to think about those things too much anymore, although I can definetely identify, but I can see it from her perspective and hopefully we can give her some confidence into coming from campus to our office.

It has been really chilly today. Even Philadelphians think it's cold and our volunteers are also talking about the coldness. Not fun.

Josh Jack is coming in this weekend and I can't wait to have another Gator around! I'll also be looking forward to this weekend and lounging around, ahh bliss.

Quote:People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society. Vince Lombardi

you can go your own way

Jacqui I received your package yesterday! Thank you soooo much, I really appreciate it!

It has been a hectic week. I've been coming in to work earlier and leaving later. I was even late to Lush yesterday. There has just been so much to do and not enough time to do it. As much as I don't want to work at home, I seem to get these bursts of energy when I start thinking about something and then start scribbling stuff out and then end up working. I'm doing enough well rounded things so hopefully I can avoid burnout.

Today our CEO came in today, it was really awesome. I love seeing her. She also got my wheels turning on some things I hadn't thought about. She asked a lot of questions which were really helpful.

Yesterday we had an information session with really good turnout. About 17 students in all. It was really energizing because I just wasn't sure how to penetrate the Temple campus. It was great to see so many excited people. Our CEO talked with us about some of the challenges they've faced with getting plugged into the campus here. I think we're beginning to make strides. I'm booked with volunteer trainings which are compeltly hectic. I've had to adapt the normal model because it just didn't work with the stage our office is in right now. So I redesigned the training into something that future site leaders can hopefully use.

As we began trainings I'm realizing the impending shift in my role as manager of the volunteers. I'm trying to think of trainings and opportunities to develop the learning component of the service the volunteers are doing as well as really create a well rounded service experience for the volunteers. There is a lot of information out there in the world of service learning and civic engagement so I'm at a lost of where to start. Working with our volunteers and developing their competencies is definetely my favorite part of the job. I have a heart for my clients but I feel I can help them more by ensuring that our volunteers are well trained and educated on working with them. As well as increasing the information and knowledge our office and volunteers have so that we can really ensure that our clients are receiving the best service possible. I sometimes enjoy direct client service but I definetely get more energized when I'm working on things that increase the quality of service we're able to give.

I'm excited that we'll have a new Regional Program Manger soon. Then there will be someone here that can really help us improve our client serivice, our roots in the community and have a great developmental approach with Shawn and I. It will be nice to have someone I can look in the face and ask questions to.

Priya was here this weekend which was so wonderful. I was sorta drained when she left, we did so much in the city. I went to a lot of places I never would've by myself like some great restaurants and museums. I love having someone near to share this great city with. I can't wait to visit her in Baltimore!

I'm looking forward to having our volunteers all scheduled and settled into the office as well as heaving a good stream of clients. It'll be a nice flow. But I feel like we're really building a good foundation for our organization. I really enjoy this organization because I feel I'm really given a lot of room to express how I feel and the ideas I put out there are taken into consideration. Plus there's a lot of auntomy so I'm given room to do what I feel is best. It's like a match made in heaven.

Okay, I'll probably be spending a late night in the office, g'night!

Quote: Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things -- a chance word, a tap on the shoulder, or a penny dropped on a newsstand -- I am tempted to think...there are no little things. Bruce Barton

Song: Umbrella by Maria Digby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb86KRJtnWE