When one door closes another one opens

This is a year of transition for me, and it seems to be for many others as well. In a few months, I will transition out of my role as the chair of the Humboldt Area/Wild Rivers Foundation Board of Directors. It has been “Mr. Toad's Wild Ride” at times. I've learned much and have been humbled by more. It has been a labor of love from me to our region and all the communities within it. I call it Heart Work. Having spent time helping our communities become stronger and more resilient has filled me with gratitude and happiness. It has been a great help to me as I've been navigating the loss of my son, by allowing me to serve and providing a purpose that helps fill the void left when we lost him. It is the purpose that is important, not filling time with a chore.

Filling time is easy. We do it a lot. We are busier now than ever before. There is a great amount of satisfaction and purpose that is derived from our careers. Yet many of us are unfulfilled, unhappy, and dissatisfied more now than ever.

Do you wonder how those folks feel who give their time, their knowledge, their kindness, become fulfilled? I have been thinking about that a lot as I realize there will be more of my time available soon. Do those folks have a strong sense of purpose and satisfaction? It seems so. They appear to be quite happy. They seem to derive a strong sense of satisfaction from their careers. But that is not all, they also spend time doing what brings joy to their hearts. Pondering this question, I've realized how much happiness I've gained by contributing and being of service to others. Those around me who give even a small

amount of themselves in service to others are happier and feel more fulfilled than their counterparts who do not.

I continue to think about this as I try to define what or how I wish to be of service to others. How can I be of service to myself and my community in this next phase, but not defined by deadlines, economics, and responsibilities, while expecting all those issues to be present? Can this mystical work/play balance really be true?

I follow a theory about a balanced “work/play” life being only true in our minds. That it is a seesaw as we ping pong more, then less, in each sector. So, what does that mean? Maybe it means you can spend as much time as you need to complete that important project for work. Then take an extra day off for a long weekend with the family or to do some community work. For me, I plan to continue doing Heart Work along with managing Kinetic Koffee and working on my consulting business. It means that my Heart Work will come from being involved with the Kevin Ebbert Foundation as the executive director helping to raise funds that will benefit organizations such as We Are Up. To give my time and energy to meaningful efforts is my dessert part of the meal. It might be for you as well.

Charlie Jordan is a business consultant helping organizations reach their peak performance goals and is a partner of Kinetic Koffee. She can be reached at Charlie.Jordan1@gmail.com.