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On Day 28 of this Ultimate Blog Challenge the question is
Tough question. I'm trying to think. Sometimes people will tell you "you should do so-and-so professionally", and you'll shrug it off. Basically what I talked about when I had to List your favorite Non-Work related Activities.
Here's what comes to mind:
- Selling homemade baked goods
- Party / event planning
- Teach / coach
- Translations
- Make videos
- Networking
It is not widely known that I enjoy watching true crime documentaries. If they were aware, they'd probably suggest I'd be a good investigator. I like to think so. In my job in HR I have acquired some experience over the years. Cases of stolen money or misuse of corporate benefits from calling in sick while secretly on vacation to letting other people use your fuel card,...
Don't mess with me, I'll bust you!
Let me tell you about the guy whom we placed temporarily with a construction company. He walked into our office every Friday night, wearing dirty craftsman clothes, told us about his day and requested a beer and an advance payment, both of which he was entitled to. After a few weeks, the company's accountant called and asked who this guy was? The bookkeeper had a bunch of invoices on his desk, and he checked with several foremen on different job sites. Nobody knew our guy.
By the time the accountant got suspicious we had paid our guy a considerable amount of money.
Wanna know what he did? It was the mid-1990s, so everything was done on paper, and communication happened via landline phones. When it came to construction sites and offices, communication was therefore difficult.
Here's what I found out after some serious digging: On the first Monday our guy went to the job site we sent him to. He checked it out from afar and recognized other people who worked there on a temporary basis. Then he left and went to his "day job". Yes, he had another job. That's where he got his clothes dirty. I don't remember how he managed to forge the foreman's signature on the time sheet of his "fake job", but he did. He may have been in touch with his acquaintances and seen their sheets?
At that time he was already convicted for recklessly driving (and injuring another driver) under the influence and expected to go to jail for it. For some reason he must have thought if he was going to be a criminal, he may as well be a rich criminal? I don't know. We never got our money back, and we never heard of him again.
Moving on...
The one thing that my friends probably wouldn't have told me - back when I was working hard in said jobs above - was to be a Mom. At least that's what I think. None of my friends ever asked me to babysit their kid, let alone be their kid's Godmother.
Did they think I didn't have it in me? That I was too busy? Never home? Not interested?
I never asked, but if that's what they thought, I like to think I proved them wrong. I became what Colin's friends called me... a cool (Hockey) Mom :-)
So what about you? What would your friends tell you is your purpose? Do you have any hidden talents your friends don't know about?
That is a fascinating story about the criminal who came in looking like he was doing his job. Wow! Well, my friends have told me various things over the years. One was that I should be a counselor (and I was a therapist). One was that I should be a writer, because I used to write short stories (and I blog & have a few books on Amazon). A boyfriend once told me I might be a healer - and he was right! And people used to tell me I should be a singer, and I had Donna Summer dreams as a teenager, before my voice coach told me I was more like Karen Carpenter. Most recently, I am told my "thing" is self-care. I suppose it is.
ReplyDeleteLove your story but WOW, some people have nerve! You are the busiest person I know and the best is probably being a cool Hockey mom! My friends and even those that don't know me also tell me how caring and compassionate I am. I guess my purpose is to be caring, helpful and loving to everyone. I've also been told Lia and I should either open a bakery or at least write a recipe book. Maybe we should do that.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to try to see ourselves the way others do. A friend recently told me that I should be a counselor. I rolled my eyes. The last thing I want to do at 53 is go to school and get yet another certification or degree, besides (and I told her this) I feel I already do a lot of counseling type work in my Intuitive coaching and healing Business.
ReplyDeleteBrena Marie: I loved your story. I am not too sure what people would tell me. Maybe that I am fit to be a counselor of some type. Many people come to me with their problems. I have always been the ear for many.
ReplyDeleteTamara, I have a purpose-driven life. I am a healer, writer, coach/inspirer, uplifter. Friends would say that's my purpose package. Also, part of my purpose is to heal on the airwaves, shifting energy to help situations work better or be more pleasant.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if any of my friends would tell me a true purpose! I honestly am not sure what my own purpose in life is, but I have to say this has me thinking. Maybe a future blog post! :)
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