I’ve had the privilege of working for the last month with an amazing group of women from the American Institute of Interior Designers (ASID) in Atlanta.  Shawn Alshut is a member of the organization and when she found herself in career transition she decided to do something to help create a sense of community around what was happening to herself and her colleagues.  She launched the Silver Lining group within the ASID organization so that others who were in career transition would have a community to connect with.  Shawn knew that a lot of the people who had been laid off would need some support and help with finding another job.

One of the women in the group, Claire Pardo, decided to enter a competition sponsored by Architecture for Humanity to design a school in India.  She invited other members of the Silver Lining group to participate.  This project gives them something meaningful to focus on while searching for a job as well as adding to their portfolios.

I’ve been inspired by all of the women in this group for how they’ve come together and created such a strong sense of community.  They decided to focus on moving forward and to find ways to be inspired and motivated rather than feeling sorry for themselves and the situation they found themselves in, plus they’re helping each other in the process.

There are a lot of people coming together during this economic downturn, that is truly the silver lining.  I’ve felt more of a strong sense of community in this country since January 2009 than I’ve felt in a long time!

Our book, Carve Your Own Road officially launches tomorrow!  I’m very excited that this day is here and it’s wonderful to see something I envisioned become a real thing.  Career Press, our publisher sent us a box with 40 books a few weeks ago.  I opened the box and there they were! It took a while for it to sink in that the thing I had worked on and dreamed about for over two years was actually a reality.

When we took this project on we didn’t have a publisher, but I knew somehow that it would get published some day.  We invested our own money and traveled around the country to interview people for the book because I felt like this story needed to be told.  Our first round with publishers didn’t work out, so after our travels and interviews I revised the book proposal and we sent it out to publishers for a second round.  I have to admit that I was a bit frustrated, but was still undeterred.  I really wanted to the book to be published last year, but it seems to me that the timing for the book coming out now is perfect.

My hope is that this book will help and inspire many of the people who find themselves in transition right now, as well as those who are worried about their futures.  I think that now is the perfect time to put a plan together for what you want for your future, even and especially, if you have to take a job in the interim that isn’t exactly what you want to do.

I see many people who year after year don’t take the time get clarity about what they want and they end up moving to another company continually seeking greener grass, only to find that the grass isn’t greener…it’s just different grass.  You won’t find happiness and purpose in your job or your company, that is fleeting.  Management teams come and go, mergers happen, layoffs happen…. You must find it within yourself and take it with you wherever you go.  When you do that, you are much more in control and your experience is completely different no matter where you are.

This book is truly about working and living on your own terms.  There’s no magic pill unfortunately but you can do it with intentional planning.  Small steps every day towards what you want build momentum and over time you will find yourself living and working in the way you intended.

I just finished 30 days of Operation Boot Camp here in Atlanta.  I signed up because I felt like I really needed a jump start on getting in shape.  When I signed up I was ambivalent about getting up early in the morning, working out with a group, and being pushed beyond my limits.  I really didn’t know what to expect.

It was a great experience because I did some things I never thought I would do or could do. I worked out in the pouring rain on several days, laid in the mud doing push ups and sit ups, ran sprints, did walking lunges and pushed way beyond my comfort zone.  I used to see people running in the rain and thought, “What’s wrong with them??”  I actually found that I enjoyed running in the rain (as long as it’s not a downpour), it has a peaceful quality about it.  I also found that getting muddy and dirty won’t kill me, in fact, it was kind of like being a kid again.

The other thing that I really enjoyed was that in my morning boot camp sessions, I was totally in the moment.  I was feeling my muscles, my breath and was purely focusing and pushing myself; there was no time to worry or think about anything other than what I was doing in that moment.  I would like to find more activities like that!

The instructors at Operation Boot Camp are amazing.  They push you without being degrading or demoralizing, they’re funny and inspiring and they really want to create a good time for everyone while getting fit.  It’s a great program for anyone that wants better fitness without feeling out of place. I plan to do it again and again, it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself on many levels.  When you push beyond your limitations physically, it gives you confidence to take on other things in your life, and even more importantly…my jeans fit better!

However, I am still a little sore today and looking forward to having a beer tonight to celebrate!