Launching my second book: 'I'm so, so Sorry': This is a real-life story of love. Realising that the people who distil the purest sense of purpose, redemption and healing are the most likely to navigate the most challenging of life's sadnesses and disasters, my book is the culmination of 7-year-long battle. For the cost of a cappuccino, all I ask is that you share the messages contained herein, as I strive to make good for my failures past and contribute good for others in the future. To accompany me on my writing voyage, click this link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1098887

Divining The Power of Purpose and Intentionality - Bury Your Dogma - How to Believe In & Know The Divine: Step One, Fall In Love With You!!

As I argue in my upcoming book, we have to learn to see with our heart. To get our 3 work chakras in alignment, our head, heart and gut. If our brains are our computer hardware, our guts and hearts are the operating system (software), where the guidance system lives. The notion of 'meaning' is an holistic effect derived from living our lives intentionally. Our Mission in life is borne-out of our authentic mission in life as we ascend towards our defined Purpose. When Purpose is the central constellation in the heavens of Human Endeavour. Towards which we both derive from and invest in our energies. We are complex electrical generators created and evolved to do work. With which we are rendered pointless, purposeless and stuck. Devoid of meaning, creativity and the need to decide, we risk devolving back to the swamp. Our Mission in life is the collection of tasks we perform in the attainment of satisfying the values our experiences have invested in us. Satisfaction is the biproduct of fulfilling those values in the process of energising our lives with positive intentionality - self-determination. Self-determination can only be derived from deep introspection and self-inventory - the taking stock of who we are. Which is pivotal in navigating the voyage of life and choosing the bearing-point upon which we set course. With our guiding star being the central vocational axis-point in the Great Constellation of Human Endeavour. Each day we rise, we focus our energies on working towards that goal. The act of divining purpose - using our intuition and insights to locate 'The Light' - humans have to access the 'Maze of Maximised Potential'. The traction of owning our purpose is the birthchild of knowing the bite-point between the cogs of our Nature and Nurture. The internal transaction invested in us by epigenetics and experiential learning. Whereby, we forge our identities, preferences, knowledges, capabilities, gifts and talents. The sensation that our lives are moving forward, building momentum and generating traction is derived from the sense we are contributing to the collective, common good. Ultimately, success is derived from cooperating and sharing in the process of helping others in the attainment of their own sense of purpose, mission, meaning and ascent. Complete Faith in Self, is the prize of self-knowing and self-determination. In itself, a knowing of the Divine resulting from divining intention. And through Faith in Self, we create love, reduce waste, live sustainably (because we are not squandering the potential invested us by Creation) and perpetuating the circularity of Existence. This is a Big Conversation - want to take part?

#purpose
#career
#selfcare

#selflove

#doinggood

#confidence

#selfesteem

#themeaningoflife

#maximumpotential

#worklove

#productivity

#society

#gifts

#talents

#skills

#powerofintention

#lifeworkplanning

#epigenetics

#natureandnurture

#sustainability

#causedriven

#ascent

#enlightenment

#antidogma

#guidance

#careerguidance

#commongood

#lifemystery

Hello Career Dovetail Networkers, followers of my blog and potential connections,
Do watch this long overdue video message from me; which can be seen below.
Amid this surreal challenge of Covid-19 induced lock-down I strive to help, equip, strengthen and perhaps even collaborate with each of you in preparation for whatever happens next!

Thank you watching. Please feel free to share my blog if you have anyone in your network you feel may find it useful.
Stay safe *and well*,
Duncan hashtag#strongertogether
#careerresilience
#workaesthetics
#careerdovetail

Duncan’s August Digest – thought-food... for those seeking transformation (of any kind):

Introduction: Disrupting the status quo - by design - I'm here to help you while-away August's doldrum with 'thought-food' to inspire harmony, meaning and fulfilment; maybe even challenge your thinking. Bear with me whilst I 'build' my point... stay with me! You know how I like to weave a backdrop...

(To read on, click link below.)

https://mailchi.mp/f3589963954b/your-duncan-bolam-august-digest

The Whynapse© - Most Lives Have A Hole in Them. Does yours?

Why Sparking your Whynapse will be the second most important hole you fill in your whole life!

Most people have a hole in their life where their Whynapse^© would sit. If only they knew what and where their Whynapse^©was. So, how do I know?

Obviously, I am borrowing the basis of my term from the scientific origins of synapse; which is the minute gap in the brain’s communication system which transmits nerve impulses to achieve thoughts, reactions, movements and memories. The word "synapse" is derived from the Greek words "syn" and "haptein" that mean "together" and "to clasp," respectively.

In my Career Dovetail Formula™, I define the anatomy of ‘The Ahah Moment’ when a person 'clasps' what work they were born to do. This is achieved by bridging that elusive gap between our vocational identity and marrying this to a destination in the World of Work which complements these ingredients. The Career Dovetail process implies a journey of docking the two sides of the career decision together. In the same way, that ‘love at first sight’ is a rare occurrence. This rarely, if ever, happens in an instant. Hence, I use the pieces of a jigsaw to denote self-awareness because the picture is not always revealed until we piece each ingredient together. There is a viscerality to it.

However, the falling in love metaphor works really well in this instance. Before we meet our ‘life-partner’, there is a period of, inevitably, being apart. When we become aware of a person who is receptive and accepts us for who we are, completely. Then we experience the union of the two separate halves. People frequently liken this as, meeting our match, realising my better half, instant attraction, passionate chemistry, to mention a few phrases related to this sparks flying moment. I once heard a helpful definition of this love of a life-partner; which went something along the lines of: a person who makes that significant other person complete by enabling the fulfilment of their potential. And so it is with the notion of finding one’s calling to do a particular occupation.

Before we encounter our better half, we know there is a hole deep-down inside each of us which could be said is a yearning, a longing, a void in our lives which compels so many of us to quest for the answer. With the answer, in the context of love-matching, being a person.

Does the same dynamic exist in the world of work? Unless we inherit a fortune and literally never have to work in our lives, the vast majority of the population will need to construct some form of livelihood / work / employment / vocation. In essence, each of us supplies our ‘talent’ to a market need. In the last twenty years, I have written extensively on this dynamic of supply and demand. Back in 2004 I started to recognise that what folks were questing for was their purpose in life.

The biggest obstacle to finding matches such as these, is their intangibility: Perhaps not quite so portentous as finding our life-partner, discovering our purpose in life is important, nonetheless. Equally so, is appreciating our mission. Our purpose is over overarching guiding star; which, we must accept, will never be held in our hand. Whereas, the skills of learning to navigate towards it forms the palpability of our mission. Thus, we sculpt our mission around our character traits, skills, competencies. Our purpose derives from our values, aspirations, attitudes and dreams.

For example, my favourite architect, American Frank Lloyd Wright’s purpose was designing structures that sit in harmony with humanity and the environment. As such, he pioneered whole architectural movements and schools of thinking, such as ‘The Prairie School’. Although he achieved far more than this in his remarkable lifetime, I love his work because he took an holistic approach. Underpinning his unique purpose, were the ingredients forming his mission. As a game-changing innovator, among his repertoire of skills (verbs), he mastered drawing, designing, harmonising, envisioning, sympathising, researching, synthesising and leading, in accomplishing the widely acknowledged greatness we recognise as his legacy still.

Much like another of my all-time favourite innovators and design pioneers, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, he based much of his inspiration in the organic structures found in nature. In doing so, he built a reputation for blending ingredients in the blurring of architecture’s usual delineation points between structure and situation. His designs typify the bridging of synapse into… as I say in my book… “Work Aesthetics^©, …the delight-filled fusion of fabric, function, form and ‘flow’.”

The Whynapse^© is a phrase I coin to define that space in your life which you yearn to fill with a sense of mission, purpose and one’s ability to contribute. In Maslovian thinking, it is defined as one’s ability to individuate, self-actualise and grow through time in such a way that implies progress. Put simply, to build traction between the Self and the society of which we are all parts.

Ahead of docking the two-sides of the purpose equation together, there is a divide: The chemistry of love and passion has yet to occur. We know this deep-down in our souls because there are forces which instinctually tell us there are things are still to happen. This sense of anticipation fuels our quest. We all have it. I experienced this longing to identify my purpose, to satisfy the longing to maximise my innate potential throughout the course of my teens and twenties. For me, it was not until I had torn through 35 jobs in the first 32 years of my life that I experienced my epiphany. (#Gratitude!)

People have met me after a long gap of 25 years and asked what on earth happened. What happened was, I plugged the hole where once there was the void of my Whynapse^©. More via trial and error than good judgement, I fell upon my calling. Beyond blunder, I built belief. My purpose, to help as many people as I could in my lifetime to avoid the toxic pitfalls of not knowing. The holes leading to low self-esteem, confusion, vicious circles, self-doubt, distraction, frustration and reactivity.

Yet, much like the ‘before and after’ version of a person who has found their love-match, so it is for the person who decodes their occupational DNA in the alchemy of epiphany. Tuning-in to their raison d'être. Sparking knowingness. The most interesting reaction to which is always, “Of course! It’s obvious what I am going to do with my life! How come I didn’t realise this before now?!”

It would be unrealistic of me to completely define the notion of Whynapse^© here in this short post. Frankly, because it is such a fresh thought and such a subjective topic, I feel it would be insincere of me to even try. My task right now, is to get it out there so that you, the reader, can use it as soon as possible to diagnose that career itch that you have been trying to scratch for such a long time. The trick in life is knowing what the holes are and where they are; if ever we are going to be able to take action. Hence, Whynapse^© leapt from deep instinct. Designed as an umbrella-term covering a multitude of malfunctioning working-lives; with so many slaves to the mundane. It is the word which defines a hole that so many people in the population endure day-to-day.

With the result being so utterly enticing, the point of this post is, ultimately, what are you going to do about interpreting your Whynapse^©? How big is the gap between you and meaningful work? How in control are you over the direction of travel of your work-day? Do you value your career attributes? Are there better-fitting opportunities in the labour market that match your skill-set, experience, insight, passions, interests, values, qualifications, drive, traits and work-preferences? Have you been inspired to complete the self-inventory? Are you career ‘fit’? Above all else, what is your mission, your how? And what is your purpose – your why? What difference would it make?

Should you need any guidance in deciphering your Whynapse^©, please get in touch.

(NB: For a FREE career strategy workshop on: ‘Decoding the Power of Your Occupational DNA’, here in Brighton, click the link. **Usual price £75.00**)

www.careersustainability.blogspot.com

Duncan Bolam ©1997-2019

Career Dovetail^® purposeful propulsion - strengthening wellbeing by dovetailing more people into sustainable careers © 1996-2019

The above video is aimed at getting your mind ticking on self-inventory and who you truly are. Then, we take a look at the following question: 

Is Your Career Beautiful? 

As we approach the 'turn-of-the-year', why not take a moment to inspire your career planning, objective self-assessment and once-a-year 'look under the hood' of your work/life balance, with a read of my latest Career Dovetail Newsletter. 

'Is Your Career Beautiful?' is an evangelical 'essay' on the ups-and-downs of zeroing-in to that vitality giving sweet-spot that can lead us to discovering a truly meaningful working life. Plus all of the benefits that go with it. 

So with a New Year fast-approaching, why not take a look and please do share with your networks and friend circles if you feel you uncover useful tips. 

[Image credit - © XL Records, album cover 'Bravest Man In The Universe', Womack, Russell, Albarn.]

Click following link for newsletter 'essay': https://mailchi.mp/3fa415d8d5ff/your-turn-of-the-yearcareer-dovetail-newsletter

Career Dovetail Autumn 2018 Newsletter: The Power of Your Intention, Prizes & The Mechanics of Love!

This month's newsletter informs readers about the seasonal trends we need to be aware of if we are to manage our careers effectively and be one step ahead of the rush for jobs and work as we spring towards the year's busiest periods in the rush towards Christmas and the New Year. Plus, I talk about thought-provoking ideas on loving your work, recognising patterns when developing career strategy and news that I am offering free workshop places in my new career strategy and self-marketing programme targetting specific groups in the labour market: women-returners, fresh graduates entering the World of Work for the first time and newly-redundant workers facing the ordeal of career transition and reinventing themselves. Career Dovetail Autumn 2018 Newsletter: The Power of Your Intention, Prizes & The Mechanics of Love!