Seeds, Roots and Routes

Yesterday I presented an overview of my course scheduled for spring at Renaissance Institute!  It was wonderful to see so many friends and hear about the other presentations being offered! The amount of creativity and talent in this world never ceases to amaze me! 

I'm presenting Seeds, Roots and Routes - 
Our lives are rich with miraculous seeds - a thought, a smile, a class . . .  Roots gather nutrients to help seeds grow. We will explore stories, legends and symbolism, protection and  conservation, paintings, songs, short videos to illustrate parallels to our life experiences and journey. Bring a journal to reflect on your life’s seeds, roots and routes - past, present and future.

When I journal, I add seeds at the bottom of the page. A seed may represent a new friend, a class, an idea, etc. When I review my pages at the end of the year it's interesting to see which have flourished, which have remained dormant and may sprout at a later time, and which are best to let fade away. 

Decades ago I attended a Brownie registration event in a church basement. I wanted to enroll my oldest daughter, Mycala, in a Girl Scout Brownie troop but they didn't have a leader. I was somehow recruited and loved working with the girls. That led to numerous volunteer positions and I was later hired as a training specialist, then adult education director. The seeds sprouted into numerous friendships that are alive and thriving today! 

My training in Girl Scouts was superlative.Francis Hesselbein, our CEO, raised the bar on every aspect of leadership. "Peter F. Drucker, the founding father of management, proclaimed Frances Hesselbein “the best CEO in America.” “She could manage any company in America, even General Motors, and do a great job,” Drucker said."                                            ~ Management Matters Network

When she was called to lead the Girl Scouts, Hesselbein sent all the troop leaders to a leadership training program at Harvard. She believed that it made the leaders feel better about themselves, commenting, “We thought they deserved to go to Harvard that they were the best.” 

That seed provided me with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to deliver fun and effective training with SMART goals and objectives,  always using the experiential learning cycle as the base. 

One unexpected experience in a church basement changed every aspect of my  life, leading me to complete my masters in training and become a certified instructor of trainers. It provided me with the opportunity to work with women and girls who were striving to live up to their best potential. 

Watching the girls in my Girl Scout Brownie troop, and others in our community, grow into community leaders has been a joy! Continuing friendships and experiences with women of sterling character has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. 

The seeds of opportunity are everywhere. Have you had an experience that changed every aspect of your life? Please share in the comments below!