Monday, November 10, 2014

Knowledge and Skills


I am tempted to avoid some of the prompts from NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) - google it if you want to find out more about it (as there are several websites). However, since I'm participating in this challenge, I thought I would, well, challenge myself! ;) Thus, I am writing about something I'm not even 100% sure about! ;)

The theme or rather question today is as follows: "What knowledge do you have that others don't? Write a "how to" post about anything you've got skills for, small or large."

Truly, I would rather write a post on Remembrance Day or on a tea festival that I attended last month or something else: I know I have a number of draft postings on a variety of subjects!

The questions I ask myself are, "Why am I resisting this (topic)? What is it about my knowledge and/or skills that make me resist answering this question? How am I feeling about this and why? What's the matter with me? Really?!"

This is going to sound really strange. Really weird. I'm not really sure what my knowledge base is! You see, I have dabbled in numerous subjects over the years, but I do not consider myself an expert in any of them.

Mor do I feel an expert at work – I’m still learning! – even though my supervisor and manager disagree. After all, I have been there for quite some time: 10 years in the department, Resources and Publications, working behind-the-scenes. And yes, of course I have knowledge and skills in my behind-the-scenes position! ;)

Generally speaking though, I consider myself more of a generalist rather than a specialist. I know a little bit about a wide variety of topics.

What is the question again? Am I purposely distracting myself? What am I avoiding? Hmmm... Do any of you feel this way? Is it because I desire a change and not quite sure where to go with the skills and knowledge I do have? Or what?

Yes, so many questions! Did you know I generally do ask a lot of questions? Perhaps not on my blog in general, except for this particular post! However, that is how my insatiable curiosity gets fulfilled!

Let me summarize briefly some of the areas I do have knowledge and experience in, in no particular order (as I’m not aware of one that I have that others don’t):

1. Medical Secretarial - I worked in two renowned organizations. And I’m an excellent speller: long words don’t scare me, I think! ;)
2. Office/Administrative - I worked in a variety of roles in public, private, and nonprofit organizations through different lines of work, plus a stint as a temp performing various on-call assignments
3. Children - I completed a year of study on children years ago and the course even included children's books/literature/poetry
4. Counselling - I studied a general counselling program with various related courses as I felt called to do. The course came in handy when volunteering for a local crisis centre and also on the phones working with the public as an Information and Referral Specialist.
5. Palliative Care - This was another program I was interested in and studied, though I didn’t work directly in the field. I did co/facilitate two bereavement groups.
6. Expressive Arts Therapy - Me landing in this program was very synchronistic. I enjoyed it immensely though did not feel the call to be a 'therapist' (perhaps as I much more prefer the term ‘facilitator’).
7. Mental Health – I know people with AD(H)D, bipolar, etc. and have befriended and/or studied/worked/volunteered with them. I also undertook an ADHD program.
8. Spirituality – I became aware of universal truths during my spiritual awakening; see Another (20th) Anniversary: My Spiritual Awakening (http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2012/12/well-i-did-it-again-i-cant-believe-it.html).

Skills/Qualities (in no particular order):

1. Typing – Though people would consider me an excellent typist and I know some short cuts, I do reverse two characters as in dyslexia at times. And I’m also an excellent speller.
2. Writing/Editing – I can write various documents from letters/emails/press releases to a blog and am ‘good’ at writing, especially creative writing, can you tell? – everything’s ‘relative’ though some people would say ‘great’ ;) I am also ‘good’ at editing, and I can even read upside down! ;)
3. Blogging – Though there was a huge learning curve when I started my blog, including how to post pictures/videos, I am still learning other functions related to it such as settings and other behind-the-scenes work.
4. Ideas – I have a lot of creative ideas though sometimes they are relegated to words (poems/songs etc.) and various inventions.
5. Organizing – Though I can have a messy desk at times, I have the ability to organize and do it well when I do! ;)
6. Facilitating groups - I created a program for a group of adults with a mental health disability and creative programs for children, and am able to facilitate having learned group dynamics and being in different groups over the years.
7. Memorizing of faces, voices, and numbers – These skills are ideal for a receptionist or front-office person. The latter may seem a strange skill unless you're an accountant (and that does not appeal to me at all); however, it comes in handy with phone numbers, files, cards, etc.
8. Healing energetically with my hands – My hands generally tingle and feel heat. I also get spontaneous thoughts/words/images at times during energy healings.
9. Intuition - Although I think this should be near the top or at the top of the list, it's not one that most people, especially employers recognize; however, intuition is an everyday occurrence in my life whether at my work, with my blog, or at home. It comes as claircognizance (also known as clear knowing, the highest form of intuition where you just know that you know) as well as clairsentience (clear feeling), and can occur in person and remotely (even online via email for example).
10. Understanding - I have the ability to see both sides of a coin being the middle child - see my blog post, Middle Child: You ARE Special! Today's Your Day! (http://www.xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2014/08/middle-child-you-are-special-todays.html)
11. Empathy – though at times I may appear to lack empathy, i.e., be neutral, I actually have a deep sense of feeling other peoples’ pain in particular (see #9).

Regarding posting on how I know these skills, I do not think I can tell you or teach you for that matter. How can I? Most of these are intangible anyway.

All in all I do know this: (1) I am to work in the service industry (2) working directly with people (3) requiring variety for stimulation and (4) learning for growth, otherwise I feel dead inside. But then I ask, doesn't this apply to most people? ;) What do YOU think?

Looking at my knowledge and skills, what would you say are some possible occupations/work options that I could consider? ;)

18 comments:

  1. I think what you should do is really a question you need to answer... But I do think that interacting with people, understanding them is one of your strong points..But this is strictly based on my understanding of what you write here :) I think more than anything being happy with oneself is what is needed and I think you are already there ... :)

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    1. Yes for sure Nabanita. I do agree with you; however, I thought considering the prompt today, it would be fun to throw it back to my readers...why not? ;) "Being happy with oneself" as you say is indeed most important and I am there when I do the things I love. :) <3

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  2. wow!! you have quite a good knowledge and a set of skills!! You have gathered so much over the years! I should take classes from you I guess :)

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    1. Thanks Nibhz! :) Take classes from me? On what? ;) <3

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  3. You are HIRED! haha! I feel like I get to know you more and more with each post. Such great insight into who you are. Based on your question about what type of occupation you should have - I would have to say something having to do with Hospice or Grief Counseling (I could see you doing group sessions) Maybe even writing a book on how to overcome/work through personal grief.

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    1. Hahaha Marie! ;) Thanks for your remarks. Interesting you say that as I was considering being a volunteer for the palliative program near where I live, but the time wasn't right. Ah, I do love your book idea though as I don't know if you know my twin story... ;) <3 (These posts and related - there are others - may interest you if you have the interest and time to read them:
      http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2014/01/celebrations-of-miraculous-kind.html AND also http://xpressyouressence.blogspot.ca/2013/08/part-3-in-funk-blue-since-birth.html. <3

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  4. And the greatest of these is understanding. You have lived through so many experiences during your life. I envy your ability to list your attributes in such an organized fashion. When they're spread out for the reader to browse through, even you must admit your skills are impressive. What denotes an expert anyway? We can all learn from each other's experience.

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    1. Thanks Francene: that first line sounds so poetic, like a passage from the Bible. Yes, I have had various experiences though some I have never had like marriage and children. I think my skills are great, though there are others I would love/appreciate as well. I love what you say about being an expert: learning from each other's experiences - I think is noble and I'm not an expert at that, not yet anyway! ;) <3

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  5. You skill set is amazing!! and you got experience in so many different fields. Wow! I feel, to be a good human being one needs to be understanding and have empathy as well. And yes this cannot be taught. :)

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    1. Thanks Raj. Your comment tickles me pink! ;) Understanding and empathy are sure important, and speaking of which, please understand that I'm not understanding and empathic 100% of the time! ;) <3

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  6. That's a whole lot of knowledge and skills! And yeah, some of those skills can't really be taught.

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    1. Thanks Sanch. Yes for sure, some are intrinsically ingrained natural talents. :) <3

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  7. Elly, my goodness, you have a lot of marketable skills!

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    1. That's interesting you say that Amy 'cause I didn't think it was that many, i.e., enough! ;) <3

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  8. Woah, you've been quite an all rounder Elly! I did know of a few of these things about you...but this list is quite a comprehensive one. It doesn't matter how perfect you are at it but what matters is that you have dabbled with so many various topics in some manner or the other.

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    1. Vinodini, your comment: "all rounder" amuses me! ;) It's an interesting perspective as I didn't think it was comprehensive enough! ;) There are pros and cons to being a generalist as well as a specialist, I think! ;) <3

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  9. Elly you are a perfect all rounder, with great creativity!! You have qualities both of the head and the heart. Kudos!!

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    1. Wow! All-rounder?! I haven't ever been referred to that nor thought of that before in terms of my skills...hmmm, food for thought! I do aim to lead a heard-and-heart balanced life, though usually my head wins in leading the way. ;) I am a work in progress in terms of that! ;) Thanks for sharing Usha. :)

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