Worknow_Aotearoa_NZ

“The deepest secret is that life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.  You are not discovering yourself, but creating yourself anew.  Seek, therefore not to find out who you are, seek to determine who you want to be.” ~ Conversations With God

Absolutely! I believe we create our own futures and I live the belief that one of the best ways to determine who we want to be is by focusing on our talents, interests and passion. At the same time though I cherish the fact that life is a process of discovery, discovering truths and purpose, talents and passion, discovering the joy of other people.

Augmented Reality

Over the last couple of weeks I have begun work on a project involving the deployment of an Augmented Reality showcase of Dunedin’s heritage, arts and culture.  Our project is inspired by immersive heritage experiences like  Museum of London | Street Museum with so much potential for the platform we propose, I feel amazingly blessed to have discovered collaborators to help create and share this vision for our City.

In order to create my own future,  I’ve committed to this project the most valuable resources I own, my talent and time, passion and energy. I wholeheartedly believe that this project will serve our City for years to come, providing not only a fun and engaging, compelling and immersive user experience but also establishing an open access platform that many members of our community can contribute to and potentially monetise.

Collaboration & Gratitude

I am inspired and encouraged by the range of support I have discovered in bringing together this collaborative. I see this project as a catalyst for on-going and future collaboration, spanning many of Dunedin’s most talented and creative industry sectors.

Most importantly, Thanks to my Great Omnipotent Deity for blessing me with talented people to work with. Thanks & massive respect to my talented collaborators Stu Fleming Tim Calder Pierre-Emmanuel de La Bussière and community support from:-

• Tourism Dunedin
• The Southern Heritage Trust
• Samuel Mann at Otago Polytech
• Applied Design Research Centre
• Otago Settlers Museum
• Taieri George Railway
• NZ Sports Hall of Fame
• many folk within the DCC &
• As always, my crew at The Distiller

Arohanui xo Renee Lee

The Why: Time to Reflect

I found Sir Ken Robinson’s Ted talk immensely inspiring and encouraging but it leads me to wonder why did it take me so long (15yrs) to choose my passion and talent over my need for achievement?

…we make very poor use of our talents…I meet all kinds of people who don’t think they are really good at anything…who don’t enjoy what they do they, they simply go through their lives getting on with it, they get no great pleasure from what they do, they endure it rather than enjoy it… but I also meet people who LOVE what they do…it isn’t what they do, it is who they are…their most authentic self… Sir Ken Robinson”

My talents and aspirations didn’t align because I was self centered and vain. Now, I was blessed to be raised in a family that nurtured my talents, surrounded by people that assured me that I could do anything I wanted.  The education system, with which I am now thoroughly disenchanted was  – up until  I was about 15 years old  – an environment in which I thrived upon learning and the ongoing recognition of academic, sporting and cultural achievement.

Yet for a long time now I have not lived up to the potential, that others saw in me. Despite the fact that I studied, worked and strived to become a better person, I was so self centered and focused on my own goals and achievements that I could not see opportunities to do what I most aspired to – help people and effect change – passing me by.

Over the last year, working as an aspiring social entrepreneur, I’ve recognised that I had things round the wrong way.  Even as lately as January 2009, I thought that if I could make myself “a better person” then I could help others. Yet it now seems so apparent that only by  helping others first will I ever be the person I aspire to.

The How: Helping Others Employ Their Talents

Using social networking to create a community in which people can feel OK about promoting and sharing their talents

“…natural talents: human resources are like natural resources, they are often buried deep. You have to go looking for them, they’re not just lying around on the surface you have to create the circumstances where they show themselves…” Sir Ken Robinson

This is not going to be an easy cause to gather people to and therein lies the challenge: to effect the national mind set.

We kiwi’s are not known for our self promotion, why would we when tall poppy syndrome is so alive and well in this country, ready to cut back down to size those that are too confident, too successful or aspire to lofty goals. One way I have found to overcome this barrier of talking about talents and strengths is simply to ask:

• what are your interests?
• what do you like to do?
• what are you passionate about?
• what interests would you want to share with other people?

By creating a talent profile and sharing you passion, talents, interests and values with the world we can match you with opportunities to LOVE what you.

Register to join Worknow

Free will & the freedom to choose

Free will, the freedom to choose and therein create our own future, is from my perspective the defining factor of what makes us human in this universe.

I was moved this week by the film “A Soundtrack for a Revolution” a documentary of the music that inspired and supported the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America.

It made me realise that I have the luxury of freedom. A luxury too often taken for granted considering that freedom has and continues to be for so many people a long and hard won battle.

I wonder, do we not then owe it to ourselves, our families and our communities to recognise and claim our right to choose and create our own futures? Yet, in a society where we have the luxury to choose any number of things we often fail to choose that which would make us most happy. So I am asking,

Why not choose to do what we love for a living?

Workplace Freedom: establishing the optimal work life balance

I for instance chose to leave a job in a recession to found a company despite a complete lack of funding or the income to cover my outgoings.

By all accounts it was a risky decision, but one that I chose to take in order to pursue my dream of building a company through which I could help other people.  It was one of the best decisions of my life.

Granted I am young and single so I was in the position to make this choice. Understandably, many people would say that they do not have the freedom to choose, when or where they work.

It may seem at times that the need to survive, to care for ourselves and others means we do not have the option to leave a job that makes us unhappy, unfulfilled or simply ambivalent. Yet at any time at least two options exist.

1. You can choose to do nothing and retain the status quo or;
2. You can choose to try something different, plant a seed see if it grows

The difference between one and two;  willingness to change and adapt.

Towards Work Place Freedom

Choosing what, when, even why you work can eventually transform the way you live.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to Work a day in your life.” Confucius

Here’s a couple of things you can do today to begin the move towards greater workplace freedom

Step 1 write down you answers to the following questions:

1. What are your greatest strengths or talents or to rephrase: what do you love to do?
2. What three things do you think you do best in life?
3. Are there any talents or skills you’d like to teach?
4. If you could do your dream job what would you do?
5. What could you volunteer to do or learn that would put you one step closer to that dream job?

Step 2 is to take your answers from step 1 and create an online talent profile so that we can match your talents, skills and interests to work opportunities.

I completely believe that we can all work at and be rewarded for doing what we love, I’m not saying that it will be easy, just that you’ll probably enjoy it.

However, work place freedom – like so many freedoms won before – can only be achieved through connected, collaborative community effort.

We need people like you to build this talent community in which each individual is willing to help others achieve the same freedom through active participation.

To build a world class business that helps people and effects change.

“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do serves as the proof of what you believe,”

HOW Worknow

On the basis of our shared values; recognising each others talents and working together in a spirit of trust and collaboration.

1. EXCELLENCE : We aim to be number one in our field and constantly strive to improve.
2. SERVICE : Helping people is our passion, exceeding expectations our reward.
3. INTEGRITY : We keep our promises, treat people fairly and value open and honest communication.
4. COLLABORATION : talented people, working together for the benefit of each other
5. BALANCE : work / life – future / present
6. GRATITUDE : We are thankful for our blessings and embrace both rewarding and challenging circumstances with open hearts.

WHAT Worknow

Work Now is a community marketplace to help people find volunteer and paid work opportunities. Join our talent community and create your talent profile to connect with people and work opportunities.