In this issue
	Sophfronia's Novel Now Available! Welcome and News Meet Veronica Chambers FEATURE ARTICLE: Career Quest-What is Your Great Work? Measuring Up: Free Assessments for You

Welcome and News

Well, as I have added new photos (like this one taken last month at a Chattanooga, Tennessee bookstore) to my author web site the questions have started to come in so I must 'fess up: yes, I am expecting a baby! My first little one is scheduled to arrive around August 1. I'm feeling fine and my husband and I are looking forward to the adventure of parenthood. Actually this is a good time to mention the baby because this newsletter is about how we choose our careers. I've been asked many times how I will deal with work once I become a mother. I explain that the changes I've made in my career these past couple of years have been about doing "great work" (see feature article) but they were also about preparing for this moment-- to be able to work from home and spend the maximum amount of time possible with my child. This is the distinction between have a goal vs. having a vision. Having my own business and writing books from home was the goal, but being with my children was the vision. Goals can take a long time to achieve-- it's taken me years to get here-- but the vision is what sustains you. That's what a powerful vision will do. So set great goals for yourself, but don't forget to create a vision as well, one that will constantly draw you to it. Once you get there, appreciate the moment. People say to me, "I bet you can't wait for the baby or for this or for that, etc." Actually, yes I can. I believe the universe won't give you more if you don't appreciate what you already have. So right now all I want to do is be very present, (especially when the baby kicks!) and feel that I have been exquisitely blessed. May you have the same good fortune in your life everyday. Best wishes and be well. Sophfronia Book Club Photo Gallery »

Meet Veronica Chambers

Looking for a mentor, a role model? Don't limit yourself to older friends and colleagues. As long as he or she is doing what you want to do, a mentor can be younger than you are. I met Veronica Chambers years ago when I was a reporter at Time Inc. and she was a college student interning there for the summer. We connected and after she graduated I watched her bylines begin to pop up in magazines such as "Esquire", "O, The Oprah Magazine" and "Newsweek". Then, in 1996, she published "Mama's Girl", a memoir. It was a beacon for me, showing me there was something else out there, a bigger, more challenging, writing forum and it was within my reach. I realized I wanted to do what Veronica was doing: writing books. A few years later I began writing what would become my first novel. When the work was slow and I got stuck, Veronica was the one I asked for advice on how to get going again. I also learned an interesting thing: she wanted to do what I was doing, writing fiction! I'm happy to report that our efforts have paid off. You know about my novel. Veronica's first novel, "When Did You Stop Loving Me" (published by Doubleday) is now available in stores everywhere. It's a beautifully written story of a girl being raised by her father (a magician!) after her mother abandons them both. You can learn more and read an excerpt from the book at Veronica's web site. To me, Veronica is a great role model for shaping one's own creative existence. I hope she will inspire you to carve your own path as well. Visit Veronica's Web Site »

FEATURE ARTICLE: Career Quest-What is Your Great Work?

I was blown away by HBO's production of "Angels in America". The last lines, spoken by the character of Prior Walter, still bring me to tears: "You are fabulous creatures, each and every one. And I bless you: More Life. The Great Work Begins." Recently a friend forwarded a quote from "Angels" playwright Tony Kushner in which he responds to the question of what is the great work. He said, "At every moment in every person's life there is work to be done, always work to be done, some of it small, some of it Great. The Great Work, in a sense, always has to do with healing the world, changing the world, and, as a necessary predicate to that, understanding the world. You rise every morning aware that you are called to this work. You won't live to see it finished. But if you can't hear it calling, you aren't listening hard enough. It's always calling, sometimes in a big voice, sometimes in a quiet voice." When people question their careers, I believe it's often because they have this nagging notion that they're not doing their great work. It's a double-edged sword--on the one side, they are inspired to do more than what they're doing, on the other side the mere concept of "the great work" is overwhelming and often stuns people into inaction. But what if you were to break up the idea of "The Great Work" into small, bite-size pieces? For instance, your great work doesn't have to happen in your office. It can just as easily take place at home in the way you raise your children, or at the place where you volunteer on the weekends, or in the writing, painting or acting you do when you're not at your 9-to-5 job. In other words, if you're listening for your calling in only one place, you're less likely to hear it. When clients come to me unhappy in their work, we often look for ways to start doing new things without leaving their current job. It gets them unstuck and it takes away the pressure of worrying about a paycheck. Plus they get to find out whether or not the problem is really with the job or their life in general. In the meantime, they get to "try out" what they love doing. If it's truly meant to be, the efforts will turn into a paying job in its own time. While they do that, we also work on developing gratitude to their job for financing their "great work". It's a great way to begin your career change in confidence. You can do the same. First, make a list of reasons why you're grateful for your current job, even if you strongly dislike it. Second, how can your job help you find out what you want to do and how can you start doing it now? Here's help: last year I wrote an article about switching careers. Since the issue is still relevant to so many, I've made it available on my web site as a special career report. Download it, read it and get yourself thinking about how you will change your work situation in the coming weeks. I know it's hard to start big projects in the summer, so I challenge you to at least prepare now so you can get going in September. That's your deadline. Stick to it. Come fall, your great work begins. Switching Careers Report »

Measuring Up: Free Assessments for You

Here's another service I'm offering on my site--free assessments. These wonderful tools developed by Coach U., where I received my training, can provide remarkable insight into how you work, take care of yourself and, yes, even how you love, behave and communicate. They can also highlight areas in your personal development you might like to work on, perhaps with the guidance of a coach. So take your pick and enjoy learning something new about yourself! Copyright 2004 Sophfronia Scott. All rights reserved. Go to Assessments »