Writing a bio

I had the duty to write a bio about myself this week for a work opportunity.  It's quite the experience, isn't it?  I really felt like I should have said, "I make mistakes every day and wish I was better at keeping up on paperwork".  Instead I said, "l consider it a great honour to have been invited to that program."  My true bio would talk about being human and having discouraged days and wishing I could take back words I spoke.  But it is good to also remember the encouraging, perspective-changing days and the times that I made a positive difference for someone.  

It is an interesting and valuable thing to look back on one's life, and I find myself doing that often lately as I transition to a new phase of my work life and write things like bios and resumes and websites. :)  Did I focus on what matters?  Did I empower more than enable?  Did I collaborate more than compete?  Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  I'm think I'm good with that - at least I'm better with it than I used to be.  I've been working on that lately - living with the successes and mistakes, living in the now and being OK with imperfection and vulnerability and forgiving myself for my past.  

Writing a bio makes me think of things I want to improve, but it also reminds me of how very many things I have experienced that I am SO grateful for.  I've had some great supervisors and colleagues along the way, and some great colleagues that collaborated with me and empowered me as I grew as a clinician and learned about ways to intersect my personality with my profession.  I've had some discouraged days in the last few years where I was ready to leave my career behind.  I should have written a bio on those days, as I think it would have renewed my hope and reminded me that seasons don't last forever.  

Do you need some hope and perspective in your work life these days?  Maybe write a bio!  And remember that life is all about seasons that change and have beauty at some level even in the dark days. 
Bonnie Baxter began her career as a Speech Language Pathologist in a small town in Alberta after graduating from...