Giving Back & Why?

I have been absent from my blog and apologize to my readers - sometimes the inspiration takes time and I don't want to write just for the sake of writing.  Writing is very solitary and it is difficult to gauge if you are connecting with the reader, so feedback is very important to all writers.  I got some last night and it inspired me to write today.  My friend, Erik commented on my New Year blog, Reflection, Resolution & Motivation.  I questioned my need to help others, and after endless years of volunteering,  I  continue to do it because I can.  Erik is someone I really love and respect and was touched when he commented that the world needs more people like me.  I don't think I am out of the ordinary, and I believe we all give in our own ways.

Volunteers also suffer from burn-out and we need to approach volunteers in the same way as you would an employee.  They need direction and support and even sometimes criticism.  I currently volunteer with two organizations (board positions), working on a third,  and have begun taking my lovely ten year old yellow lab to the local Soup Kitchen in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.   I will confess that at times I do get tired and would rather be sitting at home sipping a glass of wine and reading a book - but I will have time for that someday.

If you have any interest in Canadian stats on Volunteering go to:  www.givingnadvolunteering.ca

Give me your comments - why do you volunteer or don't

What motivates you?  email:  vezeau1067@gmail.com

I will post them on the next blog!

I want to wish three wonderful ladies a happy birthday - all of whom give me so much and I could not imagine not having them in my life!  Judy (Feb 1st), Sophia (Feb 3rd) and Annelise (Feb 7th) Cheers to you girls!
xo Vagi

Paycheque vs Principle

I think we have at sometime in our lives, done a job that we really hate.  Those teenage years of take-out, fast-food, deep-fryers or handling a reception desk when you just get your BA (and all you want to shout is "Hey, I have a University degree and the only job I can get is answering phones!).  I think those early career moments in our lives teach us so many skills:  handling difficult people, multi-tasking, being part of a team, satisfaction of finishing your shift, and the happiness of payday.

At some point, is the paycheque worth the sacrifice?

After the years of struggle, when we finally reach our potential - are we any happier?  Do we have a right to challenge, to want more, to lead, to question those in authority?  As women do we feel that we can?

The fear of losing is the biggest obstacle in communicating what we need, what we demand, 

what we deserve.

We cannot always put our principles before our paycheque - many of us have mortgages and children and bills to pay.  But at some point we can create change to make our workplace what we desire.  I think at times I miss those early jobs - the work wasn't always the greatest, but we did it together and had a good time after the shift was over.  

Good luck everyone! xo Vagi

No Paris Hilton Please!

Friends for 20 + years!

I have never been a regular follower of popular TV shows - but I do recall from the occasional peek into online gossip sites that Paris Hilton had a show based on contestants competing for the coveted title of her "BFF."  Really?   I hope the message to society was that money does not buy you happiness.  Paris has tons of money, vast wardrobe, staff, and yet, needs to televise her quest for a female soul mate.  It only confirms that true friends outlast the latest fashions and stick together through the years.

We do change and evolve as women and some of our girls stay with us and some are lost through the years.  I am at the age where I value the women that surround me - they are strong and bright and beautiful.  They support me when I make the right decisions and criticize when I don't.  They remind me that I don't have to do it all and that a little tummy bulge is a reminder of the three children I bore.  They hold me when I cry and join me in celebration.  They don't hesitate when the phone rings.

Cherish your friends - and welcome new women into your life, they may need a new wonderful friend just like you, even Paris.   xo Vagi

New Year Reflections from a Modern Woman

Reflection, Resolution & Motivation