New Paths ....

At the end of last year you will remember that I got made redundant from my nursing job ... At the time I was struggling to fit it all my commitments with Nursing, Managing the NZ Art Guild, Board of Trustees at the local art Centre, my own art and Event Management - not to mention two kids.

I've been spread so thin for so long that in the end you feel that you aren't able to give 100% to anything. The redundancy combined with the job market and high unemployment rate has given me a great opportunity to devote myself fully to the NZ Art Guild and developing my business skills.

I contemplated going back to study full time but didn't feel that was right for me at this stage. So what I'm doing instead is training through Enterprise NZ. What a fantastic scheme this is! Fully funded by the government (provided that you go through various checks, questionnaires and interviews) - then you get to attend as many seminars and workshops as you like. You have on on one training sessions, access to business mentors, multiple on line and offline resources available.....and it's free!!!

The things I'm learning are so completely different from all my years of nursing and I'm excited to be learning new skills, retraining, opening up more doors and meeting new people. It's all sooo exciting!

A lot of us believe that things in life happen for a reason - sometimes that reason isn't clear at the time. when I got made redundant I was scared - how would I make ends meet financially - what would I do for a job - how would I fit everything into my life? Well things have a funny way of working out - and now I'm in such a calm place - none of those fears are occupying my thoughts - I know I'm on the right path and I'm committed to this - I'm looking forward - following my dreams - making them become a reality.....

Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what is still possible for you to do - Pope John XXIII