WORK AND HAPPINESS (An Unusual Post)

Last year, I had the opportunity to deliver a poem at a World Bank Group program aired at Washington DC, which left me amazed at how one inspiration could produce so many stanzas, evoke deep emotions, unify different cultures, traditions, and races, and build a deep connection for a single purpose.

About a week ago, I had another refreshing experience teaching a group of amazing women in France about the place of purpose for women, one I will cherish throughout the year. I loved the interactions on the theme of being purposeful and not just being employed. The ambiance and the people left me inspired.

While I am personally connected to every training, poem, presentation, and artistic representation I deliver, my greatest experiences have always come from the process itself. I am often more blessed than when I initially conceptualized it.

This is me beyond work, beyond a job title, as a human with unexplainable joy. This is Elizabeth as a writer, a public speaker, and a passionate advocate for human capital development, quality education, and women's empowerment. This is a calling, not just a hobby.

Thank you, RWM France, for having me. My French lessons will only get better (I promise).

My main message to you: You are made for more than you think. There is no limit to who and what you can be. The world is waiting for you to innovate your role. Happiness in your job comes from utilizing your full potential, both within and outside your job description. After work, do what you love. While working, find ways to make your work more interesting. This is what makes you unique. As a big fan of intrapreneurship in the workplace, I believe in every person's ability to create better ways of doing their job.

Another remarkable experience last year after attending the Sigma Squared Society summit in Lisbon where I connected with @ who inspired me as an HR practitioner to continue to pursue employee liberalization as the ultimate approach to employee happiness, was getting to meet some of my colleagues in Uganda in-person for the first time after several months of close interactions. On one of our days, we decided to celebrate a special season by using our extra talents (haha) and I delivered a poem to the team. It was a great icebreaker, and it allowed us to connect on a personal level beyond business policies and procedures. Uganda was the first country I decided to train on "finding happiness in the work you do" and feedback from multiple group career coaching sessions I held left people elated to fix problems, find problems, and redesign their work to the highest place of efficiency and effectiveness.

This is an unusual post. Let's call it a #happynewweek package. Happy mid-week, humans. I would like to hear what you do for fun too. For me, it's training, speaking, writing, reading, poetry, and arts moves me haha!

See you in July!