Lessons Learned from the Toronto Institute 2010

Where do I begin ?

I can't emphasize this enough...I needed to be there. It was timely for me personally and professionally. Being married for 23 years, raising 5 children, nursing for 26 years, 7 years of humanitarian work in first nation communities as well as international aid had led to an ingrained philosophy of helping...helping....helping...at my personal expense and the expense of others. I experienced 2 revelations during the week:

1. I don't love or care myself ( ugghhhh...hard to admit)

2. I need to change the way I do things. I have to stop looking at deficits and look at assets. I need to stop helping people to death....( This is probably a direct result of point number 1...another uggghhh!).

Some of the great quotes that were mind altering for me:

" Be leary of people from religious organizations that fulfill their need to do good at the expense of those to whom they are giving...the charity thing screws up the deal"

John McKnight

" Healthcare professionals are paid to see the empty half of people"

John McKnight

" Love without Power is anemic and Power without love is abusive"

Martin Luther King as cited by Alan Sloane

" We need to transcend happiness...happiness is our biggest obstacle"

Alan Sloane

" We have within us a kindness and fearlessness that cannot be contained by anything except our own fear"

Alan Sloane

" You don't know what you need until you know what you don't have" John McKnight

" There is a difference between opinion and the motivation to act" Mike Green

Lastly...

I go to a LOT of conferences some helpful...some extremely boring and a waste of money. I was worried that this would be just another conference. Soooo wrong... I recieved life changing help at this conference and will return next year with hopefully a larger delegation from rural Albert County.

Rhonda

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Beth Gallagher on July 18, 2010 at 11:06am

Well, well, well...
After not being able to attend an institute for 8 years...I have made the journey to Toronto and have once again been lifted to where I need to be. I was supported in all the right places, I was nudged in all the right places and I was blind-sided in all the right places. Everything that needed to happen this week, happened. The magic that used to occur at the top of Mt. Primrose occured in Pitman as well. My question to myself is...how the hell did I stay away for 8 years? Thank you TSI community for all the "right places".