Thankfulness, every day - Thirteen

Today I had a proposal approved for a project I'm really passionate about. It involves the design, planning and implementation of a developmental mentoring scheme and I am inordinately excited about it. It represents a step-change in the formal approach to personal and professional development for this organisation. We have some fantastic mentoring work going on informally and it's not something that's going to change the world, this programme, but it's something I hope will provide a useful framework and enable a few more great people to engage in meaningful, enriching partnerships from which they all stand to benefit, regardless of whether they participate as mentor or mentee. I so believe in the transformative potential and power of a good mentoring relationship, having been on both sides of the equation, that it delights me to be able to facilitate this for others. 

It's taken some time and required some manouvering to get it in front of them but response from the approving board to the proposal paper today was so positive and heartening.  It reminded me of why I became involved in my field in the first place and how much satisfaction there is to be had from it when people who have the choice to endorse or to obstruct an idea, take a leap of faith and get behind it.

It means a lot more work for me on top of an already jammed schedule but I'm energised in a way that I've not felt for a long time and it occurred to me as I walked home this evening how different my outlook is when there's an open road, a broad horizon and big sky ahead.

I'm so thankful for having been granted this new view, as opposed to the brick wall I've been staring at for ages now. It's a good way to start the week.