FoVA debrief

Two weeks ago, as I prepared to leave for Canada to attend FoVA, I wrote the “buff” post. Here’s part of what I shared:

And the reason that I’m writing about this here on VMoxie? It’s because I see so much derision in our profession toward those who do things differently, or who are the VA equivalent of the kids with pants hanging off their asses, or those with green hair. And I wanted to say that I think there’s value in seeing the buffness of others, even if we don’t all share the same view of what’s buff.

In this way, for instance, I can still embrace every single thing I’ve developed, lived, and taught for the past 12+ years, and you can do your thing, and that person over there can do her thing, and so on…and we can still agree that we all contribute to a wonderfully diverse and rich landscape that didn’t even exist just a short time ago, and will probably look very little like it does today in another decade.

Maybe if we start noticing the buffness of everyone around us, we’ll find out that we actually don’t disagree on as much as we may have thought. And in learning that, we might actually reach consensus on some of the issues we go round and round about.

So off Dawn and I went, and although a small group, it was a very powerful and committed group of VAs of all ages, and experiences. Industry leaders were there, learning, growing, and playing with people, some of whom haven’t even really yet figured out how, or if they fit into any VA model. And no one was catty. No one was superior. Everyone shared. And everyone honored and respected the opinions put forth by everyone else.

I came home with new professional contacts, some new friends, updated and upgraded friendships with people I’ve known for some time, and an absolutely renewed faith that we are not as different, or as far apart on important topics, as I once thought we seemed to be.

There is absolutely plenty of room for every training, every certification, every organization, and every tradition. We are all, in our own ways, those kids with the green hair and our pants hanging off our asses. We’re all rebels. We’re all making our way. We’re all radically buff.

Bit O’Moxie: I think it does us well to recognize that in each other in a “hey…you’re one of my peeps” sorta way so that we can work together, and celebrate and promote one another, rather than pushing against one another.

In this year that, for me, is all about ease, I am delighted to have learned this particular lesson. I am beyond grateful to every single VA at FoVA for his or her personal contribution to my fabulous and never-ending education.

Comments

[Sandra]

Oh Thank you so much! I know that the first rule of blog commenting is to add value to the conversation...but I can't. You just said it so well!

We all bring something different to the VA Table and isn't that wonderful?

[Mary-Lou Ashton]

Hear, hear! Wonderfully said. People who think they should or have to be the only, biggest or best and are not able to honour the contributions of others come from scarcity and fear versus abundance and love. I chose the latter.

[Sandra Trca-Black]

So now I have all these cheesy peace anthems running through my head. :)

Seriously, I'm thrilled to read this and your lesson shared has become my lesson learned.

In my journey to figure out how to live with ease, (and heck, some days I'm still trying to figure out what ease even is!) this is an example that I can really grasp.

Free to be you and me!

xox,
Sandra

[Kathie M. Thomas]

Well, I was thrilled to meet you Stacey as it was your name I first came across with the term 'virtual assistant' all those years ago. How much has happened in that time! I so enjoyed attending FoVA.

P.S. Tawnya told me about your post - I'm currently staying with her!