Re-Entry: Professional Development

If you have a goal to run a marathon there are many steps in the journey to cross the finish line. Learning pace setting is an important key for optimizing performance, conserving energy, and preventing injury as you train for endurance. Training in small increments is another important key for endurance so that when you hit a plateau you can keep on keeping on. It also helps if you have a buddy to run and train with you or a coach to support you and to help you cross the finish line. This concept is important and beneficial as you re-enter in the professional landscape of your passport country.

Industries and markets are evolving rapidly in today’s fast-paced and competitive professional landscape. Professional growth is essential for global workers whether recently returning home or those more seasoned because it ensures you remain competitive, adaptable, and relevant in your home job market. And when you hit those career plateaus you can overcome them to find job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Professional growth isn't just about acquiring technical skills; it also fosters personal development. Serving and living overseas you have developed valuable traits like resilience, adaptability, endurance, intercultural competence, and spiritual fortitude, which can be further refined through ongoing professional growth initiatives.

Being connected to and supported by others is vital and lifegiving in this race called re-entry. Working with a coach can help you to make those small incremental goals to reach your big objective and cross the finish line. Let's chat today.

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You Are Not A Role

You are not your job title. You are not your productivity. You are not only the caretaker, the leader, the helper, the strong one. Those may be things you do —beautifully, even sacrificially—but they are not the whole story of who you are. Your worth is not defined by your output. Your identity is not limited to your roles. Coaching begins when we ask: What would it look like to live from that truer self, even just a little more today?

October Newsletter

SHANNON’S CORNER The Saga Continues… The trip to Malaysia consisted of a two-day spiritual retreat with the theme of ‘Come Away With Me’ and a six-day conference with about 230 missionaries who serve in some aspect of translating the Scriptures. One of the many people who I met was a missionary who served in Cameroon for many years and now is in a new role. As he was sharing, most his words were very negative and depressive. I encouraged him to sign up for a time of prayer and care. At the end of the retreat, this missionary shared with me that he did have a session and I could see that his whole countenance changed, and he was hopeful. His new word he used to describe where he was now is ‘delightful.’ Our time there was creating a safe space for these missionaries to have a place to share what they are struggling with and to connect with Jesus. One missionary is at a crossroads in her life. Another finds himself in the midst of betrayal. A missionary is in a new role as a caregi...

How to Say No Without Losing Yourself or the Relationship

For many of us, saying no doesn’t feel simple. It feels risky. Vulnerable. Uncomfortable. Maybe even unsafe. We worry: Will they be disappointed? Will I lose connection? Will I look selfish or unhelpful? Will this cost me an opportunity? And underneath those fears is something deeply human: we all want to belong — without abandoning ourselves to do it. Learning how to say no is not about becoming rigid or distant. It’s about honoring your voice, power, and relationships — all at the same time. It’s about choosing truth over approval — while staying kind. Here’s how to begin. Step 1: Notice the Pause Before the Yes Most of us say yes automatically. The request comes in and our mouth moves faster than our internal check-in. Practice creating a pause — even a sentence like: “Let me think about that and get back to you.” “I need to look at my schedule first.” “I want to be thoughtful and/or pray before I commit.” ...

Shannon's Corner

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