In 2015 I applied for an assignment with the IBM Corporate Service Corps.  I am starting the team preparation work and meeting my fellow participants!  Kim’s Blog for this past spring (http://kimcscmorocco.blogspot.com.au/) is a great source of information about her experience in Morocco this past spring.

Here is the link to the IBM Corporate Service Corps web site:

http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/corporateservicecorps/

I will be leaving on Oct 13 for one month to Barat Morocco!  This experience will be outside of my comfort zone and it is the type of environment that I thrive in!  I am really looking forward to the experience.

A great example of me being uncomfortable is my hobby of running marathons.  Four years ago, I decided to start running at age 51.  I had never run before, it was something new and a way for me get physically fit. Four years later, I am still running and it has become a cornerstone of my life.  Besides the fitness level I have achieved (I have lost 70 lbs!), I have learned the running is mostly a mental challenge, i.e. how do I train consistently?  How does one finish a race when my body and mind tell me to quit?  I have learned how to overcome these challenges and finish a race no matter how difficult it is.  This lesson applies to much more than just running, it applies to everything in my life.  The picture below is from the 2016 Boston Marathon and yes that is me running in it.  One has to qualify for Boston by running another Marathon in a fast time. Running Marathons quickly with limited experience is very unusual and going into this, I never expected to be where I am now, but I am and the being “uncomfortable” is changing to being “cool and inspiring”.

I look forward to my CSC experience from being something outside my comfort zone to be cool and inspiring!