I believe the good news is we do not have to know precisely what it is we have come into the world to create. And we certainly do not need to have all the answers around how these creations will come about.
We simply need to pay attention and identify the kind of things that repeatedly catch our attention.
What is it that you are stirred to do right now? Who are the people that you feel drawn to? What kind of subjects interest you?
What books call out to you in the book store? What movies do you tend to enjoy? What are the themes around these things?
When you envision yourself as successful, what does that mean to you? Who are you surrounded by? How are you feeling? And what are the contributions you have made to others?
Unleash the Extraordinary!
Diane Bolden
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September 4, 2007
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart.
Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside, awakens!”
~ Carl Jung
In Native American cultures, young adults are sent on vision quests. These rituals involve sending the youth on a journey, packed with provisions that allow basic needs to be met. Instructions are simply to wander around and find a place that calls to them. Upon doing so, further direction is simply to sit and reflect. The belief behind this is that we do not necessarily need to actively find our vision. When we quiet ourselves and pay attention, our visions find us.
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September 7, 2007
“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.”
~ Rainer Maria Wilke
It has been said that there is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come. But these ideas enter into us long before they are ready to be brought into the world. They prepare us, transform us, and lead us through a myriad of experiences that allow us to develop what we need in order to manifest them.
These experiences are not always pleasant. We suffer disappointments, setbacks, frustrations. During times like these it is easy to feel as though life would be just fine as soon as these turbulences subside. But what if these little disturbances are the very things we need in order to breathe life into these visions that lie within us?
How many of the worlds great healers once experienced some kind of malady that they needed to overcome on their own before they had what it took to help others through the same challenge? How many people transcended their suffering by finding meaning in it and then when on to help others do the same?
Unleash the Extraordinary!
Diane Bolden
© blog posts copyright 2007 Diane Bolden. All rights reserved.
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September 9, 2007
“Sometimes what’s in the way is the way.”
- Eckharte Tolle
If your journey as a leader will require you to exercise courage, you may find yourself in several situations that scare the hell out of you. If it requires you to show compassion, you may find yourself in situations where you must learn to transform your anger into something more constructive. You will continue to draw to yourself the experiences you need to develop what is required to bring your vision into the world. The blessing and the curse in all of this is that those experiences will continue to present themselves until you finally learn the things you need to learn.
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September 13, 2007
“It is our choices that show what we truly are,
far more than our abilities.”
~ J.K. Rowling in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I believe there are three major prerequisites to leadership: courage, honesty, and service.
We must take action in spite of our fear, be honest about our role in each and every situation, and find a way to use our unique talents and gifts to serve someone other than, or in addition to ourselves.
We must learn to look beyond those things that appear to inconvenience and trouble us to realize that we have drawn them to us to teach us that which we most need to learn.
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September 15, 2007
“It is essential to distinguish between events that are really beyond
your control and events you caused yourself.”
~ Barbara Sher
There is an interesting duality to leadership.
On one hand, we need to be willing to acknowledge that there is something greater than ourselves to which we are connected, that breathes life into us and illuminates our path. It is important to learn to trust this guidance and be willing to receive its inspiration.
On the other hand, we must also take responsibility for own experiences.
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September 18, 2007
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
~ M. Gandhi
When we defer responsibility for our own actions to others, we conveniently excuse ourselves of any need to change. After all, it wasn’t our fault. This places us in a victimization mode that is seductively destructive.
We can rationalize all kinds of behavior this way and never feel the need to hold ourselves accountable. And because we never feel the need to change, we will remain stagnant.
This obviously has implications for each one of us as individuals. But consider also the impact it has on those we lead, who look up to us as examples and who emulate the behavior of the “one in charge.”
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September 20, 2007
“We can do more good by being good, than in any other way.”
- Rowland Hill
Driving into work this morning, I went to make a right turn and I couldn’t help but notice the people in each of the cars lined up to turn left.
One woman had a forlorn expression, and her head drooped over her steering wheel. The woman in the car behind her revealed a smile and an upward glance that seemed full of joy and anticipation. The face of the man in the car behind her was twisted up and his shoulders appeared to be close to his ears. His eyes were locked onto his blackberry, which he held in his free hand.
I smiled as I realized that I could relate to each of these people. I could have been any of them at any given time. And then the thought occurred to me that I could be any one of them today.
Which would I choose?
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September 24, 2007
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s seeing the possibility
of your demise and doing your work anyway.”
~ Ronit Herzfeld in Fast Company
Anytime you make a decision to go out of your comfort zone, to do something that is new or unusual for you, you will most likely experience a tinge of fear, hesitation, or anxiety. This fear may lead you to question your ability, your likelihood of succeeding, and the possibility of your demise – whatever that may mean for you. It is essential to realize that this fear is a part of your journey as a leader.
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September 26, 2007
“Doubt whom you will, but never yourself.”
~ Christian Nestell Bovee
Having faced our fear and moved forward in spite of it, the experience may be positive or negative. Regardless of the outcome, we must acknowledge the progress we have made. If our experience is less than desirable, we can evaluate it and learn from it. Having had the experience, we are wiser for it – far more than we would be if we simply continued to contemplate taking that leap or safely learn from the experience of others instead. And if we are successful, we can build on this experience and use it as a platform for further growth.
There will always be an abundance of people who will tell you why things cannot be done, what there is to fear, and why it is just not worth the risk. Let them speak, but do not be swayed by their doubt. It is based on their own experience of the world, not yours.
Continue reading "The Mark of a Leader: Acting in Spite of Our Fears" »
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September 29, 2007
“Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.”
~ Dr. Michael McGriffy
When was the last time someone caught you off guard with a piece of feedback or a message that felt like an attack? How did you respond?
If it took you by surprise, chances are for a moment you may have lost your balance, moving either away from the bearer of the message, or toward him or her (literally or figuratively). If you leaned away, in an effort to avoid conflict or to crawl inside your comfort zone, you may have withheld your point of view or any response for that matter. If you leaned forward, you may have thrust your point of view upon the other in a way that was more like a counter attack than a response. Or perhaps you accommodated and sacrificed your own needs in order to maintain harmony. Either way, you fell away from your center – your true place of power.
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