Tag: Tribal Leadership

Thankful for Heeding Nudges, a Beautiful Quote, & Connection

Day 3,146

Growth:

Sometimes opportunities present themselves at seemingly inopportune times, but we feel compelled to take them regardless of logic. those “nudges” seem to never fail to produce amazing results when heeded.

By taking on an opportunity to do some training I stumbled upon a powerful. well timed, and much needed focus on self reflection. To built this I needed to pause and look back over the past 20ish years to observe the results of actions and inactions without emotion, rather with the scalpels of logic and reason. Through that process was discomfort for sure, but also smiles of past successes and so many opportunities for growth and improvement. There are so many ways in which this has helped me more clearly see the gap between who I am and who I am called to be.

Had I passed on this opportunity I would have had more time to focus on other things – busyness which will still need to be attended – but I would not have had this opportunity to learn and grow. What a gift it has been!

Appreciation:

This might sound cheesy, but there’s a quote which has been bouncing through my soul thru the past few days. In many ways it sums up so much of what I am most grateful for this evening.

“Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is.

We are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all masters.”

Master Yoda 😉

While the source may be a bit too much for some, the sentiment and truth of the quote cannot be overstated.

How much brighter is the world if we all choose to help each other be better than ourselves? By helping to raise others up we create joy for all.

Presence:

That moment went you know that you are exactly where you are meant to be and doing exactly what you are meant to be doing, and a part of something much bigger than yourself. It opens the mind to ideas of how much we could all accomplish working together, sharing openly, and living into who we were meant to be. Today’s Express Leadership Academy training was a moment which will continue to inspire me to remember the beauty of “we” over “me.”

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Glimpses of the Power of Purpose

Day 2,054

As I prep for bed and conduct my daily ritual of blogging my mind is going in a couple of different directions for my blog. There are a few distinct appreciations which all seem to flow into a common theme. Just a heads up, this is all going to sound familiar as the path is one I’ve traveled recently.

Starting my morning yesterday with an early morning hike with Becky was outstanding. To share time in the woods with her while we both take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors is something I enjoy immensely. Amongst all I do in life this type of activity hovers continually near the top. Not only does it provide moments of awe and wonder leading to extreme presence, but I get to share it with my best friend and soulmate. Doing what we love while sharing in that love together is something I do not take for granted. We are so fortunate to have the common love and appreciation of nature. Those times together hiking the trails, whether exploring a new to us National Park or wandering the same old trail for the ten thousandth time, are one of the ways I re-charge, refresh, and refill my reservoir of energy. By taking that time to the two of us I have the strength and energy to live into my sense of purpose and am much more likely to live more closely into the person I am called to be – it helps me work on the gap. All the while my heart is filled with tremendous joy.

This morning I spent a lot of time with a teammate I haven’t had a ton of one on one time with. The entire experience was incredibly enlightening as well as a ton of fun. I was able to learn so much about her, hear about her motivations, her dreams, and her story. Throughout I kept thinking about how this was exactly where I was supposed to be at that time. Hearing her share her experiences helped me see how we’ve made progress towards living into our purpose while simultaneously providing an opportunity to dream a bigger and better vision of what living that purpose could look like. It was a conversation which will leave lasting fingerprints on our future.

During the day there was a moment in which I took a couple of actions which I would have most likely skipped in the past. Before I could help myself I was leaping into action and unaware of moving myself outside of my comfort zone. The action itself was taken because it was necessary based on purpose, on our why. So many times in the past I’ve taken action more for ego’s sake, if I’m completely honest with myself. This time was 100% for the cause, to protect the purpose. I was reminded afterwards of a comment from Tribal Leadership: the right purpose, the right reason, they work through us. This was a moment in which the purpose warranted action and action was taken immediately. Afterwards a passing conversation in an elevator showed me the importance of the action. Purpose caused necessary action which wouldn’t have otherwise happened.

Purpose, such a powerful thing. It is truly humbling, each time I feel like I’m understanding the power of purpose more I quickly realize how little about the power of purpose I truly know. Each time I start to get a glimpse I quickly see there is so much more than what I am getting a glimpse of. What a beautiful journey this has been and will continue to be!

Thanks!!!

Day 1,998 – Thankful for Meditative Runs, a Fitting Frankl Quote, and Being Used by Purpose

After the late night drive home from Wausau on Tuesday night I had a run to catch up for this morning. Becky was lifting so I was off for a solo run in the early hours of the morning. I put on my headphones, turned on some relatively chill music, and went off at my own pace. Within a block I caught myself drifting into a deeply meditative state while rambling along on my run. My miles were complete before I knew it and I felt an awesomely odd combination of rested and energized. Runs like this help me understand the “marathon monks,” the monks who meditate while running well over 20 miles each day. Once I was locked in seemed to pass by at an otherworldy pace. What a way to start the day!

At one point in the day I happened across a quote from Viktor Frankl as I wrapped up a presentation I’ve been working on.

This quote got a smile out of me. The presentation I’ve been working on is outside the normal staffing presentations I’ve done so often. This one is an eighteen minute TED-style talk about the importance of minding the GAP – Growth, Appreciation, & Presence – in order to live a life with no regrets. It is the purpose I found through the suffering of losing Dad almost five years ago. So fitting that it found its way into my presentation.

The past several books I’ve read (outside of 1984 & Permanent Record) have all leaned towards something I’ve always known but am just now starting to understand. As I see the connections and intersections of the concepts my view of my business purpose seems to be gathering momentum and rolling down the right track. In a meeting with teammates today it just spilled out of me in a steady stream… and felt amazing! Tribal Leadership talked about someone who commented that when you find the right purpose it works through you at a very different level than when you attempt to work on it. This afternoon I felt a brief glimpse of the difference they were talking about. Simply amazing. So excited to see where this continues to grow!

Thanks!!!