How leaders are remembered…

lifeAny time that one of the truly great leaders of our time leaves us it is fitting to pause and celebrate their contribution to the world.  It is also important within that reflection to think about and be grateful for the lessons that have generated meaningful change impacting us personally.

Today we mourn the passing of Nelson Mandela and celebrate his life and what it meant to so many.  As one of his many life students, I continue to be grateful that I lived in the time of Nelson Mandela and was here to witness his remarkable impact. His ability to forgive and love; the inspiration he delivered to all; his passionate commitment to freedom; and his true understanding of the power of education all forged together to create an indelible legacy.

Here are six of my favorite quotes from him that have given me inspiration and speak beyond what is true to express truth:

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Money won’t create success, the freedom to make it will.

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

It always seems impossible until it’s done.

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

A remarkable person that in living his legacy has changed us all.

 

How do you spell change?

Change

Welcome to our blog! Again!

One year and two months ago today our blog was born. It’s been an amazing year filled with things expected and things unplanned.  In other words – it’s been life as usual.I have been richly blessed over these past fourteen months as I’ve explored, written and shared with you here.   I was reminded yesterday speaking with a friend that it’s important sometimes to go back and just check in to see how we’re doing along the way.  As a result, I’ve been going back through some of the early posts.  When I came to the first post, it was a treat to see how even though so much has changed, what matters remains the same.

The message in this post is still what we are about.  Our values don’t change.  How we practice them might – but core values are here to stay.  I hope you enjoy the re-post.  (By the way – the young woman in the post has since had another daughter – Miss Keira!  Her Nana couldn’t be more delighted!)

——-Originally posted February 13, 2012————————–

Lauren_30Thank you for stopping by and joining the conversation. We look forward to engaging with you as together we discover new pathways to success.

To really embrace possibility, you have to first be willing to let go of anything (or anyone) that up until now you have allowed to limit you.

You know what I mean. Those silent (or not so silent!) “advisors” saying “you’ve never been able to do that before”, or “no one else has done that before”, or any other beliefs that forecast anything less than the best possibility of success.

It’s important though to understand that possibility thinking is not just about positive thinking.  It is not seeing everything through rose-colored glasses.  It is about not limiting your options and choices.  It considers all risks so that you can guard against them. But it greatly expands your available choices.  That’s why it works.

Let me share with you a story.

The photograph with this post is a great example of possibility thinking.  It was taken by a young woman on a trip last year to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

While I love the image itself since it shows beauty growing in an unlikely place, the photographer is the real story.  Today she turned 30.  She is mother to a delightful 11-year-old daughter, wife to a wonderful and loving husband, a 4.0 GPA college graduate, and just recently had to take a break from her dance classes (ballet) while she’s expecting their second child.

What is remarkable about that?  The probabilities for her were much different.  Born at just 27 weeks (that’s nearly 3 months early!), she suffered hemorrhages in both eyes and her brain.  The doctors were not hopeful about her quality of life – IF she survived.  The picture they painted included significant learning disabilities and at best, only being able to walk with leg braces.  Also a good chance she would be blind.  Wow!  What made the outcome so different? Love, prayer and perseverance? Yes. Absolutely.  But what stimulated those?  The belief that there was another possible outcome.

This is a personal quest for me.  She’s my daughter.  For the last 30 years we have lived and grown in the land of possibility.  And the rewards have been nothing less than miraculous.

What probabilities are you accepting without considering that something else is possible?

Possibility Art.. worth more than 1,000 words..

Ever wonder what outside the box thinking looks like?  Check it out.  Now you know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start from where you are… create a new path.  That’s possibility thinking.

Is it a pencil or a masterpiece in the making?

This story was sent to me by a friend.  It came with a number of pictures that were amazing.  But it was the parable that resonated.  There was no credit given to the artist or the author in the e-mail and my searches have only found others that shared it.  But to the artist and author I pay homage – even if you remain anonymous because this is a great life lesson.  Take from this what you are meant to hear:

PencilA pencil maker told the pencil five important lessons just before placing it in the box:

1)  Everything you do will always leave a mark.

2)  You can always correct the mistakes you make.

3)  What is important is what is inside of you.

4)  You will experience painful sharpenings, but they will make you better.

5)  To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be guided.

My thoughts on this…

The parable can be that we are the pencil or it can be that we might be the hand that holds another.  Either way, the truths here remain.

  • Everything we do is the cause for an effect.  For ourselves and for others.  Every thought, word and action leaves a mark.
  • There is no mistake that cannot be corrected.  It cannot always be reversed or removed, but it can be corrected.  And what might appear at first to be a mistake, can also be the pivot point for a new image in the hand of the master.
  • Our value comes from inside of us.  And we all have value.  We all matter.
  • Throughout life, our value may be covered by protective shells that need to be whittled away so that our inner glory can shine.  Those sharpening can be painful but they are mean to reveal our purpose and allow us to grow.
  • On our own, we will never achieve our best.  We need to allow ourselves to be guided and to also be willing to guide.

Just a pencil?  No indeed.  Any more than we are just a person.  We are both a masterpiece – now and in the making!

 

Breaking through…

At times, our lives just stream by and we fail to pause and reflect on whether or not we are where we want to be.  We quite simply are where our lives have brought us.  The idea of taking back the reins of our lives seems like one of those ideal images of the future rather than what we can have right now.  Responsibilities, obligations, commitments or any other tag we put on the “stuff” that fills our calendars and days have become more like strictures rather than structure.

When I need to re-center and bring my best self back into focus so that I can function with the highest levels of creativity and purpose, I look to these ten principals to guide me:

  1. The only rules that apply are those that I have accepted.  By accepting (or not accepting) any guidelines, I am also accepting responsibility for my choices.
  2. Fear is not a bad thing.  Fear is a healthy thing.  Because it means I respect what I am undertaking:  Respect of consequences and acceptance of responsibility.  Taking action with accountability makes fear a friend, a guidepost for where I need to pay attention.
  3. Fun is a good thing.  I aspire always to have more fun in everything I do.
  4. My vision for the future is my decision touchstone. I recognize that what I do today is forming my tomorrow.  I do not think about what might have been.  I act on what will be.
  5. My surroundings reflect my values and appreciation for beauty.
  6. A curious nature is my most valuable resource.  My most powerful tool is the right question.
  7. I do not think in terms of success or failure.  I think in terms of action and effort.
  8. A change of scenery is often the absolute best way to achieve a change of perspective.
  9. I invest time as a resource. I do not try to manage my time.  My priorities are how I determine how my time is spent.
  10. Creating value for others is the most important contribution I bring to the world.  I understand that I must focus on their need vs. just what I want to do to have significance.

When things seem a bit out of kilter, by going through these principals I can always find the one that brings everything else back into focus.

What would you put in your manifesto?