Discovering Your Voice, Part I

This week I began teaching "The 8th Habit" at work. I will be setting up monthly sessions where I cover a chapter per month for a year. This is something I had been wanting to do for quite some time now. Why? I want to learn it for real. After listening to the audio-book several times, I came to the realization that I cannot just "know" the material. In fact, I started to listen to the audio-book a few times back-to-back... in hopes that it would sink-in. However, listening to it over and over started to make me a little cynical about it all. I even began questioning it. I couldn't apply it to my life - the way I could apply "The 7 Habits". Something wasn't right. Eventually, it hit me as this quote began ringing in my mind:

"To know and not to do is really not to know"

-Stephen R. Covey

I took it upon myself to really learn by doing! The true message of the entire book.

The first part: "Find Your Voice" comprises of two parts:
1 - Discovering Your Voice
2 - Express Your Voice

I covered the 1st part this week - reviewing what Dr. Covey referred to as  our "Birth Gifts":
1 - Freedom and Power to Choose
2 - Natural Laws or Principles
3 - The 4 Intelligences:

1. Body
2. Heart
3. Mind
4. Spirit

The blending of the 4 Intelligences is our Voice! Unique, personal, significance.

I had about 12 slides, 15 attendees, and covered it all with some interesting discussions all within an hour (or less). 

I felt that the biggest "take away" was that we would all needed to learn how to exercise our birth-gifts on a daily / weekly basis. I had created a sort of "tacker" for each of the 3 birth-gifts in a simple excel sheet:

 I also insisted that each attendee pair-up with someone to hold one another accountable. The problem is, I have yet to pair-up with someone. Just like I can't laugh when trying to tickle myself, I am horrible at keeping myself accountable as well.

Inspired to Optimize!

It has been a very long time since I've been inspired to make an entry. The lack of time and busy work/life balance has kept me. However - this is a special time!
Those of you who know me - know that about 5 years ago, my wife inspired me to take an online course on Leadership . It forever changed my life. My search for understanding what leadership really means has taken me down a path to improve myself by embracing what I've learned in reading over a dozen books and a handful of online courses. A year or two later - she started her own blog - once again inspiring me to try... and blog! This blog!
Does this mean I will write my own book?
Who knows... all I know is that this book is an amazing read - and it is free through today!

Am I shamelessly promoting my wife's work?

I am so proud of her, I wish I could yell it across the four winds. Am I dodging the question? Trying not to ;)

Truth is, I feel like I am constantly promoting "my wife's work" in everything I do. I have been and continue to be someone seeking to improve oneself because of her. In a way, I am a living, breathing testament of her leadership on a daily basis. Inspiring me to do more, not because she demands it, but because she models it. Inspiring me. The true definition of leadership: to inspire, to breathe life into.

I believe this book will speak to you, and should inspire in the same the same way. Do not take my word for it. Take a few minutes and see what I mean.

In the beginning... there is nothing.

Technically, at any beginning, there may not be anything physically. However, there are so many things that we cannot see but are constantly driving us. In fact, some of the most powerful forces are not visible at all. If I were to read this as a stranger for the first time, I'd think gravity. It's an unseen force that not only drives us to stay relatively "grounded" - it drives the planets, moons, stars and the universe. Others would probably think along the lines of physics and nature. Giving it another thought, my inner movie-nerd would probably say lightning (1.21 gigawatts!! ;) )
Recently, someone commented on an "unseen force" that could probably put all others to shame. Can you guess? You have 3 chances:
1- Nope
2- Close

Forging your own path: what does it take?

Can't believe it's May! Five months into the new year... and this is my 1st entry?! What's worse... I've been working on this since November '13... ! I didn't realize how difficult of a topic this is. As much as I wanted to generalize, or elaborate based on my limited experience - I found that there were factors I kept neglecting.
After typing and deleting, and re-writing what I thought I knew, I realized this phrase was so true:

"The more you know- the more you realize you don't know".

Not sure why I even chose this topic. None of the audio-books I've read recently really cover anything on "forging your own path" in depth. Therefore, all I could do is come up with questions.

1) Can one keep true to tradition, shift a paradigm and make your life your own?

2) What does it take to break the cycle?

3) Forge a new path by doing what?

The only "work" I have seen recently that addresses these topics are movies. For example, seen "Brave" ? Torn between tradition and what [She] would like to do - the main character is thrown into a turmoil of events leading to a conclusion (I hope I am not spoiling anything here) that is better than following tradition or her doing her thing. Of course it's just a story, and probably easier "said than done". However, I believe many traditions/cycles must have been broken very painfully and at high costs.

Some "time-honored traditions" along with cycles/paradigms that may not be entirely grounded on principles. Many may need revisiting and revising. Many may not apply directly to the present if we are to move forward into a future where mankind is meant to leave "Mother Earth" explore other worlds. A compromise? Not necessarily. If we get at closer look, what was created wasn't something that was in between or "down the middle". Dr. Covey would call this creating a "3rd Alternative". When I first was writing this entry, I had not read the book. However - I have listened to the Audio book, and where I was going with this stands true. I have come to realize that it actually takes work to create a path that no ONE person could have seen on their own. A creation in of itself, like a child in a marriage. A "3rd mind". I will have an entry that will focus on the 3rd Alternative and elaborate the awesome concept- which is the last of Dr. Covey's work.

In the mean time, if anyone can help me find answers to the above 3 questions - I would greatly appreciate it!

That matter of Time...

My last post was not just about time... but that time is finite.
Just read this blog post that I found to be very relevant to that topic:
http://www.georgeambler.com/time-management-is-a-myth/

It is very interesting to see the difference between what we plan to do with our time - and what we actually get to do with it. Without a doubt, in our current world - most of our lives are so dynamic and full of distractions and forces pushing and pulling at us... that we loose sight of what we were planning to do.

I completely agree with the blog entry that it has to do with focus and prioritizing.
The problem may actually lie in finding the time to prioritize - OR BETTER YET - identify your "personal Hedgehog" and focus on that one thing! - remember that? ;-) To know exactly what to focus on! Wow... and undertaking unto itself.

In closing, Looking back at that Hedgehog entry, and thinking about the hedgehog vs. the fox... it turns out that being the fox may also mean being a time-waster. I guess being the know-it-all fox could make you a "try-it-all fox"... 8^!