Filed under: Integrity | Tags: Leadership, personal growth, self help, stephen mcghee
It snuck up on me again. I had things to do, people to meet, objectives to attain and sustain. People were counting on me. I was counting on me. Suddenly I found myself having a mini heart attack. I don’t mean the literal kind. I mean the kind that has me look down the road of life and see nothing but appointments. My heart sank and the attack of panic within my heart prevailed. I felt like a gerbil on a treadmill…running fast and going nowhere. I thought I was making progress and therein lies the great denial of Self. How many of you can relate to a time in your life when your pedal was to the metal and the brake is on at the same time. I can tell you it’s a great way to waste fuel.
I have been there before many times. The good news is that I can see it faster now. Once I see it, I’ve learned it takes some courageous decisions to change the direction. It takes courage to do nothing. If you ask me, for those of us living extraordinary lives it takes more courage to do nothing than to do something. In fact, it’s counterintuitive and scary to pause when the world is happening so fast. The pace of life never stops by the way. The world will keep going and the joke is on those of us that try and keep up. I can’t keep up with something that NEVER stops and as McGhee Productivity Solutions (www.mcgheeproductivity.com) teaches us, “you will never not have something to do.” Think about that one over toast tomorrow morning? You will always have something to do. Even if your talking about brushing your teeth or paying a bill, or? It never stops. So, if it never stops then, when do you halt?
Do you stop when you get it all done? Good luck. How about when you reach all the goals? Yes, then I will slow down. I submit to you that you won’t reach that day either. It never ends, which of course is also the good news. It’s good news if you can learn to pause. As a leader, you need to create time to reflect and do nothing. You need time to breathe in the guidance of your intuitive Self. If you don’t take time to introspect, then you can expect to burn your adrenals, your relationships and your enthusiasm. I find enthusiasm is my greatest gift in life. I find that the greatest way for me to stay inspired is to take time to just hang out. I am not talking about months at a time, although for some of us that could be the ticket. I am recommending some time every week to just BE.
What will emerge from that? I invite you to try it and see. Perhaps you already have this practice within your life. If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on what happens when you engage in a slowed down way of being. For myself, I have found that solutions more readily occur to me. I sleep better. My mood is enhanced. I create better results, which is, of course, the great conundrum. I was thinking the other day of summers past when I was kid. They lasted forever. I remember long summer afternoons, where I would lay around under a shady tree with my friends and just chew on a piece of grass. We might get up and go fishing, or throw the ball around. As I tapped into that feeling, I could feel my body slow down. The bottom line is, it brings calm and presence to my leadership ability and I suspect it will do the same for you too.
If you find yourself frenetic lately, give yourself a break. What could you do to create an amazing summer experience? What can you do this coming weekend that will have you wake up Monday ready to fly again? How could doing nothing assist you in creating something incredible? Take this challenge on and let me know what you experience.
Breathe.
Filed under: Sharing
The beat goes on my friends. The cadence prevails and as a Leader you must learn to listen. Can you hear the music? You will only hear it if you sit still long enough to find the beat. Most of us are in too big of a hurry to tune in. I have found that when I get into a big hurry I miss the best songs in life. I sometimes miss golden opportunities and suddenly life and business begins to feel like a big game of tag. At that point, I am playing touch with the tasks in my life. It becomes a big “to do” and one day I may wake up and feel like even my relationships are managed as if I’m checking them off of a list. Can you relate? Can you hear that slowing down and finding the authentic rhythm of your life requires great trust in your Self?
Most recently I went to a concert. It was the band Styx. Some of you won’t even remember them and that’s ok, because you can still relate to the point here. The band has been around for 30 years. They have stood the test of time because, for them, they are original. They are singing their songs in their own inevitable ways. Music that imitates and lacks originality does not have a 30 year following. It’s like that with Leaders. If you are a copy cat people won’t dig your music. Being a great influencer of people happens from a magical authentic rhythm. The point is you’re an original. As a Leadership Coach I see it all the time. Some leaders are trying to follow imprints that don’t match who they truly are. They are singing somebody else’s song. It’s never as powerful as the original.
Today, I invite you to consider your original style of leadership. You are unique as a leader and there is NOBODY that can sing your song better than you. I recommend you don’t hold back. Let it rip and sing it loud. You will likely not be asked to sing unless you start singing. Authentic leaders are powerful and courageous. People won’t likely be attracted to the possibilities if it is fake at any level. So today, and as you are willing; give this idea some thought. Where do you withhold ideas? Stop it. Where are you appeasing others by pretending to go along when inwardly you are vehemently opposed? Cease and desist. When do you put on a show when you really need to listen? Change that tune.
My life is devoted to singing my song. If people don’t want to listen, they don’t have to. It’s true for you too. It’s trusting the depth of your Soul in this area of leadership. Listen carefully to the impulse of wisdom. If you are willing to slow things down, it will speak to you. It will sing to you. It will be heard. This week I encourage you to enjoy the rhythm of your Leadership in all areas of your original Self.
Sing On.
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