How to Make Leadership Bloom
Spring opens us up to beauty. What was dormant turns to sprouts of growth. What was colorless becomes colorful. Possibility seems real again. Our eyes are opened to the beauty of what is ahead. Also ahead are the storms. Ushered in with the new blooms are the rains. While rains nourish, the fierceness of some…
The Leadership Challenge: Soul Sparks
A leadership responsibility is to spur purpose. In my book, Activate Leadership: Aspen Truths to Empower Millennial Leaders, the idea of soul sparks is discussed. Soul sparks come in different forms. Simply put, “Soul sparks are those small ignitions of inspiration that fan into big changes, new directions, or fresh works. They come from deep…
What Can A Trust Creed Deliver?
I want to be a trust activist. Being one is challenging though and raises questions on two fronts: How will others know? How will I know how I am doing? Being a trust activist means: Consistency of character: actions equal words, and words equal actions Embraces the truth, tells the truth Honest, forthright relationships Solves…
What Is on Your Horizon?
The prairie is my ocean. As far as my eyes can see, there is an endless flow of grass, fields, and sky. Looking out, I see possibilities. In life’s distance, a path forward begins to form, at least within my thoughts and expectations. Horizons are deceiving. When we think horizon, we think limitless or, at…
Endurance
When we think of marathons, the first word that pops into our minds is likely this one: endurance. Endurance is in the preparation and in the finishing, and now it also may be in the recovery. The images from the Boston Marathon show the shock and horror. Even with such images more prevalent into today’s…
Perseverance – No Matter How You Spell It
Perseverance is one of those words I always need to think twice about when spelling it. Which is it? Preseverance, Perseverance, or Perservence The beginning and middle get confusing. As I was struggling with “perseverance” the other day, my spelling skirmish struck me with the value of the differences. In my confusion, clarity glimmered. To…
How to Toughen Up – 4 Steps
How do you toughen up yourself? Simple answer: Get out there and do something! If you have read anything about me, you know that I grew up on a family farm. A farmer’s life teaches you many things, and one of them is that no one is going to do the work for you. This…
Why Having Thick Skin Is Essential
“Get thicker skin!” “She/he must have thicker skin.” We hear these statements, and what rings through our mind is “toughen up.” There is truth in this thought. We do need to have thick skin in our life. Many things come at us – Making ends meet Surviving annual reviews Being told you are not good…
Your Intangible Presence of Living
We focus on tangibles. Partly due to the fact, I believe, we can touch them, grab of hold of them, or point to them. The tangibles become a part of our persona. With our iPhones®, iPads®, or other devices, our personal brand begins to assume the characteristics of that item. We identify ourselves with what…
The Unboxed Life: Giving
One side of our life needs to be boxed in, and another needs to be unboxed. Our unboxed life needs to be spirit-led, soul-inspired. We hear words like “listen to your spirit” or “reach into your soul” and, at times, it just seems like a lot of nonsense. Yet, we know it when we feel…
How Much Time Do You Spend Doing Soul Work?
I have pushed on this thread of soul sparks in my last few posts, and it is a concept that remains on my mind (as you might be able to tell!). First, soul sparks were defined. After this, several types of people were defined who may try to stand in our way of moving a…
How to Recognize Soul Spark Stompers
Soul sparks are necessary elements in any life. They deliver inspired directions in our lives and relationships. What we do with our soul sparks is up to us, but some around us try to stomp them out. They are the soul spark stompers. Many years ago, I read a book by M. Scott Peck. If…