May 21, 2017
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #39
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, Stillness in the morning light
Success and failure are equally disastrous. – Tennessee Williams
Pursuing success and avoiding failure is an illusion I’ve discovered.
Training in Aikido, I attempt to replicate what I saw the teacher do filtered through my conditioned reactions. When it doesn’t work, I try harder until I realize I’m deluding myself.
In the pursuit of making an outcome happen I’m missing the point that matters most, learning what works and what doesn’t work.
When I focus on achieving success or avoiding failure, I stop learning in the moment.
Judging myself or others, I've pulled back from engaging with what is really happening.
I find my greatest joy comes from being fully alive in the moment, present with what is, and learning to create with what is offered.
Throughout human experience we seek those moments of creativity together, whether it is in story, song, or dance, filled with discoveries, sorrows and laughter.
Reflecting on my most joyous moments in organizations, they have been in the flow of creating new solutions to make a difference, putting aside success and failure as historical judgments made after the fact.
Not that they were easy. Filled with conflicting ideas and difficult choices, we persevered by focusing on what will work the best now.
Let’s create a better future by learning what works, and creating with what we face today!
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #39
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, Stillness in the morning light
Success and failure are equally disastrous. – Tennessee Williams
Pursuing success and avoiding failure is an illusion I’ve discovered.
Training in Aikido, I attempt to replicate what I saw the teacher do filtered through my conditioned reactions. When it doesn’t work, I try harder until I realize I’m deluding myself.
In the pursuit of making an outcome happen I’m missing the point that matters most, learning what works and what doesn’t work.
When I focus on achieving success or avoiding failure, I stop learning in the moment.
Judging myself or others, I've pulled back from engaging with what is really happening.
I find my greatest joy comes from being fully alive in the moment, present with what is, and learning to create with what is offered.
Throughout human experience we seek those moments of creativity together, whether it is in story, song, or dance, filled with discoveries, sorrows and laughter.
Reflecting on my most joyous moments in organizations, they have been in the flow of creating new solutions to make a difference, putting aside success and failure as historical judgments made after the fact.
Not that they were easy. Filled with conflicting ideas and difficult choices, we persevered by focusing on what will work the best now.
Let’s create a better future by learning what works, and creating with what we face today!