August 28, 2016
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #2
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, School started again
If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain.
If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees.
If you want one hundred years of prosperity, grow people.
– Chinese proverb
These questions help me lead my life in a way that works for me.
I first worked on my grandparents’ ranch when I was eight years old, watering newly planted trees. I spent ten summers learning to nurture the trees. The trees did the growing, while I was planting, irrigating, picking fruit, and pruning. I learned a lot about working hard, and leaving things better than I found them for others.
After college, I went to work at HP. Over twenty-eight years I learned about creating and growing new product categories, teams, and organizations. I continued to hone my work ethic, passion for learning, and desire to leave things better than I found them. I also started to experience situations where I was struggling and unsure. Over time I came to realize that I stopped growing. I was reacting to situations with a set of skills that no longer worked for me. I was operating from a position of fear, and had become my biggest limiter. It is easy to over-focus on working for others, and lose sight of growing ourselves.
“Learning” started for me again. I considered pursuing another degree, and decided not to. Working hard to satisfy someone else’s requirements (an external achievement) doesn’t grant me Clarity and Confidence (an internal knowing). I set out to find the teachers and fellow students committed to growing themselves, to help me learn how to grow Clarity and Confidence as a felt sense within me.
I’ve been fortunate to find and learn with amazing people. They share their insights and experiences with the hope that I stand on their shoulders, as I learn to integrate what they offer into my own self. Through disciplined training and practice, I hone who I want to become, learning what works for me and what doesn’t. I reach the edge of where I hold myself back, and experiment with how I go beyond the limits I’ve established.
I’ve come to accept facing my fears, and enjoy growing myself. I write this Weekly Observer as a way to crystallize what I’m learning. I share it with the hope that it benefits you in becoming a Clear Confident Leader in your own way.
If you'd like to explore those questions with me, I offer three weekly Mastermind Calls.
Let’s create a better future today!
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #2
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, School started again
If you want one year of prosperity, grow grain.
If you want ten years of prosperity, grow trees.
If you want one hundred years of prosperity, grow people.
– Chinese proverb
- What am I Growing, and for whom?
- What am I Becoming, and why?
- How do I best grow myself, and for what?
These questions help me lead my life in a way that works for me.
I first worked on my grandparents’ ranch when I was eight years old, watering newly planted trees. I spent ten summers learning to nurture the trees. The trees did the growing, while I was planting, irrigating, picking fruit, and pruning. I learned a lot about working hard, and leaving things better than I found them for others.
After college, I went to work at HP. Over twenty-eight years I learned about creating and growing new product categories, teams, and organizations. I continued to hone my work ethic, passion for learning, and desire to leave things better than I found them. I also started to experience situations where I was struggling and unsure. Over time I came to realize that I stopped growing. I was reacting to situations with a set of skills that no longer worked for me. I was operating from a position of fear, and had become my biggest limiter. It is easy to over-focus on working for others, and lose sight of growing ourselves.
“Learning” started for me again. I considered pursuing another degree, and decided not to. Working hard to satisfy someone else’s requirements (an external achievement) doesn’t grant me Clarity and Confidence (an internal knowing). I set out to find the teachers and fellow students committed to growing themselves, to help me learn how to grow Clarity and Confidence as a felt sense within me.
I’ve been fortunate to find and learn with amazing people. They share their insights and experiences with the hope that I stand on their shoulders, as I learn to integrate what they offer into my own self. Through disciplined training and practice, I hone who I want to become, learning what works for me and what doesn’t. I reach the edge of where I hold myself back, and experiment with how I go beyond the limits I’ve established.
I’ve come to accept facing my fears, and enjoy growing myself. I write this Weekly Observer as a way to crystallize what I’m learning. I share it with the hope that it benefits you in becoming a Clear Confident Leader in your own way.
- What are you Growing, and for whom?
- What are you Becoming and why?
- How do you best grow yourself, and for what?
If you'd like to explore those questions with me, I offer three weekly Mastermind Calls.
Let’s create a better future today!