How You Gonna Do It?

 
In an early 1980's song, "Get Down On It", Kool and the Gang asks:

"How you gonna do it if you really won't take a chance
By standing on the wall?"

The refrain is: "Get your back up off the wall."

Besides taking me back to an enjoyable time of my youth when dancing was a regular part of most weekends, the song recently reminded me about the benefit of taking #initiative.  I notice that when I am inspired to do a thing, I sometimes hesitate, or get stuck by the little voices that start to tell me all the reasons why I should not do it.  

The hesitation, or doubt, seems natural enough.  Perhaps its just a bit of caution, or fear of the unknown.  When the voice is particularly strong, it can sabotage good intentions.  What I do know is that when I begin a thing and start down a path, the way becomes more clear. It reminds me of the Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken:

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15717#sthash.KvwzDNfJ.dpuf

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15717#sthash.KvwzDNfJ.dpuf

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. - See more at: http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15717#sthash.KvwzDNfJ.dpuf

So, "What you gonna do? Do you gonna get down?"

Help!

"I can of my own self do nothing" (John 5:30).  

Often, we get caught in the trap of believing we need to do it all by ourselves.  Big mistake!  That's the ego taking control, and we know what the outcome looks like when that happens, don't we?

Unless you are a hermit (in which case it is unlikely that you would be reading this post), many of us work in organizations, live in communities, have families, and otherwise interact with a variety of individuals on a regular basis.  When faced with vexing problems (or just day-to-day challenges) it is often wise to connect with someone in your network and ask him or her for help.  

If you feel that the issue or problem is not suitable for anyone in your network, then feel free to reach out to an independent professional adviser, consultant, counselor, coach, guru, imam, minister, priest, rabbi, etc.  

When in doubt, I find that recalling the 1965 Beatles song Help can be inspiring.

Stop Worrying. Just Stop It!

In a humorous exchange, a prospective new client walks into Bob Newhart's office for an initial counseling session.  Bob explains that he charges $5 for the first 5 minutes, and then nothing thereafter.  The client agrees, and the counseling ensues. 

If you have 5 minutes, I recommend you go to the videotape at http://youtu.be/Ow0lr63y4Mw.  If you do, you'll laugh out loud, and you're perspective on #fear and #worry may never be the same.

Graceful Living

"Our real journey in life is interior:
it is a matter of growth, deepening,
and of an ever greater surrender
to the creative action of love
and grace in our hearts." 
-Thomas Merton

#Grace: 1) Simple elegance or refinement. 2) Courteous goodwill. 3) An attractively polite manner of behaving. 4) In Christian belief, the free and unmerited favor of God.

 

#Graceful living: Living gently, lovingly, kindly, mindfully, peacefully, purposefully, gratefully, abundantly, and joyfully.

Are you living a graceful life?

To Be (or not to be)...Authentic

#Authentic: "genuine", "true", "original". 

In today's cult of personality we can easily be duped into believing that someone is not quite what he or she purports to be.  How refreshing and reassuring it is then, when folks just allow themselves to be who they are--without the patina or persona.

Authenticity is like a series of pitons, or "pieces" of mountain climbing protection that are inserted into cracks in the mountain face through which the climber threads the rope as he advances in the face uncertainty.  The pieces (placed correctly) serve as reliable anchors that will be there to arrest a fall in the event of error, mistake, or unforeseen circumstance.  Authenticity is like those anchors.  When we are anchored (true to ourselves and others), then we can be trusted and relied upon. 

And therein lies the rub.  Fear takes hold, and we ask ourselves: "Can I really allow myself to be revealed?”.  The answer is yes.  Authenticity can take many forms.  If you are a bit quirky, then that quirkiness will engender trust so long as it is an authentic part of yourself. If you are serious at heart--be serious.  If you are have a sense of humor--laugh out loud. 

Polonias said it well to his son Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet: "This above all to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man".

Do What You Love and Love What You Do

 
In one thread of the 1981 film, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell (a devout Scottish Christian) accidentally misses a church prayer meeting because of his running.  His sister Jennie upbraids him and accuses him of no longer caring about God. Eric responds to Jennie that he intends to eventually return to China to continue his missionary work.  

Eric adds that he feels divinely inspired when running, and that not to run would be to dishonor God, saying, "I believe that God made me for a purpose. But He also made me fast, and when I run, I feel His pleasure."

What is YOUR purpose, and what are YOU inspired to do?

I Yam What I Yam

"...and that's all that I Yam."

Sometimes, wisdom is uttered from the mouths of cartoon characters.  Of course, we suspect that the creators of the 1933 short animated film knew their Old Testament (Exodus 3:14).

In coaching, we encourage clients to use the phrase "I am" to create a concise statement of  their current life purpose.  The statement takes the following form: "I am the _______(metaphor) that ________(verb)________(impact)." 

For me, the current expression of my own life purpose is: "I am the peace and the light that brings the snail out of its shell". The development of such a statement can create powerful clarity and inspire right action.  

So, what is your current life purpose?