EXPLORING OUR PERSONAL PURPOSE

EXPLORING OUR PERSONAL PURPOSE

 

Consider this an invitation.A solicitation if you will. Perhaps today is a perfect time  to think the extraordinary.

A time to consider a concept worthy of both thepractical minded and the ephemeral  philosopher.

While the query is timeless, Responses are unique to an individual’s culture,  values and  current life circumstances.

 

Take a few moments to pause and in the privacy of yourinner self, explore a concept which deserves undivided attention.

The only provisions needed for this journey are time, patience and self honesty.

*Time .. to spend wisely and concentrate without regard for what comes next on our daily calendar

*Patience.. take the decision to temporarily halt the on rushing flood of decisions facing you: pause, take a breath and believe in yourself.

*Honesty. Enjoy your face in the mirror. Listen to the feedback of your voice. Analyze how your utterances reflect core values and beliefs.

TPH – our anagram for today.

 The spelunking of the mind takes us into a cave filled with awe and wonder. A place rarely visited. A mystical yet cherished venue if we choose to take the opportunity and challenge to  slowly explore our inner self. There is a sense of welcome, a beckoning to move aside the exterior walls of self protection  which keep us focused on down to earth day to day events while preventing us from considering what really makes us who we are.

 A flashing directional sign appears at the intersection  of two streams as we enter the cavern of our mind.One points to the seemingly safe path of our usual responses to life’s challenges. Well worn, we have been here many times.The second appears to be less well marked. A road less traveled. A small strategically placed directional sign beckons us to take decision making risks.  The future lies down this road.

We are aware of an inner voice asking  ‘ WHAT DO I LIVE FOR”?

 Let us not be tempted by the contemporary psycho babble terms  “motivation”, or “drive”. Search deeper. Meditate in a comfortable manner which leads to highly personal and profound insight.

  “WHAT DO I LIVE FOR”? Money,  clothing, trips to the Bahamas? Really? Is personal pleasure the rationale of why you are on this earth?o make the world a better place?To create a safer place than our parents knew?To feed the poor?To discover the religious meaning of life?What?

 Whatever response you ultimately choose – it should evoke visceral feedback. Hands sweaty, a nervous fluttering in the stomach, shaking from within. Your inner voice could  be yelling – YES! This is why I am here. I am going to reshape my life to include a new found purpose for me and others whom I love.Share this new found truth (s) with some one whom you discuss intimate secrets. They will see you in a different light. A new sense of trust develops when we expose our vulnerability to others while disrobing and revealing our true self.

 Trust yourself. God placed you here for a purpose.  Enjoy the journey of  exploring that most private of all inner caves.

 

 

BELIEVABLE LEADERSHIP – WHAT CAN MONEY BUY?

“ Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Sound familiar? What do the diamonds buy? – a sense of – he cares for me? Admiration from others.? Eye candy? Perhaps they are a renewal of the loving mutual admiration society. Or a visible reminder of one person caring for another. This rock from the center of the earth has always signified wealth, affection, and loyalty. There may be a difference between signifying something and it actually being true.
A question – do diamonds, jewelry, and other “ valued things” act as unbreakable adhesives when the affection and loyalty attributes are violated or dissipate over a period of time? The glitz and glamour of diamonds, by themselves, rarely is the glue that holds a broken relationship intact.
Employers are sometimes confused by the currents of “ we want more money’? ( show me the diamonds). When asked to perform expanded duties, the refrain “ how much more are you going to pay me?” is heard from dissatisfied , skeptical, restless employees..
Assuming these employees are paid comparable to others ( same occupation, region, etc) why the hue and cry about money?
• Loyalty?
• Honesty?
• Leadership?
• Followership?
• Integrity?
• Trust?
• Innovation?
• Motivation?
• Empowerment
Will money buy these? Perhaps money buys retention and the ability to hold on to highly skilled employees before they bolt to the competition. A bidding war ensues. With money being equal – who will the employee choose? And why?
Well heeled employers who fairly pay employees, have a high rate of “ money driven malcontents” when there significant dysfunctional characteristics are present in the workplace.
Havighurst discussed the absence of… as a factor in human behavior. The absence of employee loyalty, honesty, commitment to quality, employee empowerment, esprit de corps. Money cannot buy these factors which are essential to employee satisfaction. Dysfunction is a generalized company climate. Created, promoted and sustained by inept management and leadership.
Employees generally want to enjoy their work: take pride in where they work and the functions they perform. The erosion of these positive characteristics can be avoided by “ believable leadership”. Leaders who command trust: care about their employees, and who act in concert with the belief systems they talk about. Transparency, honesty, and value driven are the 3 key words by which they live. These characteristics are priceless.
Personal relationships and businesses have transparency, honesty and values are their cores. While “money” may be a center of heated discussions , a question to be asked – How did we get here? What are we as a marital team willing to do to change the atmospherics?

What can diamonds buy?

Be Motivated- Be Number 1: Cheer for the Home Team

Motivation — a continuing quandary in business circles:
How do we get employees to be energized?
Yes, sometimes not energized to do their best
Just plain old fashioned energized.

Watching the Packers-Bears Game yesterday,
I admit to having more questions than answers

With each score, the Packers fans became more frenzied
The Bears fans more defiant.
What is relevant also is that alcohol consumption increased as
Tensions rose and either triumph or despair prevailed

A relevant observation is the drive, commitment, external expression
Of these two antagonizing groups of fans.
Driven for 3 hours by their intense loyalty and
Contrary to many pundits, money was not the primary reward.
Individual recognition was not an issue
Pride in a professional team with whom an entire state relates
(hmm- how many of the team’s players are from Wisconsin?)
Pride, group identity, a “we are all in this together mentality”,

Group dynamics is an amazing phenomena:
We coalesce when there is a tragedy such as fire, or flood.
Identify with our city sports teams
Rebel against perceived injustice
Fight to the death when our liberties are threatened.
What are the psychological and sociological forces at work?

Likewise, what are the prevailing forces when a team of workers do not perform?
Is it money, or working conditions, the personality of the boss, the culture?
When school children in a specific school or classroom under achieve:
And we spend more money on computers, snazzy classrooms, pedagogical studies?

Whatever we do at any given time is a function of internal motivation
We may be motivated to do nothing, or everything: individually or as a group?
What is the magic elixir or switch which persuades our inner self
Do we engage in cheering a sports team for individual pleasure when
Rooting as a group? Why do some cheer alone, in the dark and quiet of their personal space?
Lots of questions –not many answers:
A tribute to our capitalistic system for giving us choices at the workplace, shopping centers, and sporting events.
To paraphrase Jack Welch of General Electric, If you can’t be number one – motivate yourself and try something else.

Cheering for ?