| If we can't be disciplined enough to resist a | | | | learn to move to the next phase of my life. I see |
| chocolate bar, how can we be disciplined enough | | | | this journey almost as a test that I must prepare |
| to create the life we want? | | | | for, yet I don't know what I must prepare. All I |
| Blog entry November 18, 2006: "Have you ever | | | | know is that I must be ready to go and not look |
| wondered if what you were doing was what you | | | | back. What I am in search of is "Self Leadership", |
| were intended to be doing with your life? Have | | | | what I hope to find is myself. |
| you ever lain awake in the middle of the night and | | | | As I have been thinking about this all weekend, I |
| wondered this very thing? "What am I here for?", | | | | have come up with 16 principles that answer |
| "Why do I not enjoy my job like I used to?", "Am | | | | what I believe to be this Self Leadership question. |
| I living a lie?", "Is there a better way to live than | | | | What is Self Leadership: |
| with the high stress of trying to please | | | | 1. It is giving our very best to whatever we do. |
| everybody?" | | | | 2. It is believing ourselves worthy to be the best.. |
| There have been days lately that I have | | | | 3. It is focusing on being excellent, and not |
| wondered some of those very same things. Oh, I | | | | stopping until we are... which should be never!. |
| know that whatever I am supposed to be doing | | | | 4. It is fulfilling the excellent use of our gifts and |
| is with and around coaching people, but it may not | | | | talents. |
| be in the way that I am currently doing it. I have | | | | 5. It is living in and operating in the truth, and being |
| this... call it a "feeling", or a "knowing" that there is | | | | honest enough to ourselves to recognize it. . |
| much more that I should be doing with my life, | | | | 6. It is living confidently and in a way that says "I |
| but I also, again, "feel" or "know" that it is not | | | | refuse to fail", and not quitting if we do.. |
| time yet. I can tell you that as sure as I can feel | | | | 7. It is recognizing that striving IS succeeding. . |
| my fingers on these keys. I have more to learn | | | | 8. It is recognizing that we all have limits, and that |
| yet before I can rise to another level of leading | | | | we accept them for what they are and having |
| people: it's not like a physical road sign in the | | | | the mindset to strive to improve on them.. |
| middle of the road telling me my direction, it's | | | | 9. It is not making excuses for our mistakes and |
| more of a "spiritual" one. I don't know how I | | | | perceived limits. . |
| know, I just know, and the fact that I know it | | | | 10. It is not settling for status quo.. |
| and it's not happening as fast as I would like it to | | | | 11. It is being secure enough in our own abilities to |
| happen has really been eating away at me lately. I | | | | not have to prove ourselves to get recognition.. |
| have been crabby, I have been grumpy, I have | | | | 12. It is being confident enough in our own abilities |
| been evasive and I have done some really stupid | | | | to lead others without asking for anything in |
| things because of inattention and this inner turmoil. | | | | return.. |
| Many nights I go to bed thinking that I just | | | | 13. It is seeing the positive in people and |
| wasted another day that I could have used to | | | | situations.. |
| further my skills and abilities to get me out of the | | | | 14. It is not being threatened by the abilities or |
| rut, but I did nothing." | | | | thoughts of others.. |
| Then this morning, I woke up in peace. I haven't | | | | 15. It is willing to voice our opinions in the face of |
| awoken in this positive state of mind in a long | | | | adversity.. |
| time now, and it felt good: So good that I wanted | | | | 16. It is the commitment to do the right things... |
| to make sure that I wrote it down. I awoke with | | | | always.. |
| a sense of hope, faith and confidence that really | | | | Making a commitment to yourself is very hard to |
| feels good! I had a night full of dreams, but one | | | | do. It is much more difficult than making a |
| that stands out was of me leading a group of | | | | commitment to someone else because they can |
| people out of a dark cave into a very bright and | | | | be there to keep you accountable. But when we |
| safe place. In the dream, I felt and knew how | | | | make the commitment to ourselves, we are the |
| important the mission was, and I knew that I had | | | | person who must hold ourselves accountable... no |
| been chosen to lead them out. Then, after we | | | | matter what. This is where our discipline is |
| were all in safety, I heard a voice speaking to me | | | | paramount. To do this, make it a public |
| saying: "I have other important work for you to | | | | commitment. Speak it out loud to people whom |
| do that I am preparing you for, but you are not | | | | you trust and respect and ask them to hold your |
| yet ready. You have much more to learn. How | | | | toes in the fire: Doing this will create results much |
| can you lead my people if you cannot yet lead | | | | faster than just trying to do it alone. |
| yourself? This is what I will have you learn now." I | | | | This week, why not take your own journey |
| woke up with a start after I heard those words, | | | | towards Self~Leadership? When you can succeed |
| shaking and excited and ready to start learning. I | | | | at all of the principles that were outlined above, |
| now feel that the hard time that I have been | | | | then you will be placing yourself up for promotion |
| going through in the last while is my "walk in the | | | | in your most important area: your life. |
| desert". How long or how wide this desert is, I do | | | | May you have all of the success that you can |
| not know, but I am committed to making it | | | | handle this week. |
| across and learning whatever it is that I MUST | | | | |