Unsure51

 I am UNSURE ...

• Why she agreed to that first date 51 years ago today.
• Why she consented to the second and following ones.
• Why she wed me despite that most awkward proposal scenario. 
• Why she chose to have children with me, fully aware of the genetic risks.
• Why she repeatedly pulled up stakes and followed my professional journey.
• Why she continues to forgive me each and every day.
• Why she tolerates my exasperatingly poor communications skills.

I am SURE ... thankful she did, thankful she does, and immensely thankful she seems inclined to persist.

WhoWe?

We are...

• What we think.
• What we read.
• What we eat.
• Who we admire.
• What we believe.
• What we listen to.
• Who we love.

....in control of each of those choices. And each one shapes Who We Are.

AginnerSyndrome

Some folks just seem to be against anything or everything that's not the same thing.

We all know them. They object relentlessly. They immediately find fault. They resist any sort of change, LOUDLY.  "Yeah, but..." seem to be their two favorite words. 

These folks constantly proclaim, "I'm agin it!" 

How can we avoid slipping into that Aginner Syndrome ourselves?

• Avoid arguing with the Aginners.
• Pose questions around possibilities and what might be.
• Focus persistently on outcomes over processes.
• NEVER be snarky or take cheap shots.
• Keep our eyes, our conversation, our attention forever and always on the future.

Most of the time, the Aginners can't help it. 

We can love them anyway.

Ritualistic

Rituals are collective habits. They provide symbolism for our culture. They're almost like social tattoos.

Why are rituals so important in promulgating our culture?

• We schedule them regularly, thus making them habitual.
• They showcase the best version of our culture.
• They remind us of what really matters.
• They motivate and empower us.
• They pull us together - cognitively, physically, spiritually.
• They provide a clean, clear, and fairly simple expression of "our brand."

Rituals make us richer.

Ripplefication

A well known tenet in the field of psychology is the rule of reciprocity. In essence: "I'll give you something, then you feel compelled to return the favor, somehow." We see this strategy deployed all the time, particularly in sales and con schemes. 

The idea of reciprocal bounceback is compelling, but it's grounded in egocentricity.  The bedrock of servant leadership, however, is just the opposite. Rather than giving with intent of return, servant leadership is service with an outward rippling effect. 

Not only does that outward rippling occur, it gets magnified by those influenced by the servant leader. 

Think of it as ripplefication. 

GO!

PresenceVsProductivity

Our society often measures human worth in how much we accomplish, how much money we make, what titles and awards we accumulate, and how big of a splash we make.

Often lost in that rat race is the importance of connection and engagement with those in our sphere of influence. 

We make choices about how we spend our minutes, hours, and days. When we look at our past, those cumulative decisions reflect how we have spent our lives.

A life spent truly noticing others, authentically engaging with them, learning from them, being fully present to them might well prove to be the most productive of lives.

We get to choose ..... this minute, this hour, this day ..... this life.

TrustTells

Poker players are always looking for the "tells," the little clues in an opponent's posture, moves, voice, eyes, or demeanor that suggest the quality of the cards they hold.

Trust Tells help us determine who we can trust. It's much easier to trust people who...

• Give away trust to others freely.
• Win with modesty and lose with dignity.
• Debate vigorously, on the facts, without making it personal.
• Treat others respectfully, even when they may not deserve it.
• View every other person as a unique child of God.
• Engage openly and freely with others. 
• Express gratitude pervasively. 

With that rubric in mind, we can now look in the mirror...