To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Creativity

What do you need today?

So, what do you need today?

What would absolutely brighten your day? Fill your soul? Lighten your load? Spark a fire? Ignite your creativity?

Now, what would it take to go make it happen?

Spring is all about fresh life, hope and joy. Our life is ours to create, to curate, and to actually live – abundantly!

Sounds easy, right? Maybe for some. But in case you are like me and struggle with this at first, I want to share a mind-mapping exercise I use to make this happen each year.

I start by putting each of my life’s main categories (finance, career, family, spiritual etc.) on paper. Then, I develop 2-3 key action items for each one of them to ensure I achieve my personal goals or dreams.

My new addition to this exercise is asking: Where can I add joy – or, what would brighten my days – in each area? For example, instead of “spend more time with my family,” perhaps I could expand that to “embark on a Saturday road trip with my sister by the end of May.” (Assuming it’s safe!)

I’d love to hear your ideas!

Here’s to a great week and the best spring ever – let’s make it so!

Setting anchors: Those people & things that secure our place

I judged a Master’s program case study competition on Friday. One group started and ended with Maslow’s Hierarchy when presenting their solution to achieving health sustainability for a specific city. I loved it!

You may recall that the base of the “hierarchy of human needs” is physiological needs (think food and water), but the very next is safety needs (think physical security, employment, resources, property), and then we go to love and belonging (think friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection). I would say that these three are the anchors. If we get to these, we can get to the next and final two, esteem (respect, self esteem, strength, freedom) and finally, self actualization (desiring the most that one can be).

I write and think a lot about fulfilling the calling on my life. Constantly praying, meditating and taking actions to move toward where I feel I am supposed to go. I got to thinking how smart these students were to tie back the very root to Maslow’s famous thinking. It’s so true that even if we want to get to our best self, we can’t get there without having anchors set in the key areas. WOW. Light bulb!

So, where do I – where do you; where does your family – need to set their anchors. Are the key areas locked in and safe? This expands to all manner of thoughts from the money in my emergency fund, to the schedule I keep, and margin I have created to allow me to get to maximum creativity and a sense of accomplishment.

Entrepreneurs often refer to “anchor clients.” Those who secure their business, ensure adequate cash flow and a baseline of success to grow upon. Who are your “anchor clients?” Who are those people who when you are around that enable you to be fully yourself and fully engaged? It always seems to come back to people. Who are those who need an investment and an established anchor?

It’s November! YAY! Two more months and we celebrate another 365 days (AKA another trip around the sun). Speaking of sun, I’m thankful for each day we have and, in fact, I think that should be stated as one of my anchors! Sun! Good for our Vitamin D levels –– and the soul!

Have a strong week my friends.

A learner’s mindset: Open heart, open mind and creative solutions

What can you do that you could not do a year ago?

What are some challenges your organization is facing?

Are your ideas and strategies innovative enough? Are they creating the meaningful impact you’d like in your work, family, community work, etc.?

What are you passionate about and wanting to spend more time doing?

What does the world need more of?

I was inspired by this idea of being better explorers of our world by Beth Comstock’s ‘Imagine it Forward.’ Solving today’s problems will require different thinking and approaches. I am confident that we all have the capacity to tackle them if we go forward with a learner’s mindset.

If we can keep our focus on constant learning – whether it be from peacefully watching a flock of birds and their patterns, diving into a good book, or engaging in conversation with someone who has a different interest or approach to life – I am confident we will be able to use that information to supercharge our thinking and creativity.

I hope you join me in getting out from behind your desk and regular routine to get out there and explore. The world is waiting for us.

Rewind! This is a throwback post – Cheering you all on as we end this week strong!

What is your joy game plan?

“THE LAKE...” – One of the all time best places in the world. Who doesn’t love that feeling when you pull into your vacation destination (even if it’s just a weekend)? Unpacking the car, the snacks, the books/magazines, pool or lake side supplies… That alone gives me joy. The thought of after a long day on the water, (any water), with beach towels hanging over the deck, or strewn across the room… It also, gives me a rush of happiness.

But what about that good-tired feeling where everyone just collapses to watch some simple but fun comedy, or perhaps play a game or some cards if that’s how your tribe rolls? So refreshing!

Summer is prime time for a change up of routine. A time to set apart some time for seeking joy, fun and adventure. A time to shake off the daily grind and those things that can, at times, add up to stress that’s not serving you. (Yes, scientists do say, that stress does in fact serve us… more on that in another post.)

It is the perfect season of the year to bring back your favorite childhood memories. Mine revolve around the lake. Where do you find yourself smiling just thinking about those moments? A dear friend who I love, recently told me that hers were around long road trips across the country with her family, camper in tow, spontaneously stopping at super-cool, sometimes-random spots across the United States. I loved that and could immediately visualize the joy.

Before we get too deep into the summer, if you haven’t already I hope that you will put together your “joy game plan.” Whether it’s a staycation, a weekend full of lake hopping around our many beautiful local parks, or a longer trip… The only rule is to make sure it refreshes your soul. There is huge power in that. I would even call it a game-changer for you and those you love.

“A change of pace plus a change of place equals a change of perspective.””

– Mark Batterson

Perspective often improves our path, including generating massive creativity and better decision making.

Have the best wrap to your week, and an amazing weekend. If you have time, I know everyone would love to hear your “joy game plan” via the comments. It just might inspire someone and create a ripple.

What do you NEED today?

So… what do YOU need today?

What will absolutely brighten your day?

Fill your soul? Lighten your load?

Spark a fire?

Ignite your creativity?

What would it take to go do that? What would you or someone else have to do to make that happen? Spring is all about fresh life, hope, joy… Our life is ours to create, to curate, and to actually live in abundantly!

Sounds easy, right? Maybe for some. But in case you are like me and struggle with this at first, I want to share a mind mapping exercise I use to make this happen each year.

I start by putting each of my life’s main categories (finance, career, family, spiritual etc.) on paper, then I develop 2-3 key action items for each one of them to ensure I achieve my personal goals or dreams. My new addition to this exercise today is asking: Where can I add joy, – or, what would brighten my days? – in each area? For example, instead of “spend more time with my family,” perhaps I could expand that to “embark on a Saturday road trip with my sister by the end of May.”

I’d love to hear your ideas!

Here’s to a great week and the best spring ever – let’s make it so!

The Culture Connection: Why travel is a priority

Rewind! This is a throwback post – an oldie but a goodie – as I am traveling this week. Enjoy!

I have made travel a life priority.

Along the way, I learned that whatever your budget — and whatever your goals with travel — it can be done with a bit of research and flexibility. There are so many stories out there of poor college students backpacking across Europe, and travel blogs that showcase journeys around our vast world. This is encouragement to many, as travel can seem to be a goal achievable only after retirement, if at all. In my viewpoint, even a trip to the lake can be a much-needed cultural shift from our day-to-day lives.

As it pertains to my writing on this blog, I truly feel that in order to serve well (for me) that travel is essential to creating a greater understanding of the people we share this planet with.

Here’s why: Being immersed in different cultures allows us to stretch and grow beyond our normal experience.

I have learned that whether it be a trip to New York City, Chicago, San Diego, or abroad to say, Australia (or my current journey in Barcelona), the customs from the time they eat meals to the way they approach their day opens me to new, potentially life-changing perspectives.

For example, in bigger cities, you seldom see anyone overweight. This is likely due to their active lifestyles to some extent, with a dependence on walking as a major means of transportation. It forces me to consider how to incorporate more of that lifestyle into my own.

In most countries I have visited outside of the U.S., the pace of life seems to be less frenetic and more reasonable. Even the average vacation time they are offered by employers is almost triple what we find here in America. It ties to a focus on overall wellness, it seems. I believe our country has a lot to learn in this area. (Side note: I have not been to the Asian countries, which I understand are more hurried in their approach, and perhaps it is due to the size of the population.)

One of my favorite authors (Batterson) is known for saying “a change of place, offers a change of perspective.” That is so very true. Somehow, when you are able to remove yourself from your routine, your mind “shifts” to a neutral zone that allows you to more easily embrace the beauty that surrounds us, even in the seemingly simple matters. I believe that notion leads us to achieve creativity and engage in life with a more health focused approach.

I try to keep these short, so will stop here. As the North Face slogan goes, I hope that you will “Never stop exploring,” and I hope this has inspired you to travel, local or abroad — just get out there!

Let’s not lose the power of play

Don’t you just love this guy? I have a friend and mentor, Dr. Keith Jantz, who not only looks a tad like this cool guy, but I honestly think we could find him rocking a hula hoop! He was always jumping into the annual musical chairs “experience” (those of you who were there, know for sure it was an experience), and the one who was up for almost any shenanigans the team could dream up. I want to be like Dr. Jantz.

As my boys have gotten older and are now mostly out of the day to day routine of my life, I feel like I’ve lost this a bit. I just wrapped up an excellent book called ‘Joyful’ by Ingril Fetell Lee, that spurred me to bring this up to the top of the list again. After sharing this idea with a few colleagues, I know that most of us can use the reminder.

Play is powerful. We were designed to play. As children, we were able to dive into play the majority of our waking hours. As time goes on, we actually start to feel a bit self conscious about wanting to play. After all, adulting is serious business. Some of today’s companies have done a good job of drawing out “play” by adding a ping pong table to their offices or something similar. As it turns out, play brings joy into our lives and, in fact, is vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships, according to Scott Eberle, M.D. That’s reason enough to incorporate it into our lives.

In another book, ‘Play,’ by Stuart Brown, M.D., he compares play to oxygen. Brown has spent decades studying the power of play in everyone from prisoners to business people to artists to Nobel Prize winners. For instance, he found that playing together helped couples rekindle their relationship and explore other forms of emotional intimacy. As many of you who have had a team outing know, play can facilitate connections between strangers or those you don’t know well.

In his book, Brown offers a few ideas for us on the idea of play:

  1. Change how you think about play – Give yourself permission to play or be playful every day.
  2. Take a play history – What did you like to do as a child? How can you re-create that today? (For me, swinging, tetherball, kickball, tossing the football… What are some of yours?)
  3. Surround yourself with playful people – And then, of course, schedule some time to play together (Who wants to go Ax-throwing? I so want to do this!)
  4. Play with little ones – Watch and soak in how magical that is!

As you go into your weekend, now is the time to make PLAY an ACTIVE part of our lives! Let’s jump in and create some FUN this weekend.

The final review: The best of 2018 books (including my No. 1, and the entire list)

Let’s start with my No. 1 book. If you read no further, go out now and get the Excellence Dividend by Tom Peters. The book is easy to read, and conceptually will grab you from the opening chapter to the end… The sub categories of EXCELLENCE runs from the “next five minutes,” to “email excellence” and pure gold in between.

As for this rest of this, I truly have no idea how to condense this list to a best of the best. In my May 10 blog, I highlighted 5 books that are definitely must-reads. If you don’t have time to open the blog and read, they included…

  • The Little Big Things, Tom Peters
  • The Daniel Dilemma, Chris Hodges
  • The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath
  • When, Daniel Pink
  • Principles, Ray Dalio

On May 14, I blogged about the Soft Edge by Rich Karlgaard, and its emphasis on the importance of dialing in on trust. And on August 8, I did a deep dive on The Blue Zones, by Dan Buettner, which helps us understand the characteristics of the environments and much more of the longest living people on earth. I think we need to add those two to the list for sure!

Since 13 is my lucky number, I’ll roll out 6 more here that I feel can be life changing for you. My full list of books from are included below, because there are so many amazing lessons to be found.

I’m Still Here, Black Dignity in a world made for Whiteness, Austin Channing Brown —This book is the one we ALL need to read. This book begins to help us understand our biases and, and “is a powerful account of how and why our actions so often fall short of our words.” You’ll be better for reading this one, and then acting on what you learn.

The Motivation Manifesto, Brendon Burchard — This came out in 2014, but somehow I believe I just found out about it… I’m certainly not sure how because the title alone fires me up. This book offers nine declarations to claim your personal power, stretching from reclaiming our agenda to amplifying love and slowing time. It’s pure gold.

The Business Romantic, Tim Leberecht — The words on the inside cover, “How can work be delightful – perhaps even magical?” had me at hello. Simple messages like, “Most great partnerships begin with the simple act of ‘breaking bread together,” and “I encourage you to prioritize joy over optimization” (by identifying and implementing small, enchanting changes…moments of surprise in the business day).

Imagine it Forward, Beth Comstock with Tahl Raz — I have this book marked up so much, I don’t know which direction to take you. The book is more or less a classic business book which pushes us to creativity through courage with a great deal of storytelling. The idea, “What’s needed are the skills of a social architect, someone who is committed to collaborating in a psychologically safe zone that allows for what I call agitated inquiry. Agitated inquiry is the practice of evolving an idea into action steps through heated exchanges and debate.” That captures the book well. If you are a business geek like me, you’ll love this one for sure.

Dare to Lead, Brene Brown — I loved this so much, I turned it into a leadership development program for our team. The subtitle, “Brave Work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts,” is the underlining focus. As a seasoned author, Brene raises the bar on her already stunning work. The book challenges us to think about how we “show up,” to truly dive into “the story I’m telling myself at any moment,” and to embrace that being clear is kind — always. So good. And even though lead is in the title, it is so much more than a leadership book… it’s a life book.

Becoming, Michelle Obama — I ended 2018 with this one on New Year’s Eve! It took me nearly the whole month to read, but it was worth it. I am so glad I took the time to dive deep into this one because I learned that I really had no idea who our former First Lady was, and the power of her story. Her ending focused on the idea of “becoming” and it’s a perfect way to end the year and today’s blog. “For me, becoming isn’t about arriving somewhere or achieving a certain aim. I see it instead as forward motion, a means of evolving, a way to reach continuously toward a better self. It’s all a process, steps along a path. Becoming requires equal parts patience and rigor. Becoming is never giving up on the idea that there’s more growing to be done.”

Full List of 2018 books:

  1. One Day All Children, Kopp
  2. Boost your Brain Power, Harmon
  3. The Rhythm of Life, Kelly
  4. Enough, Bogle
  5. The Weight of Water, Shreve
  6. In Her Own Right, Griffith
  7. Crushing it, Vaynerchuk
  8. Serious Play, Schrage
  9. LOVEMARKS, Roberts
  10. The Experience Economy, Pine II & Gilmore
  11. The Genius of Birds, Ackerman
  12. Nudge, Thaler & Sunstein
  13. Sway, Brofman& Brofman
  14. The Pixar Touch, Price
  15. Powerful, McCord
  16. When, Pink
  17. The Leadership Gap, Daskal
  18. Prescription for the Future, Emanuel
  19. Strength in Stillness, Roth
  20. Power of Moments, Heath & Heath
  21. RePresent Jesus, Daniels
  22. The Excellence Dividend, Peters
  23. A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindsten
  24. Ayurveda- Beginner’s Guide, Weis-Bohlen
  25. The Soft Edge, Karlgaard
  26. I’m Still Here, Channing Brown
  27. The Business Romantic, Leberecht
  28. White Houses, Bloom
  29. The Blue Zones, Buettner
  30. The Motivation Manifesto, Burchard
  31. Life’s Golden Ticket, Burchard
  32. Tailor Made, Seeley
  33. Rebel Talent, Gino
  34. Hope in the Dark, Groeshel
  35. Do Something Beautiful, Moore
  36. Wisdom at Work, Conley
  37. Imagine it Forward, Comstock
  38. The Person you Mean to Be, Chugh
  39. Healing the Soul of a Woman, Meyer
  40. Whiskey in a Teacup, Witherspoon
  41. 5 Second Rule, Robbins
  42. It’s not Supposed to be this way, Terkeurst
  43. Dare to Lead, Brown
  44. Becoming, Obama
  45. Principles, Dalio
  46. Awaken devotional, Shirer
  47. Little Big Things, Peters
  48. Daniel Dilemma, Hodges
  49. Back to Balance, Fisher
  50. Mandela’s Way, Stengel-Richard
  51. Giving it All Away, Green & High
  52. Discerning the Voice of God, Shirer
  53. Building an A Team, Johnson
  54. The New Jim Crow, Alexander

Conflict drives us to creativity

Boy is this statement true.

Conflict can be downright hard, whether it’s at business, at home or in our other relationships. Authors have made all kinds of money trying to help us mortal beings with “courageous conversations,” or to otherwise understand how to get better at this thing we call “conflict.” I love this insight from Beth Comstock, because it flips conflict on its head.

Of course it is hard, but can it end up being really good? Challenging conversations, problems and frustration can push us outside of our normal thinking. This “heat,” so to speak, seems to fire up our minds, and the energy can bring some of the most creative solutions. In fact, according to Comstock, there is proof to this insight.

Our goal should be to harness tension in order to put it into a space where it can become valuable to us by enhancing the end result. Most people truly do want unity and as a result will become more motivated to think harder and come up with an innovative way to reach a middle ground. This often will produce an even higher level of work together.

We shouldn’t run from conflict. We should instead create environments where the people in our circle of life feel safe to challenge and be challenged. By doing so and framing up healthy conversations, we can realize a much greater end result and who knows, the next great innovation may come out of the process.

Have such a great wrap to your week and enjoy the Fall weekend.

Becoming better EXPLORERS to supercharge our thinking

What can you do that you could not do a year ago? (This one is hard for me… I need to get to work.)

What are some challenges your organization is facing?

Are your ideas and strategies innovative enough, and are they creating the meaningful impact you’d like (in your work, family, community work, etc.)?

What are you passionate about and wanting to spend more time doing?

What does the world need more of?

I was inspired by this idea of being better “EXPLORERS” of our world by Beth Comstock’s new book, ‘Imagine it Forward.’ I will surely blog a lot more about her  ideas, but today, this one simple idea created a flurry of thinking.

If we can keep our focus on constant learning – whether it be from observing a flock of birds and their patterns, diving into a good book, or engaging in conversation with someone who has a different interest or approach to life – I am confident we will be able to use that information to supercharge our thinking and creativity. Solving today’s problems, requires different thinking and approaches. I fully believe everything we need is right in our midst if we go forward with a learner’s mindset.

I hope you will join me in getting our from behind your desk and regular routine to get out there and EXPLORE. The WORLD is literally waiting for us to take hold and use it’s beauty to create the best for the generations to follow.