Leaps of Faith: A Day in the Life Sunday

If there is anything at all I learned over my years is that things go better for me when I can get myself out of the way and take a leap of faith

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iStockphoto

If it's not a "should" that trips me up, it's a funk or a fear. I know how to get unstuck from a funk but it's the fears I am much less likely to face. I am always on the look out for bursts of inspiration and sometimes, I don't see them coming until they are right in front of me

Case in point: my daughter and I we were talking on our drive home after school and work when  she shared her goal for the school year:

To take risks, get out of her comfort zone and try new things.

She was thoughtful and shared a teacher's comments about challenging herself and having exciting experiences. She knew what she was going to do to - and what she had already done - to live like this. She is joining the speech team and JO Volleyball, she prepared and delivered a speech in her run for "president" on election day and she entered Poetry Idol. 

She's taking a deep breath, going for it and building a support system around her. She's sharing her goal with others, has the "Think, Believe, Dream and Dare" Walt Disney quote above her bed  and wears a blue bracelet with bold black metal "DARE" almost daily to remind her of her goal. 

Where does she get this from? It was with a loving sarcasm only a daughter can deliver to her mother that she replied, "yeah right"  when I suggested she gets that drive from me.

It's crazy yet inspiring at the same time and comes at a time when I am making a commitment to myself "to be present in powerful ways."  In another forum, I declared 2013 as "The Year of the Write" and I will be trying new things with my writing despite knowing that this will take me into some uncomfortable areas.

What new, challenging or uncomfortable areas are you stepping into? Won't you share them in the comments below?

Story, Flow and Tribe: A Day in the Life Sunday

A few years ago, I set out to select three words that would inspire and guide my coming year. When they came to me, I tucked them safely away for use "sometime when."

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iStockphoto

Each time the three words called out to me, I gently put them back. "Not yet."

When my inspiration wandered, I would chase it down by drawing upon the excitement and energy of others. It didn't always work and it was short-lived when it did. I heart my people, but what inspired them did not inspire me. What was wrong with me, I'd wonder. Why can't I get behind this? Then, I understood. That was not my story.

My story is the heart and wisdom of a leader. It's bringing the best of who you are to every situation whether it's leading a strategic human resource function, supervising a staff of volunteers or sitting down to write your first novel. When I stray to step into the story of another, I lose my flow. I lose my fulfillment and my energy. I am at my best when I stay true to my nature.

Last but not least, I need people, connection and ideas. And they need me. There is nothing more powerful than the strength of a tribe.

Story. Flow. Tribe. It's time.