Yelling At The Wind (and then laughing)

I'm in the midst of reading, "Creating With Others: The Practice of Imagination in Life, Art & the Workplace" by Shaun McNiff. I've just read a statement and wanted to share. He writes, "consciousness does not necessarily change rough situations or control them in any way. It's how we respond to them, what we do with them."

For me, this is very relevant to an experience this evening. I was walking to a meeting in the direct opposite direction of the wind. Mind you, the rain was falling and lashing against my face. In a moment of heat, I decided the best use of my energy was to yell at the wind - literally. I asked it, in a not-so-nice way, with a raised voice to, "just stop already" and to "quit it". After a moment of arguing and making demands at the wind out loud, I began to laugh, out loud. I laughed at myself and the situation. What was I doing - what was I trying to accomplish by expressing my frustrating by yelling into the wind. Did I think it was actually going to stop? After I became 'conscious', I realized that I certainly could not change the wind. But I could change the way I respond to it. Although, not immediately by choice, it was certainly much healthier and beneficial to laugh at the wind than to get heated, annoyed, angry, and frustrated. In the end, this was a great reminder for me that I'm not in control of what happens to me, biut that i am always in control of how I respond...

$64

This evening I went to an Interfaith prayer, worship, and support event in Boston. It was incredible being around lay leaders, civic leaders (including the Mayor of Boston and Governor of MA) and an array of religious / spiritually diverse leaders. The event was aimed at building awareness and raising funds for the people in Haiti. Prior to going, I did not know much about the event and only realized it was a fundraiser after I had already arrived. Without a check book, I gave what was in my pocket....$64. It felt great to give that money to a worthy cause and through an organization doing amazing and credible work (Partners In Health). However, I felt a bit empty doing so. I don't have a connection to the country of Haiti or to the people in that island country. If it had been Nepal or Qatar (places i've visited), I would have made much more of a purposeful effort to lend support. If the tragedy happened in Nicaragua (a place that I've lived and want to return to permanently), I would have potentially left the USA to travel down to Central America and worked in whatever capacity was needed. I'm sure I'll be sitting with the meaning behind the money for a little bit. Some questions it raises are: What will it go towards - was it enough / is there more that I can give - is there more that I can do - why have I waited almost two weeks and for an event to give funds? I'm sure more questions will come. I feel good supporting this cause, but I question-filled because the donation did not necessarily come from my authentic self.

This was an eye-opening event in that it gets me thinking about who and how I share / lend my time, talent, and treasure. Clearly the more connection I have, the more likely I want to be giving of myself and resources. So, at this moment, I find myself asking, how do we get to a place where we feel the connection with people and places we've never seen or heard of? How do we build that sense of compassion for the 'others' who seem so foreign and places so distant (literally and figuratively)? I'm not sure, except to open ourselves up - open our heads, open our hearts, and open our hands to every and all members of our global community....easier said than done, but the little reminders and simple actions will get us to a place where the 'other' is known and the distance decreases...

Leadership and Poetry

Over this past winter break, I ventured down to Leon, Nicaragua to work with a leadership and community service organization called, Alianza Schweitzer Club. It was the first time they had a formal 3-day retreat-style program focused on leadership development and team building. (as a side note, these types of programs are virtually non-existent in Nicaragua. It is quite humbling to be initiating this type of work). Simply stated, the retreat was incredible! We retreated at a beach house on the pacific coast - a 2 minute walk the ocean. In addition to the physical setting, the students were in it - they were ready to go as soon as we arrived. These young people yearn for opportunities to challenge and grow themselves and their country. This was one such opportunity.

For me, one of the most impactful parts of the retreat was beginning each segment with a poem. As part of the introduction to the retreat, I commented on the importance of connecting ourselves, our whole Selves, to the deepening experience we would individually and collectively go through as of being part of this leadership journey. However, to do so, we would need to challenge ourselves to think differently. We would need to breath new life into our individual and collective work. I used poetry to assist us with our journey. It was amazing to see how this group paused to listen deeply and reflect on the words being shared before diving into the activities and conversations. This, and I would assume most art forms, have the potential to set the stage and create positive potential far greater than without exercising our creative Selves....Below are some pictures from the retreat.

Time to STEP Up!

“Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.”- Victor Havel

It took me the last 18 days of simmering for me to continue on my journey of blogging. I love the idea - what an amazing tool blogging can be....for personal growth, for sharing ideas, for building community - it is a remarkable vision. However, as Havel states, vision is not enough. The action piece is essential. He was on The Edge(s) realizing the importance of reflection AND action. So, here is to more action. What a great quote to read today a jumpstart to re-engage in blogging....

Leadership On The Edge(s)...Shall we begin...

Leadership On The Edge(s) is a journal highlighting the power and importance of living and leading on The Edge(s). Not one edge, but two – the Edge of Reflection and the Edge of Action. Via this blog, I will share thoughts, contemplations, meditations and muses related to ways in which I believe we can bring about a better world - by spending time within ourselves (in reflection) and by spending time being present in the world (in action), we will become the individuals and organizations we dream of...Please join me on this journey...shall we begin...