In a continuation of my last two posts HERE and HERE, I wanted to continue with the practices outlined in The Art of Possibility.
Practice Number Five – Lead from Any Chair
This practice states that leaders can emerge from anywhere. It also states that we can lead from any chair. Just because you’re the lowest paid person in your organization, doesn’t mean you can’t emerge as a leader.
Rosamund and Ben suggest that you MUST emerge as a leader to live a life of possibility.
Leading isn’t as hard as it sounds. Through your actions, you can inspire, enable, and encourage others to act towards a common goal. That’s the goal of leading.
If you’re the leader of your organization, it’s your duty to listen to everyone. Many organizations end up with a lot of silent observers. These are people who’ve been forced into submission and feel they need to keep quiet and not challenge the powers that be. Give them the floor! You may learn something important.
Practice Number Six – Rule Number 6
This may be my favorite practice of all.
Rule Number 6 is about chillaxin’ and not taking ourselves so damn seriously.
When we conform to a world of survival, which we mentioned yesterday, we set assumptions about ourselves and take ourselves way too seriously. By setting these assumptions, we define our limits and this constricts us from living a life of unlimited possibilities.
When you lighten up, you can begin to look at other’s viewpoints, then and only then can you begin to see new possibilities.
In this chapter, the authors introduce us to our “calculating self,” and our “central self.”
Our calculating self is concerned with our survival in a world of measurement.
Our central self is generous, creative, and compassionate and concerned with a life of unlimited possibility.
Practice Number Seven – The Way Things Are
The authors talk about the downward spiral. When something happens, we often get flustered and appease our feelings with the way things “should” have been.
This should have happened.
That should have happened.
This shouldn’t have happened.
That shouldn’t have happened.
Lighten up. It happened. Relax. Breath. Suck it up. Stop taking yourself to damn seriously.
Understand that if it happened then this is the way things are.
It (whatever it is) happened. Therefore, should doesn’t matter anymore. Now, and only now, can you begin to see the possibilities around you.
Things happen and that’s the way things are. What possibilities are now showing themselves because “it” happened?
Practice Number Eight – Giving Way to Passion
Giving way to passion is about your participation in life. It’s about throwing yourself completely into whatever you’re doing and allowing your passion to flow like music. Setting boundaries in your life will constrict you from giving way to passion.
The authors provide a metaphor of a winter river’s ice thawing for spring. The river does not stop because of the constraints of the ice. The river breaks through and smashes the ice. It moves on. The river is not constricted by the boundary of the ice.
We’ve got to become a force like nature and tap into the energy the world provides. We do this not by holding back, but rather by leaning in, letting go, and enjoying the ride.
Participate wholly in life. You’ve got one shot at life. Give in and let energy guide you into a new realm of possibilities.
More tomorrow….
