reflections on re-entry/application: plant a seed
Craig Burk
28th breakfast event is: What do you do with all of those great ideas
and energy after a conference, workshop, or trip? How do you apply it
to your your job and your life?
For most of us, after an event it's easy to return to your desk and
immediately slip right back into the routine of everyday life,
returning emails and phone calls and diving into the tasks at hand.
We may struggle to connect what could be, with what is, and what has
been.
To that dilemma I offer a starting point: Plant a seed.
Commit to one specific, concrete action that you will take. The
action itself should be simple, such as Renee's suggestion of striking
a conversation during her morning commute, or contacting another
attendee who's perspective or character you found enjoyable.
Write your planned action down. Tell someone you trust and who will
hold you accountable to following through. When applicable, schedule a
specific day and time for which you will follow up on this action.
For me it was simply picking up a book. At the Inspiration Conference
in Nov, Tom - a fellow attendee - recommended Po Bronson's "What
Should I Do With My Life." I wasn't sure what to expect, but what
started as a slight curiosity has quickly become one of more
perspective-changing books I have read. It's been the push I needed
to take the next step in my development, such as becoming an
ambassador for new MAGNET members as well as nurturing my interest in
serving the community through volunteerism and community involvement.
Of the many great stories and thoughts about finding one's meaning and
purpose was the idea of starting small. Po suggests that we nurture
those faint glimmers of interest that reside in all of us. He
encourages us to quiet the outside influences, as well as those
limiting beliefs ("I can't because ...") that hold us back. Over time
these glimmers can lead to hobbies, making person connections with
others who share that interest, to new ideas, more growth, and perhaps
become a valuable part of our life that gives us meaning and purpose.
Remember, great things grow and evolve from humble beginnings. Start
with something small: plant a seed.
Harry Webne-Behrman
makes sense to focus on one thing at a time, and try to do it well --
that's hard in an environment that so values multi-tasking!
Another thing I took away was the whole concept of the TRIP as
metaphor... it is very powerful for me to think about the Life Journey
as the way to focus my work and find it meaningful, so when I think in
such terms I am inspired to treat each moment with greater reverance.
Finally, while Kent offered the important idea of 're-entry' in his
presentation, I have also thought about 'release' as an improtant
element of this process: We must allow ourselves to be released to
engage in the journey. All too oftenm we either perceive constraints
or otherwise lack power/permission in order to truly emerge from our
routine and take the chance to engage in the Journey. We see this
clearly in professional development programs,. where many staff do not
see the opportunity to really go out there and take the chance to
learn something new, fearing that more 'work' will be there when they
return, and not seeing that the learning IS the work that adds value
to their organization! So this 'release' concept becomes a powerful
point of 'departure' for the Trip.
My two cents,
Harry
Craig Burk
"it is very powerful for me to think about the Life Journey
as the way to focus my work and find it meaningful, so when I think in
such terms I am inspired to treat each moment with greater reverance."
This made me think about Viktor Frankl's book "Man's Search For
Meaning":
"Frankl concludes that the meaning of life is found in every moment of
living; life never ceases to have meaning, even in suffering and
death." - wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man's_Search_for_Meaning
I believe you've referenced this book before in discussions we've
had. Perhaps this is a book offering a unique perspective as per my
previous post.
On another note, perhaps productivity, including the right and wrong
way to multi-task, would be a good topic for a future event? For
example, a co-worker of mine has often referenced a book called "Never
check your email in the morning."
On Mar 12, 11:18 am, "Harry Webne-Behrman"