Sir Winston Churchill – British PM @ 1946 Commencement Speech at U. of Miami.
To all our highly valued clients and acquaintances:
It’s now March. How’s 2023 working out, so far? Given how you see yourself and what you see you’re up to in life and committed to in the world, and what you stand for and what you won’t stand for, and are out to accomplish, how’s it going, beyond surviving?
We are all well past the New Year’s Resolution Stage and on to living our lives and doing our work, as best as we all know. As I wrote last month, research indicates that 80% of people ditch their New Year’s resolutions by February. (Cited in Forbes)
I continue to be challenged to determine, and live by the courage of, my convictions to effectively act. I observe that as a core character trait of exceptional people and leaders.
As a matter of perspective, while hearing from a colleague recently, who works with people in Turkey, the figures are unfathomable: 47,000 people dead, thousands of others missing, millions homeless. In minutes, two massive earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria turned entire cities into mounds of rubble. Two weeks later, the scale of the devastation is still being unearthed, never mind all the personal stories. The true impact will probably not be fully understood for decades to come. This gave me pause.
What moved me the most about his report was the courage and humanity he shared.
I don’t know any human being alive or any who lived in history who did not suffer, in one form or another. I am learning, and continue to learn, that we are not to be undone or overwhelmed by suffering and that we can learn from it, transcend it, and grow from it, over time. For many people, their suffering leaves them with a much greater sense of empathy, compassion, and connection, as well as the resilient courage to act in the face of seemingly impossible circumstances, to keep moving forward, onwards, and upward.
“Reflection is vital – burnout is a very real threat in today’s hectic atmosphere,
all serious professionals best practice the three Rs: retreat, renewal, and return.”
Paraphrased from the bestseller, “On Becoming a Leader” by Warren Bennis
For Our Lifetime Long Game, planning to pause, maybe even especially as a weekly or daily practice, may offer us perspective and renewal for Our Short-Term Pursuits.
I think we can empower Our Ground Games as a bridge for bigger, envisioned futures.
One example of renewal can be found in Jerry Seinfeld (whose career continues to be iconic), who is a 40+ years practitioner of meditation. Here is a 4-minute video about it.
For me, effective meditation is an intentional, observational, renewal practice. I think of it as a practice of stepping back from, and out of, our circumstances, as an observer – kind of like being on the bank of the river of life vs scrambling to swim in the river of life.
“Renewal is the principle – and the process – that empowers us to move on an upward spiral of growth and change, of continuous improvement.” – Author Stephen R. Covey
Stopping may be vital for being unstoppable – even for being happy.
Are you already familiar with this long-term Harvard Study or recently published book?
The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness – January 10, 2023, by Robert Waldinger Ph. D (Author), Marc Schulz Ph. D (Author)
What makes for a happy life, a fulfilling life? A good life? According to the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted, the answer to these questions may be closer than we all may realize.
What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful? The simple but surprising answer is relationships. The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and overall healthier lives. In fact, the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life. (New York Times Bestseller)
Here is an 18-minute interview by Walter Isaacson (an extraordinary biographical author) with Dr. Robert Waldinger on a scientific, longitudinal study of happiness.
Dr. Waldinger’s TED Talk about the Harvard Study, “What Makes a Good Life,” has been viewed more than 42 million times and is one of the ten most-watched TED talks ever. With warmth, wisdom, and compelling life stories, The Good Life shows us how we can make our lives happier and more meaningful through our connections to others.
How good are you willing to have your life be??
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – German poet and philosopher
This may be a great time to regroup and focus on what we can control in our oftentimes hectic lives – specially to strengthen our connections and trust, every step of the way, via healthy communication with all the people and relationships we care about most.
Warning – Warning – Don’t Get Yourself Stranded at “Someday Isle”
“Someday Isle” by Denis Waitley
There’s an Island fantasy
A “Someday I’ll” we’ll never see
When recession stops, inflation ceases
Our mortgage is paid, our pay increases
That Someday I’ll where problems end
Where every piece of mail is from a friend
Where all the nations can go it alone
Where we all retire at forty-one
Playing backgammon in the island sun
Most unhappy people look to tomorrow
To erase this day’s hardship and sorrow
They put happiness on lay-away
And struggle through a blue today
But happiness cannot be sought
It can’t be earned, it can’t be bought
Life’s most important revelation
Is that the journey means more than the destination
Happiness is where you are right now
Pushing a pencil or pushing a plow
Going to school or standing in line
Watching and waiting, or tasting the win
If you live in the past you become senile
If you live in the future you’re on Someday I’ll
The fear of results is procrastination
The joy of today is a celebration
You can save, you can slave, trudging mile after mile
But you’ll never set foot on your Someday I’ll
When you’ve paid all your dues and put in your time
Out of nowhere comes another Mt. Everest to climb
From this day forward make it your vow
Take Someday I’ll and make it your now!
I had a fantastic coach ask me recently if I am continuing to discover and grow my response-abilities. He also commented that the ‘response-ability’ idea is very unpopular.
Along these lines, here is a 2-page Path of Development Self-Assessment that may serve you as a blueprint from which you may design your own courageous pathways.
Given what you are most committed to, what will you do in March??
Are you generating the courage required to step up to that plate??
With sincere and deep appreciation,
Don
