Connect Before You Correct
Connection is the Foundation for Communication. It is an art form to receive someone fully before offering an opinion that counters their own. We tend to correct without first allowing a connection to be established. It’s how we do things in this fast paced, pressured society – we jump to offering opinions and expertise, or slip into fixing mode. “Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead. Just walk beside me, and be my friend.” ~ Albert Camus What if we walked beside someone, giving their thoughts and feelings room to breathe before offering our own? To do this we need to: slow down & listen understand that acceptance does not mean agreement validate their […]
Free Compliments
“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” ~A.A. Milne. Imagine going to work and seeing this on the wall? This flyer was in the office of a friend of mine. I thought it would be fun to share it with you, and perhaps inspire you to create your own Free Compliments flyer. Just in case you can’t see, here is what the tags say: You inspire me You are like a big hug I like to hear you laugh You are a treasure You have a gorgeous smile You are beautiful You amaze me You light up my life You look really good today You have a beautiful soul You are lovely Imagine the happy smiles you could create this […]
Just Follow Play Date
One of my playshop participants recently told me a great way to have a play date. Her daughter sent her a written invitation to play in her room at a specific date and time. A sign was placed on the door asking not to be disturbed during their play date. Once in the room, she simply followed how her daughter wanted to play. If her daughter wanted to comb her hair, she happily played along. Mom practiced The Spirit of Yes And and joyfully danced with her daughter’s playful agendas. Imagine how much this meant to her daughter. Set up a play date with a loved one and simply follow. Consider it a waltz into the unknown where the thrill of adventure lies; where control […]
7 Mindsets for Collaboration ~ Building Creative and Engaging Relationships
Collaboration happens when all voices are heard, and all contributions valued, within a safe and open space of dialogue. People feel included and are encouraged to actively participate in the discussions or creative process. Collaboration gets stuck when we believe our idea is the way. We cannot accommodate another viewpoint because we are so locked in our own. Time and tradition clouds the lens from which we view things. We get so accustomed to our ways that we fail to see the bright and new. We can empower collaboration by changing our mindset. A changed mindset can alter the way we view others, our self, and a situation. It can shift our communication to more creative and inclusive language, and expand our range of awareness […]
Teach Wisdom
by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober. “We must teach children how to think, not what to think. Our role is not to pass on knowledge, but rather wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge applied. When we only give children knowledge, we are telling them what to think, what they are supposed to know, and what we want them to believe is true. When we give children wisdom, however, we do not tell them what to know or what is true – rather, we tell them how to get their own truth. I envision an educational system based upon developing children’s abilities and skills rather than their memories. Children are our guides; we should give them the ability to discover and create their own truths.” ~ from their […]
Creative Connections
“Life is like a mirror, we get the best results when we smile at it.” ~ Unknown. However, this person clearly is yawning…why? She has heard the question, “How’s it going?” too many times today. We all do it, we ask and get asked the question multiple times a day. And what is the most common answer: “Good” or “Fine”. Blah! Part of living a playful life is to be spontaneous, creative, out of the box. As you go about your day, try something different when engaging friends, or even the woman working at the grocery check out. Perhaps ask: What’s been the highlight of your day so far? What has made you smile today/recently? Or even (and yes I do this regularly)… What is […]
Listening
“Deep listening is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with open-hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” ~ Sue Patton Thoele. 29 years old and listening for the first time We take our capacity to hear for granted. We’ve forgotten to savor and appreciate the rich diversity of sound continuously offered to us. Take time today to appreciate life’s endless melodies. Perhaps imagine this is the last time you hear this unique and precious sound. Be curious and notice its subtleties: is the sound wavy, crunchy, intense, whispery? What are its qualities? And when in conversation, notice how present you are. Are you listening, receiving their words and feelings, or lost in thought? I heard a statistic recently that mothers […]
Love & Friendship
“Friendship isn’t about whom you have known the longest, it’s about those who came and never left your side.” ~Unknown. I couldn’t resist sending this to you today. Watching this video is a beautiful way to start the week. Have a wonderful Monday, rich with gratitude for the simple freedoms we have in our lives.
The 5 Needs of Employees ~ Creating a Socially Responsible Organization
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson. The traditional workplace has not encouraged us to be our authentic Self. It has not been big enough to house the human soul. Its culture has been one of punching our time card and doing the daily tasks of building gadgets, meeting client needs, devising strategy and completing administration. We have been expected to do at work, but how much have we been encouraged to be? In my experience of working with teams, there is a hunger for people to have a voice in the organization. They want to bring more of themselves to work. Ultimately, it is their responsibility to do so; […]
5 Steps to Creating Healthy Workplace Relationships ~ Transforming the Workplace from the Inside Out
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages.” ~ William Shakespeare. We perceive our purpose at work as fulfilling duties such as administration, brainstorming new products, engaging clients, or problem solving. Work is where we achieve results, earn a living and hopefully gain a level of satisfaction. Inasmuch as these goals are important, our attention is often more drawn to, and distracted by, challenging relationships that cause us frustration, anger and powerlessness. Productivity and achievement are what I would call the small “p” or purpose of work life. Beneath this, however, there is a larger purpose or “P”: Realizing […]