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 […]
Playing With Change
“Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” ~ Raymond Lindquist. “But this is the way we have always done it!” Sound familiar? It is a common belief I hear in my playshops that keeps us entrenched in the past, close to what’s comfortable and familiar, and unavailable to the new. We like familiarity and certainty. It makes us feel safe and we don’t have to be creative. But our world is changing. Play is training for the unconventional. It teaches us to be present, open and flexible, holding our ourselves and our perspectives lightly. To thrive in today’s rapidly changing and uncertain world it helps to suspend belief and stay curious. We cannot hold on as tightly as we used to. We […]
Designing Your Impact ~ A Simple and Powerful Skill
“Don’t Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.” ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements. A week ago a friend and I had a Play Day together, a day trip which included swimming, hiking and bocce ball. Fun! As we began our adventure, my friend did not seem his usual self. He was stiff, withdrawn and difficult to communicate with. I noticed I began making assumptions: Is he mad at me? Am I talking too much? Am I annoying him? I was also aware that I was working hard at connecting to him, […]
Discovering Life Through Uncertainty
Yesterday I used to sing a song That carried me through the night The other day I seemed to have it all But now, I cannot seem to fight And when I try to hold on to it I seem to hardly let go It’s time to face my fears It’s time to show my soul In time I’ll lose myself In time I’ll cry my dreams away In time I’ll be myself again And fall away “When we are not sure, we are alive.” ~ Graham Greene In moments when we’ve lost our sense of certainty we can feel powerless, lost and confused. We lose faith in ourselves to direct our life. While these moments challenge us to the core, they are the fertile […]
The Gift of Curiosity ~ Creating a New World One Question at a Time
The Gift of Curiosity is one the great toys for us to play with in engaging others and ourselves. It opens the mind and heart, stimulates creative thinking, encourages sharing, clarifies needs and desires, illuminates values, activates intuition and much, much more. Curiosity is a doorway into the soul and soulful living. The power lies in the question, not the answer Our society still functions from the perspective that the power lies in the answer. We tell people what to think, what to do and where to go. Whether it is parents, teachers or employers, we engage others from the perspective of telling, fixing or managing versus asking. There is nothing wrong with these modes of engagement, yet when not balanced with the wisdom of […]