“The cave you fear to enter, holds the treasure you seek.” ― Joseph Campbell

“I’m not ready to do that.”

So said the experienced entrepreneur to me in response to me challenging them to look in the mirror in relation to some problems they had. So we stopped working together.

They wouldn’t admit it but they were afraid. There’s nothing unusual about that because the truth is that everyone I know experiences fear – albeit in different ways and at different times.

“Without questions, there is no learning.” – W. Edwards Deming

I’m not big on resolutions at the start of a new year.

But what I do enjoy is the symbolism a fresh year represents.

For example:

The opportunity to leave the past behind and start anew.
The closing of one chapter and the beginning of another.
The shedding of perceived limitations and the stepping into something new.
This year I encourage you to imagine the best in your life and for the lives of the people around you. And to step into inspired action in creating it.

“We’re so busy watching out for what’s just ahead of us

that we don’t take time to enjoy where we are.”

– Calvin & Hobbes

Someone shared the image above with me recently and I thought I’d share it with you today.

It captures perfectly 2 challenges we all have…

“Your big opportunity could be right where you are now.”

Napoleon Hill

“When does the race start?”

These are words that I never could have imagined my wife, TLJ* saying. But that’s the world we live in. Anything really is possible… 🙂

She was referring to the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi yesterday, which ended in one of the most dramatic finishes ever in the sports history.

“If you want to change the world, who do you begin with,

yourself or others?”

– Alexander Solzhenitsyn

“I’ve had enough of these tech companies. They all say they’re going to change the world but most are just full of it.”

So said someone to me recently, who’s business is all about dealing with tech companies.

They went on to tell me that many of the tech CEOs they were dealing with all had the same mantra of ‘We’re going to change the world’ – but in their opinion a lot of them would mess up the world if they succeeded and indeed, they were already messing up the people around them with the way they were behaving.

Perhaps they feel the need to ‘big up’ what their company is doing to attract talent or investors. Or maybe it’s their ego.

But just like we’ve all become de-sensitised to cold calling insurance salespeople, it seems to me that we’ve all become de-sensitised to the ‘changing the world’ mantra.

“Don’t die with the music still in you.”

– Wayne Dyer

It seems to me that the world seems to be set up to keep ‘the music’ stuck inside people.

We can be so focused on what the world tells us is ‘success’ that we lose sight of our own unique expression.

Sometimes letting your music out might mean a complete re-invention. Sometimes it just means showing up more as the real you in your life.

A favourite quote of mine is from Shakespeare “To thine own self be true”, but the truth is that this can be hard in a world that is conditioning you to do the opposite.

“Sound when stretched is music.
Movement when stretched is dance.
Mind when stretched is meditation.
Life when stretched is celebration.”
– Shri Ravishankar Jee

In my mid-twenties, I found myself in challenging mental waters and was lucky enough to have been connected with a skilful counsellor.

At one of our regular Friday sessions, he asked me this question:

“When do you learn most Shane? When things are good or when things are challenging?”

In my naivety, I answered “When things are good because mentally you’re calm and can take things in.”

My counsellor smiled and replied

“I think you’re confusing real learning with school learning.”

“If you hear a voice within you say
‘you cannot paint’, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”
– Vincent Van Gogh

Sometimes when I use sporting analogies, people who are not into sport don’t like it.

Fair enough – but I AM into sport… 🙂

My own experience has shown me that you can glean insights from any field even if you’re not into them. I’m guessing that’s why I’m very interested in ‘performance’ in general – be it business, sport, music, sales, cooking, writing, tiddlywinks…. 🙂

In my podcast this week, the title is Learning From Golf (Even If You Don’t Like It). In it I share some insights from my own work in that area with top players. The insights are directly relevant to anyone interested in bringing more clarity, success and flow into their lives.

“The best way to predict the future is to design it”
– Buckmister Fuller

This time last week I was in the middle of hosting annual retreat for leaders, which was all the more special because of the prolonged delay with the pandemic.

23 unsuspecting victims, I mean clients…,joined me for 3 days in the beautiful village of Carlingford. We hiked, talked, reflected, laughed, listened and learned.

While there is a structure to this retreat I’ve found that there is always an emergent property to the event – themes or ideas will emerge in the moment as the group deepens it’s connection. One of the recurring themes this year was around ‘including yourself in your success’ more.

“Can’t talk. I am recharging”

– Anonymous Introvert

One morning last week I was taking a walk by the sea and when I returned to my car and was about to move away, there was a knock on my window.

A guy in a beanie hat was staring me straight in the face and when I opened the door, he asked politely if I had jump cables because his car wasn’t starting.

So I moved my car and we tried to inject new life into his engine, but it didn’t work. He thought the starter was the problem, so he had to go to plan C and call his family for help.

Electricity or charge always amazes me. Indeed it still mystifies some of the smartest minds on the planet.

Here are some things that struck me: