“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.
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.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
“I’m too far down the road to change now. It’s just the way I am”
So said the smart, ambitious leader to me.
They were referring to why they thought it was impossible for them to change some of their behaviour and habits – especially mental ones.
On one level, at least they were honest in saying what they were thinking.
“The last mile is never crowded and that’s the way it does feel sometimes.
The difference is to be able to hold on in there, to keep it going.”
– Kellie Harrington
Over the weekend, the Olympics came to a close but not before a certain Dubliner, Kellie Harrington won a gold medal in the lightweight division of women’s boxing.
Kellie has worked tirelessly for years, with the singular ambition of getting to the top of her sport – and with scant resources when compared with many of the other athletes at the games.
Indeed I must admit to being turned off some of the better known international athletes when their reactions to not winning gold indicated a sense of entitlement and poor sportsmanship.
“I believed for a long time that I could play at this level again. I didn’t see why I couldn’t.”
– Phil Mickelson
Even if you’re not a fan of golf, you’d have to be inspired by the win of Phil Mickelson yesterday, who at the age of 50, and 3 weeks shy of his 51st birthday, became the oldest ever winner of a Major – the elite competition level of golfers worldwide.
It could be a Roger Bannister moment for the sport. If you recall, he was the first person to break the 4 minute mile. But in the years that followed, many others followed his example. Why? Because the ‘belief’ that it was impossible had been smashed.
I don’t know about you but this year, for me January seemed to go on forever, yet February disappeared in the blink of an eye!
The experience of time whilst this pandemic is going on has certainly been different…
Yet today is the 1st of March and certainly where I live, there is a feeling of Spring in the air.
The days are getting brighter and with every week that passes we are getting closer to being on the other side of this unique global situation.
With nature bursting forth, it seems like a good time to look in the direction of positive change, of positive growth. To re-think our approaches, to raise our intentions and ask new questions of ourselves.
“Dear Life, When I said “Can this day get any worse?”
It was a rhetorical question not a challenge!”
I think most people have experienced a version of that quote above.
I remember a big turning point in my life was when I realised the power of language. Not just in it’s impact on others but more so on my performance in any field.
I’m not referring just to the spoken word but to the power of the language of my thinking, because behind every action is a thought.
A couple of weeks ago I shared a concept in my Strive webinar which resonated with quite a few people.
The concept I talked about was ‘Inner Pollution’.
Most people have a concern over the level of climate pollution but they rarely think about inner pollution – which I believe is a much bigger issue because of the damage it causes.
This was the opener from a client a few years ago, and not an unusual one I might add.
They were a leader in a large tech company who was very capable but an interesting side to them was that they would raise their eyes and smile any time I brought up the mental side of business.
The smile was a little bit like one you might get from an experienced business head talking to a more junior one.
This guy was American and in his words:
“Shane, we invented mindset and the inner game.”
Now while that could easily be challenged, I understood his point, and so we primarily focused on what I call the ‘outer game’ challenges and made great progress on his top goals.
“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognise the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.”
