Leadership Adventures to Come

I have enjoyed this blog as a way to share what I have learned from the  Bainbridge Graduate Institute and The Environmental Leadership Program.  I am even more excited about the work that is yet to come... and an announcement that is coming soon...

If you are interested in furthering your leadership adventure, I know of a couple great places to start...

www.bgi.edu

www.elpnet.org

The Tree of Life

Tree of Life 

Its core remains, yet each season a new ring appears with the turning of the universe. Old bark is shed, new emerges; leaves are shed and re-grow, blossoms and fruit ripen and are cast off nourishing life and falling into the earth as fertilizer for new trees, new blossoms and fruits. From this one Tree of Life an entire forest grows, many forests full with the cornucopia and omni-dimensionality of incessantly renewing life. (Tikkun Magazine)
 

I find trees to be very inspiring.  Yes, I admit it, you could call me a treehugger.  But in all seriousness, a tree's growth is an amazing metaphor when it comes to leadership development.  I first learned about the Tree of Life exercise as part of my Social Media for Social Change class taught by Christopher Allen, at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.  

 

The concept was so inspirational, that I decided to introduce it to two groups that I am working with this month.  And the best part about it, is that you can do it too in the comfort of your own home.  This is a creative, non-traditional way to explore you assets, interests, and vision as a leader.  So find some pens and paper, and let's get started.

Credit: Christopher Allen

Happiness Hunting

hap·pi·ness[hap-ee-nis] noun

1. the quality or state of being happy.

2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

Yes, we all want to be happy.  But do people realize that they can be happy while doing their jobs?  The short answer is yes.  At Bainbridge Graduate Institute, we call this type of happiness, Right Livelihood, ie. the journey of aligning your life work to meaning, purpose, and the deeper yearning that is percolating within.

Ok, I understand that that might sound like a big task.  But we can start with something much smaller, by asking the question, what are the moments in your life when you are most happy? Now let's do a small exercise...

• Capture 5 images of happy moments that could relate to work (your current work life or intended livelihood)

• Tag each image with a description of up to six words

• Give your image a rating between 1 and 10 (1 is neutral; 10 is maximum joy)

Here are a few examples:

Life is a Highway. Ride It. (9)

 

 Dog is My Copilot (10)

 

Hard Shell. Soft Interior. (8)

Ok, now what stands out for you?  What is it that makes you most happy?