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Our
passion is helping executives and their organizations achieve their
goals in less time, with greater satisfaction, now and for the future.
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September,
2008 Welcome
to Leadership Hand™, a monthly e-newsletter 1. New Number Please
note the new, auspicious phone number: 703.820.8018. 2. Guidance in the Periphery: Just Right for Right Now It
was bone-chillingly cold-colder still because I had not eaten in
three days. I was alone in the desert night somewhere in the expanse
between midnight and dawn. What had led me here? A quest for satisfying
work--for what was big enough for all of me. We
all have times when we yearn for more fulfillment and the most satisfying
life possible. If it is about our career, our reasons for staying
put--the income, the stability, our retirement plans, having that
high-profile position with a corner office (or being next in line
for one), the cost of the children's education or whatever is on
our list--are no longer enough. These
questions were exactly how in 1999, I found myself on a Vision Quest-a
rite of passage associated with Native American Indians and other
aboriginal cultures. In the intimacy of the Death Valley desert,
I heard the gentle creek of the creosote bushes, saw an image of
the trickster Kokopelli in the play of moonlight, and learned never
to use a strawberry-scented shampoo unless I wanted night moths
tussling in my hair while I, meanwhile, attempted to sleep. So, two days of my solo had passed. I slowed from the lack of food. Body and mind dropping into a quiet place. This third day, I created a large circle, a medicine wheel, demarcated with large rocks. Before we had left on our solos, we were told it was of utmost importance to stay awake throughout that final night and to remain within our wheel--symbolic of staying with our life. I took this admonition seriously. An afterthought, I picked up handfuls of small, white rocks, sprinkling them on the edges. Two unexpected things helped me that night. When I couldn't see the big rocks, my peripheral vision revealed the small white ones marking the circle. When I was just too tired to stay awake anymore, the cold kept me from sleeping. I stayed awake, within my wheel. I affirmed I was staying with my life. The help I got was in such unexpected ways and just right, just enough, for right now. I
came to know that this type of help always sits softly in the periphery.
It's invisible however, in the obviousness of the intent, direct
gaze. When I soften and expand my focus, what's revealed in the
periphery is trusted and trustworthy. What's there will be just
right, and just enough for right now… Soften your gaze. See
what's in the periphery that's incremental, unexpected and welcome.
It's there, I promise. Beth
Hand © Copyright 2008, Beth Hand. Beth Hand, MBA helps leaders and organizations increase their effectiveness and satisfaction, now and for the future. She can be reached at (+1) 703.820.8018 or via her website www.leadershiphand.com. 3. Reprint Permission This is a copyrighted publication. You are welcome to reprint an issue on a non-exclusive basis provided you:
4. Subscribe • Privacy Click here to subscribe. To unsubscribe click on the link below. We value your privacy. We never redistribute, rent or sell your information to anyone or any entity. We invite you to forward this issue to your colleagues. |
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© Copyright 2008, Hand Associates and Beth Hand • All Rights Reserved Hand
Associates, LLC Executive
Coaching & Management Consulting |
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