Flow as Life Flows
Sometimes as leaders we need to take time to reflect. Time to think about the past, not in order to wish it were different or change who we were, but to celebrate how it made us turn out. When was the last time you tried to remember every detail of a past event, like your first day of kindergarten?
I was surprised as I thought about this for myself, and the more I listened to my heart and not my head, the more details started to emerge! Its all in there but rather than thinking through it, try feeling into it.
What were the feelings you had, the experiences you created and the best question is what did you learn? The past is over, only now exists, right now! So the only question is, what can the past teach you about right now? Can you tap into the bigger picture and let go of the past while learning and moving into a more empowered future?
Give it a shot, get out your journal and see what you can remember! Maybe you can start small and start, say in Kindergarten and work your way up! The more you master this process of letting go of the past, learning and moving forward; the more likely you are to grow into the person you are capable of becoming. Good Luck! Enjoy the journey!
What I can remember:
As my son Tyler was whisked away on the bus this morning for his first day of Kindergarten, I couldn’t help thinking about my first day of Kindergarten. It was quite a while ago, 30 years to be precise. The truth is I don’t remember much about that day. But if I listen to my heart it tells a different story. First of all, it was the beginning of learning about the world and how to interact with others. As an only child, I did not have much interaction with kids early on, especially my own age.
My parents worked very hard, full time and then some and so I was with babysitters a lot. I remember spending a lot of time with my next store neighbor Harry a friendly older man who would watch me by placing me 3 feet from the Television while he read the newspaper. So an introduction to 20 other kids my age in Kindergarten was pretty overwhelming. I made friends though and one friend, in particular, I can still remember. Steve Sisler, his mother was my Babysitter and he went to Kindergarten with me. Our teacher’s name was Ms. Mallory and she was very friendly.
I remember learning to read, taking naps and of course, my favorite was snack time! There was no school bus for me, Acres Green Elementary was less than a mile from my house, so I walked to school and after school, I would walk to Steve Sisler’s house and I stayed there until my Mom would pick me up. (when it snowed we still walked to school, but it was only uphill 1 way) Steve and I were into Superman and He-Man, we played lots of games and of course, there was sports. Steve Sisler’s dad was the Coach of the Arapahoe High School Wrestling team, so let’s just say that I did not enjoy having to wrestle with him every day after school, and yet, it made me a stronger person.
There is probably more I can remember and maybe it will come to me in the next few days as I experience it all through Tyler’s eyes. So what did I learn? One thing I know for sure, I am grateful to have a wonderful son who can now have his own experiences in life. I am grateful that my wife Lindsay is a stay at home Mom and that I work from home so that we are able to spend more time with our children because today is proof that they grow up way to fast.
There is no ROI for missing these special moments.
Thanks for reading LeaderhipFlow and Now you know and as GI Joe taught me, knowing is half the battle!