Sunday, May 17, 2009
Following the Golden Rule on Common Ground: Obama Addresses Notre Dame Graduating Class of 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I Feel Like an ASU Graduate: Barack Obama was Talking to Me
Granted, I'm not making my living doing what I love, but I'm loving striving for the dream that will make my living in the future. So many people I know give up on that that -- their dreams I mean; that passion that Obama mentioned numerous times tonight. So many people lose that dream and, in the process, they lose themselves. Beyond that though, they lose an opportunity to contribute to the world in the way the universe intended.
Our interests, our talents are not "asides" in our lives meant to be treated as hobbies or delusions of grandeur. On the contrary, what means the most to us when we're young -- when we're most often asked "what do you want to be when you grow up?" -- the answer that comes from the deepest, most honest place inside ourselves is the reason we are are here on this earth (at least this time around).
Once you're doing what you're meant to be doing, that's when money and "success" will come.
That's not my revelation but something I read in one of Deepak Chopra's books I believe. Though tonight Barack Obama delivered a similar message that in all my 36 years I have never considered before:
"Find someone to be successful for."
Whatever your dream, whatever your talent and however long it's been since you took these gifts seriously, find someone in the world for whom your body of work can inspire theirs.
Click this link to watch and read Obama's ASU commencement address to the graduating class of 2009.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/89934978@N00/2578340406
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Twitter Leadership Lesson #1: You Follow Me, I'll Follow You
I posted that on my Facebook page yesterday. My good friend Kel tried coming to my rescue, commenting “Please don’t do that. I would have to be the one to clean it all up.” She’s a tweeter herself @drippingincolor so she sympathizes with my addiction, but my cousin, Philip, has a completely different take on all the Twitter hysteria.
I need only follow someone else for them to follow me.
I write screenplays and recently joined a local screenwriters group here in Phoenix. We’re fortunate enough to have a screenwriter in our midst who has sold numerous scripts over the years. He was gracious enough to read a script of mine and give me notes, which I followed pretty much to the tee. Well just yesterday he asked me to give him my perspective on a script he’s been working on.
When it comes to leadership, doesn’t the same scenario exist across all disciplines? If you follow the lead of your peers and colleagues – respecting their ideas and participating in their projects with enthusiasm – chances are they’re going to return the favor.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/london/75869410/
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Leading with Effortless Ease: What Kind of "Cheer" Leader are You?
Monday, April 20, 2009
There's a Natural Born Leader In Us All
We're all born with the potential to fulful our goals at will. We need only visualize them, then take the necessary actions to get there.
Yet conventional education teaches us otherwise -- that you have to struggle and "pay your dues" before you can succeed. That's why it's so important to bring to any leadership role you may have, in your professional or personal life, a fresh perspective on accomplishing goals.
There is a natural born leader in all of us. We need only listen, learn, visualize and do to inspire the same in others. That is my goal with this blog, which I invite you to help me with.
I'm looking for natural born leaders to feature in this blog. If you'd like to share your experience and thoughts on leadership, email naturalbornleaders1@gmail.com and I'll send you a list of questions. Plus, I'll include in your blog post your photo or logo of choice, as well as a link to your website, blog, Twitter page, Facebook page, MySpace page or any other online presence you would like to promote.
If you’d like to know when this featured post goes live, Follow This Blog. I’ll also tweet about it with a link to your featured post, so Follow Me on Twitter too. The sooner you know your post is live, the sooner you can share the link anywhere that you'd like to reinforce the leadership role you play in your profession and/or community.
By the way, if you're not a member already, you're invited to join my Facebook Group where you can connect with others in the Natural Born Leader community.
"Since we're integrally connected in consciousness, no one individual can evolve far ahead of everyone else. We are all contained within a certain field of consciousness. Though we may take a role close to the leading edge, we cannot leave our fellow beings far behind since in essence we are all one. So we have no choice but to evolve together, bringing all our brothers and sisters along with us." ~Shakti Gawain, The Path of Transformation
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/1301014184/