Archive for Creative Living
Perceptual Shift: ‘Ladies First’ Creates Equal Opportunity Relationships
Posted by: | CommentsWe have become used to the conversation over the last two to three decades of gender differences, accompanied by a range of why’s and wherefores. Now John Gray of Mars Venus fame is back with ‘Venus on Fire,Mars on Ice’, giving us a rationale based on biochemistry and hormones. What? Reduce love, sex and the rocky road of relationships to that? “How unsatisfying!”, say the reporters and romantics who just don’t get it. If you can hang on long enough to get past the scientific language, the underlying concepts are fairly simple and provide a roadmap of sorts to allow both sexes to get what we want and need from each other. Ironically, one of the biggest shortcomings in relationships falls back on us as individuals; that old adage of being willing to take responsibility for our own happiness. But, I digress.
The crux of the matter is that our modern lifestyle breeds Read More→
Authentic Performance as Creative Living – No Debate!
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Recently I was a parent judge at a regional high school debate (forensics) tournament at which over 600 students participated. I continue to be amazed at the high caliber of student performances, whether the events were Lincoln-Douglas or Public Forum Debates, extemporaneous speaking, dramatic literary performances of poetry, prose or speeches, or Duo interpretations.
We judge on various criteria: performing within the rules of each event, time keeping, complexity of material, presentational use of voice and gestures in expressing the material and coordination of partners in Duo performances.
Across events, I noted that, all other factors considered, the key underlying factor in whether a student ranked highly was their ability to Read More→
Brain Chemistry in Your Relationship Lab
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve had the chance to spend some time with Dr.John Gray of Mars Venus fame. He’s due to come speak in my city soon, and while excited about welcoming an author of his celebrity status, local reporters so far seem not to ‘get’ what his core message is. The science is confusing them. His new book, Mars and Venus on Ice, discusses the impact of bio-chemistry on relationships.
He asks why it is that most women love to meander and socialize while shopping, whereas most men prefer a quick ‘go in-get what they need and get out’ approach? Believe it or not, the reasons are rooted in both neurochemistry and evolution.
Women have traditionally been nurturers and gatherers, working in gaggles searching out the best options for their families. Meanwhile, men were the hunters, out for the kill to bring home. Their pride was stroked and stoked by rapid results.
Maybe it’s a chicken and egg thing, but Read More→
Sustainable Labor Through 3-D TLC
Posted by: | CommentsLabor Day is now past and more than anything seems to mark the end of summer and start of autumn, school and chilly evenings. We rarely pay tribute anymore to the value of labor well executed, a job artfully done in skill and craft, attention to detail, meeting customer needs and delivering all this in a spirit of goodwill. This whole approach is a mainstay of the American enterprise spirit; one which forged our historic beginnings and still carries us today at least in pockets.
These characteristics are also key facets of entrepreneurs, who in growing numbers are the creative and economic generators of our society. As I’ve been out and about teaching this summer I noticed that in the face of pressures to be more efficient and productive for economic reasons, the most successful approach to productivity is Read More→
Wherever You Go, There You Are!
Posted by: | CommentsI just returned from a trip to England, a country I lived and worked in for over a decade. I slotted right back into the routines- from tea time in the afternoon to hustling to catch trains for travel to teaching assignments, to using certain Britishisms like “I say!” It all still felt very comfortable, although this is the first time I didn’t drive- or even want to- while there. Hmmm- time is passing by.
Seeing old friends, family and haunts was wonderful, as was encountering new people and places. Several times over the trip, and now visiting friends in the US en route back home, the expression “wherever you go, there you are” has surfaced. It caused a few discussions about what it means, and questions of Read More→
Productive Ecstasy-Little Drummer Boy
Posted by: | CommentsProductive ecstasy? Whatever can I be talking about?
I facilitated a workshop over the summer where I delved into ‘creative ecstasy’, the equivalent of getting into the thrill of the creative ‘flow zone’ . This is the state of mind and engagement where you are so fully involved at a level of skill and challenge that you lose track of time and your efforts sail along with zing, flair and panache. In such a state, individual productivity tends to skyrocket, as we are not distracted, focus is clear and sharp and all components required for forward motion and success are in alignment. In an ecstatic collaboration the productivity can even be multiplied since the sum is greater than the parts.
Below is a link to a YouTube video of Howard, a 4 year old kid, playing drums. Have no fear, he actually plays very well. What’s cool is Read More→
Change Your WorkWorld by Changing Yourself First
Posted by: | CommentsStarting with yourself as a core and connecting element in your business, realize you have the defining role in whether your work experience is enjoyable, meaningful, productive and a match for you. By changing something within yourself that sends out a different vibe, whether it’s pleasure in dealing with your customers or colleagues, or satisfaction in the substance of the workaday tasks, you can set the tone by tuning into your own attitude and noticing how you are spending your time and energy.
Sometimes a mis-match can be as simple as recognizing you have fallen prey to Read More→
Shape-shifting as Renewal & Revitalization
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s a case of ‘out with the old, in with the new’. It’s all about resilience!
Every seven years or so, human bodies replace every cell in every organ, each at a different rate depending on size and density, apparently. I say ‘apparently’, because even though scientific research tells us this is happening, to look at ourselves and others, we’d hardly know it. The only evidence we have of old cells shedding are the few flakes of skin left on our sheets or as bathtub ring every morning.
So we are effectively a new being even though we appear to stay the same person. How does that happen? What is holding our identity together during the ongoing process of change? In humans there is cellular coding that reproduces cells with the holographic imprint of, in my case, Donna-ness.
Reinventing our business can follow the same process of continuously updating and renewing our marketing, product and services, systems and equipment while still maintaining our organizational identity.
How do we do that? What might that look like for you?
Please leave your comments and recommendations below. I’ll pick up from here next time.
Ask Yourself “Why Am I Doing This?”
Posted by: | CommentsWe just had Independence Day. It always makes me think about the nature of Freedom, which I count as one of my key values, and how much I manifest freedom in my own life. The daily reality, however, is that I have a propensity towards being TOO busy, which means I lack a certain amount of time freedom.
So I came across some questions from Gary Null in Living in the Moment, which stopped me in my tracks. These questions were really useful for me as a reminder I can make different choices…and hopefully for you too:
Why am I doing this? Why am I saying that? Why am I spilling my guts when it will change nothing? Or, now my questions, How can I take different actions so things WILL change? Will taking these actions lead me where I am trying to go? Is this is the best use of my time?
Whatever questions you ask of yourself, the key point is that at any moment you can make different choices and course correct. Or just stop, breathe, and consciously decide what to do next. That way you are more in control of your efforts and energy, and are well on the way to regaining both your freedom and your mental resilience!
Creating First Time is Risky
Posted by: | CommentsThere are some recent schools of management thought that say “Get it right first time, and every time.” The idea is that this assures consistent customer service, so the motivation is good. However, when learning anything new, different from your norm or even just upgrading, there is a learning curve. Some of us can simulate the process offline and out of sight, which allows us to practice until we get it right in a modicum of privacy. Other activities require we engage in the learning on the spot, or in the limelight. When the stakes are high, such as when I worked with British Top Gun pilots in the Royal Air Force, then it behooves us to practice and simulate rigorously before we engage in the actual tasks we’ve been learning. Other learnings carry a lesser penalty or simply can’t happen in a practice arena. I know from my son’s ice hockey coach that how the kids practice is likely to be how they play in the games. So he pushes them hard in practice in order to have the routine down before the stakes are higher in a game.
When I was earning my Masters Degree and practice teaching, it was only one layer of the learning curve as a teacher to get clear on the content, which could initially be done on my own out of the spotlight. But it was another several layers worth to factor in accelerated learning techniques and Read More→
