In When the Swords Flash, I shared “These 90 days will be a running spirit… joyous and flat freakin’ out. It is not about arbitrary hustle and cliché and image, spinning wheels or going through motions. It is not about posing or posturing. It is not about frantically running around like the proverbial chicken. It is about running with power and grace, with purpose and passion. It is about knowing where we are going… and going there.”
Since that post, I have forged three blogs around my three pillars of work and life, if you will. In so doing, it was inspired by a simple exercise conducted in a kind of “pace group” recently… in response to a request of the facilitator. That exercise got me to ever better articulate my pillars… of Character and Purpose and Unity. And, I am reminded this day that running joyous and “flat freakin’ out” is served well by assessing where you are and where you want to be. That is the definition of a problem; the gap between where you are and want to be. A problem is not a bad thing. It is an opportunity to bridge the gap. These 90 days coming are about me running with Grace flat out… towards something. Knowing where you are and where you want to be helps in that kind of running. When we are running down a dream, 90 days at a time… that kind of clarity helps big time. It does for me.
Back in The Little Big Bucket, I noted…
- My Work with CNA and Epic Engage: I will complete a successful Fall 2021 with CNA, caring about my students as best I can. And I will launch into Winter 2022 with a renewed Enthusiasm for teaching. And, I will make Epic Engage the hands of my heart, in Service.
- My Learning. I will continue my studies… reading on character, unity and global service. And, I will learn basic Mandarin, because I want to…
- My Service: I will best support the 4 organizations and causes I choose.
- My Soulful Joy: I will enjoy this modest home and my friends near and far. I will enjoy my Star Trek and Dr. Who and Marvel and Planet of the Apes. I will enjoy my telescope and the stars. I will dance and cartoon. Oh, and learn the fundamentals of boxing.
- My Health: I will manage my affairs, and pray and meditate. I will live SLOWER (sleep, laughter, oxygen, water, exercise and real food) everyday, taking loving care of this body of mine.
That is what I am running towards over these 90 days, flat out and joyous. That is the first of the mountains, running down my own dream. Get clear on where you are. Get clear on where you want to be. And run with Grace.
Peace. 😉
Barry Lewis Green, The Unity Guy with Epic Engage.
Developing Leadership Character – Ivey Business Journal
“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.
Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. ― Abraham Lincoln