Letting Go of Good to Open Up to Great

I know a man who, along with his physical grandoise, ranks in my top five list of people in my life with powerful presence. I have taken many lessons away from brief moments in time spent with him because when he speaks he speaks to a part of me that wants to hear him, when he looks, he looks into a part of me that feels his gaze and his purpose and as I am writing this, I don't believe there is any other teacher in my life quite like him. One of the things I have learned from him is that it's OK to have good, but sometimes we need to get rid of 'Good' so we can open up to 'Great'.

So I asked myself, "What in my life am I holding onto that is good where I know it could be great?" This question lead me to a desire to really 'clean house' both internally and externally. Not an excuse to collect clutter, but by nature of my job, being in and out with frequent travel, I have piles of 'stuff' I fail to sort through. One of these piles happens to be a collection of what we fondly refer to at work as 'Love Notes'. At almost every event we create a wall with an individualized, often very decorative, envelope for everyone working on the team at that event. It's purpose is to be a place where we can share gratitude, words of thanks, jokes, gifts, and in general 'love' for each other. It is voluntary and optional whether you choose to sign or leave it anonymous.

So I decided to 'clean up' this pile. 10 envelopes turned into 20 turned into 30, turned into 40-ish (probably more) envelopes that I had accumulated since my start of volunteering 4 years ago to present and working ongoing.

While I am doing this, I am listening to 'Tribes' by Seth Godin, which was passed onto me by a co-worker. And upon listening to this, everything has to do with Leadership. As I am, let's be honest here, multi-tasking! Or killing 2 birds with one stone, I become acutely aware of the abundance I have before me. Letters and envelopes sprawled out on the floor around me with words of encouragement, thanks, acknowledgement, praise, humour and love. Then it hits me; everything that everyone else sees in me, everything that I am actually providing, doing, being an example of; it's all right there in the words of other people. And I see where I am great, and I am hearing about leadership from my computer and how when you are a good leader, people will naturally follow you because you stand for something. I am a leader...

Carol Brunet once said after losing the lead role to another leading lady for a Broadway production, "It's her time to shine, mind will come." I have felt that way for most of my life...until now. I can feel it brewing in my bones, I can taste it with my being and more than that, I know. Whatever it is that is finding its manifestation through me, whether big or small, is one of the greater things in my life I am meant to pursue. And that is the 'great' I am opening up to. :)

xx