Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Food for the Leader’s Soul – Appreciation!
I recently commented on a LinkedIn post that displayed the following quote:
“This is not the year to get everything you want. This is the year to appreciate everything you have!”
Given the year that we had, my initial thought was … yep, great quote! And in a world that has a growth fetish and an obsession with more, faster, bigger and better, now might be a good time to stop, take a breath and appreciate the smaller things in life.
This brings me to the next thought that came to mind and the comment I made …
“Living life in the spirit of Appreciation over Want in general would probably produce many more smiling souls and communities on this planet!”
Although, there is nothing wrong with wanting things and experiences, what kind of a life would we live and what kind of world would we live in if appreciation was the guiding light from which our wants emerged?
Here is the thing, appreciation as I see it, is a function of our deeper nature.
- It’s that feeling of timelessness or flow we find ourselves in when our attention is in the here and now.
- It’s that deeper sense of purpose and connection, one that is absent of the feeling of lack and difference.
- It’s the space from which we see ourselves, our fellow human souls, our communities and our planet from a place of innate beauty, love and gratitude.
Living, leading and serving in the spirit of Appreciation over Want!
So, what would happen if we would show up and engage with the world from the wisdom of appreciation?
Would you like to experience deeper connection and harmony within yourself, with others and your environment? Would you like to feel more alive and able to awake that aliveness in others?
Put it to the test!
Don’t take my word for it, explore it for yourself.
Take a deep breath and pause for a moment … and when you are ready … think of a time and place when you truly felt a sense of appreciation. Notice how it felt …! Notice what was on your mind…! Notice where your attention was …! Notice how you felt about others and how you engaged with them! And notice how others felt around you and how they engaged with you …!
Sitting with the feeling of this experience, how does that land? How does it project out onto the world that you live and work in? On your loved ones and the people that you work with? On the projects that you work on? On the problems that you have to solve?
Notice the timelessness and flow! Notice the sense of deeper connection and oneness! Notice the love and beauty all around you! And notice the sense of abundant possibility and creativity that the world presents you with!
As 2020 is coming to an end, appreciate what you have. Make 2021 the year of living, leading, and serving with the wisdom of appreciation. Illuminate the world with your energy and enthusiasm! 😊
And with that I wish you and your loved ones a Safe, Joyful and Restful Festive Season!
Mike
About Mike Schwarzer
Mike is a Transformation Professional and Learning Leader who is passionate about helping leaders and organisations to solve the problems that they have not been able to solve elsewhere.
He works with the underlying mental, behavioural and deeper innate dynamics that drive people’s and organisations’ thinking and actions. He creates and holds the space where they learn how to tap into their inner and outer capabilities in transformational ways and lift their perceptual abilities to see their world, its problems and emerging solutions with fresh eyes.
At the organisational level, Mike’s approach challenges the status quo and hierarchical thinking. He takes you into the world of living ‘open & adaptive’ systems and their self-organising nature. From there you will be able to create a workplace culture that naturally draws from the collective wisdom of all its people and that is highly adaptable to the changing winds of a complex world.
For more information about Mike visit www.mikeschwarzer.com.
