Question #9: How do you view your connection to mankind?

The Whole of It

Birth. Death.  And the life lived between.   I have reason to consider my mortality. 

This month I will have had 50 years of experience on this planet, and there is a lot to ponder.  I have had times of aloneness, I've enjoyed group interactions, have felt loneliness, and embraced connection. And I feel enriched by it all. 

The phrase “No man is an island...” floated through my musing mind and I related to the truth of it.  I decided to read the full poem and discovered something I had never seen before: the date John Donne died.  

Barring the year, his death date is my birth date.  

Through this momentary mortality check, I suddenly connected to him, and the words of his poem in an even deeper way. 

 I am not an island.  I am a part, connected to the whole.  

Personally affected by it all.  Globally influencing more than I see.

So in honor of the whole of it, I declare a celebration of my presence here.  I honor mankind for the ebb and flow of new life and new death.  Knowing well that I am involved in mankind and it in me.  Any bell that tolls, or shout of joy, is one that tolls or shouts for me.

No man is an island,

Entire of itself,

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thy friend's

Or of thine own were:

Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind,

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 

It tolls for thee.  

John Donne

January 22, 1572  - March 31,1631 

An English poet and cleric in the Church of England, considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets.

How do you view your connection to mankind?  

Let's skip a few rocks, and create some ripples...

~Asia

Question #8: How do you view enlightened leadership?

A Spiritual Slant on Leadership

Respect.  I’ve seen it demanded, refused, given, coerced, offered, ignored and embraced.  We’ve created rules outlining whom respect should be given to and who is entitled to it.

Regardless the rules and assumptions, I believe there is a key element needed to endorse respect in order for a person to fully wear its mantle.  

This key is reverence.  

As the harmonious balance between reverence and respect matures, an enlightened form of leadership emerges.  Nurturing the roots of this kind of leader is the soil of a deep and profound sense of esteem and appreciation.  

I like Deepak Chopra’s comment about spirituality and awareness in leadership...

“Enlightened leadership is spiritual if we understand spirituality not as some kind of religious dogma or ideology, but as the domain of awareness where we experience values like truth, goodness, beauty, love and compassion, and also intuition, creativity, insight and focused attention.”  

~Deepak Chopra

 How do you view enlightened leadership?

Let's skip a few rocks, and create some ripples...

~Asia

Question #7: When have you been surprised by an unexpected learning moment?

The Mirror of Teaching

Leading, listening, training, parenting, sharing.  These are only a few words that could be used to describe teaching.  How lucky are we to be living a life where opportunities for learning are consistently around us? 

To be in a world where connecting has so many faces is a gift.  To recognize those moments we learn from through playing the roll of both teacher and student is a treasure indeed.

“When one teaches, two learn.” 

When have you been surprised by an unexpected learning moment?

Let's skip a few rocks, and create some ripples...

~Asia

Question #6: How Have You Invited Communication Through Love?

Inviting Dialogue

Communicating is paramount when it comes to moving forward together.  Inspiring moments can burst into bloom and yield fantastic results. 

Like a painter’s palate, the combination of colors and how they’re applied, magically creates a visual statement. 

I recently received an email from a friend stating her enjoyment of George Washington Carver’s response when he was asked how he knew so much about the healing qualities of plants.  

His reply was timeless:

 “If you love anything enough it will speak to you.” 

To love is to invite interaction.

How have you invited communication through love?

Let's skip a few rocks, and create some ripples...

~Asia

Question #5: As a leader, have you had experience with group success, without receiving leadership recognition?

Sharing the Wealth

“Of the best leader, when the job is done the people say ‘We did it ourselves’.”    Lao Tzu

It’s a beautiful thing when people come together.  Common ground, communal ideas, and family focus, are powerful ways to make things happen. 

Whether, assigned or voluntary, leaders emerge to help the job get done.  And when success arrives, there is call for celebration.

However, sometimes circumstances tag along that could create separation between the group and leader.  How does one bridge group effort and individualism?

As a leader, have you had experience with group success, without receiving leadership recognition?   

What do you think about Lao Tzu’s quote?

Let's skip a few rocks, and create some ripples...

~Asia