Speaking The Good

As the year began, I had a secret goal I hoped would come true.

However, I was hesitant to speak it or even write it as I worried that would invite resistance.

Then, in a Facebook group, I saw another individual write about a desire but being too scared to speak it for fear of failure, resistance, and negativity.

We have all heard the stories of how Oprah “asked for patience and God REALLY tested me all year.” Or asking for something and just being bombarded with tests and negativity so of course we are fear-filled and hesitant to speak request!

So, we let fear drive us and we fail to speak the positive hopes and dreams.  We stop short of putting the good vibes into the Universe.

I’m challenging myself to stop doing that and to speak my desires, my hopes, and my dreams into being.

I am going to move forward with speaking my intentions into the Universe so the Universe and Spirit have the opportunity to act on the good.

Instead of filling the world with fearful energy and negativity, I am going to offer positive, healing, and nurturing belief!

“Show up in every single moment like you are meant to be there!”

"I am no longer searching, I am open" Mark Nepo

Open (defined)-

{adjective} having the interior immediately accessible, relatively free of obstructions to sight, movement, or internal arrangement

{verb used without object} to afford access

{noun} an open or clear space; the open air, an opening opportunity

Open is my 2016 word of the year.

Why I Chose Open:

                Each year for the last six years I have selected a word to focus on.  Some years have been better than other years.  I am a part of the “One Little Word” community developed by Ali Edwards (aliedwards.com).  As a part of the community, each month we have a prompt for reflection and intention.  I am excited to think about OPEN this year and see how my year goes with this fun world.

What I Am Inviting:

                I am inviting five things into my life as a result of my word.  I am inviting:

1.       Abundance

2.       Gratitude

3.       Leadership

4.       Love

5.       Joy

I chose abundance because 2015 was such a very lean year that I would appreciate the Universe giving abundance for 2016, especially financial blessings.  I want to be a very grateful heart this year also so I am inviting gratitude. 

Leadership is an area that I have walked away from over the last few years.  I felt that with my lack of oversight, I didn’t need to worry about leadership.  I am beginning to change that and thinking of a “leading from the bottom” approach!  There is a good bit written about leading from the middle and since I am well below middle these days, I thought I would think about leading from the bottom and how I might positively influence my world and the greater good.

Love flows from gratitude and since I am going to experience abundance I might as well bask in love!  Bring it on!

Joy is such a wonderful state to be in and I am hoping I experience a great deal of joyfulness!  I know that for 2015 my word was rejuvenate. It was not until the end of the year that I was able to really appreciate a rejuvenation.  Day-to-day was tough.  There were some days that I just wanted them to end and get a do-over.  Thus I am thrilled to be thinking about joyfulness in 2016!

2016 is going to be a GREAT year!  I’m very excited.  I even bought a new shirt:

Chasing Years

I heard a song the other day and said something about “chasing the years of my life” and that really made an impact on me.

When we are young, we “chase” 21 as the official date we come of age.  By 21 we are deemed adult in the eyes of society and that will allow us some freedoms.

We continue moving forward headed towards that quarter century mark.

Then we hit 30.  Life is good, we are living, we are learning, good times.

Then we hit the seasoned 40s and 50s and we begin to chase in a different way.  We miss those younger days of flexibility and energy levels as our body, mind, and spirit changes.

Then we move into our 60s and beyond.  We truly miss those younger years but we have a contribution we are making and we feel valued.

We continue to move along the timeline and we get desperate and chase the years of youth.

In a way, we spend the majority of our lives, chasing years.  We chase for different reasons and more passionately at different times but we still chase.

Yet, our Owner’s Guide, the Bible has a quote in Psalm 46:10 the lyricist instructs on The Lord by saying “Be still, and know that I am God.”

What if, instead of chasing years, we simply appreciated the present moments?

What if, rather than rushing to or from, we simply embraced?

What if we chose to be mindful of the moment and gushed gratitude to Spirit and others for being alive in this moment?

What if we deemed each moment a blessing?  Rather than living in a state of annoyance, we live in a state of gratitude?

Thank you Spirit for helping us stop, to still ourselves, and to know.  Know this moment counts.

The Leadership Amplification Factor

Yesterday my husband and I were discussing a situation where he had been informed the leader of our organization “was really mad” about an issue that was almost comical.  Ray and I talked about this story a good bit and I’ve continued to think about it.

We did pose the question:  do you think the leader was really that upset or did the leader simply mention/question the situation at which time the followers began to pass the question along, down the line and as the question was passed from person to person, the leader’s question became intensified beyond what the leader represented.

I am terming this situation as “The Leadership Amplification Factor” and believe this happens so frequently that we simply do not even realize it.

Leader mentions an idea/question.  Follower #1 hears and asked/mentions information to Follower #2.  Follower #2 filters information through his or her perceptions of both the leader and follower #1 then interprets information for Follower #3. 

The further away from the leader the followers get, the more interpretation is inputted because of lack of direct contact.  Thus, by the time the question or mention gets to possibly Follower #5 or #6, it is likely less about what the original question/mention was and mostly interpretation.

This is why an organization must be built on values.  I do not mean having a set of values tacked to the walls throughout the organization either, I mean values that are imbued, saturated throughout the very fibers of the organization.  That way, it wouldn’t matter as much about distance from the leader, rather every person would understand value and hopefully respond in alignment with that value.

This diagram depicts the way values can work in an organization, linking everyone together with a common belief.

The Leadership Amplification Factor holds two important lessons:

• As a leader, you must recognize the amplification that is possible and guard against being over-dramatic in areas that do not align with values.  We must also remember to ground responses in values which will help neutralize amplification.
• As a follower, when information is provided to us, remember the amplification that may be attached and ask important questions about urgency and intensity of the situation.  If the values do not underscore the situation, inquire about this.

Vulnerability

Vulnerability

                -definition-“Capable or susceptible to being wounded or hurt; open to attack, criticism, or temptation.”

Thought

·         When we are born and young, we are vulnerable.

·         When we are old, we are vulnerable.

In between those times we work hard and diligently to prove we are not vulnerable.  

Yet, no matter our age, socio-economic, physical, or even relationship status, we are vulnerable.  

While in the “between” stages, we prefer to think of ourselves as ten feet tall and bullet-proof, we are vulnerable.

We may be the brunt of a vicious rumor or the butt of an insensitive joke.

We may struggle with mental illness or simply wonder our place in the world.  In John 1:7 we learn of the light we may rely on, even when we struggle.

In 2015 my world was rocked with certain struggles.  However I prayed that God promised to give me life and to give it abundantly.  While I struggled greatly, I was rewarded with a rejuvenation of my values and relationships.

While my fiscal resources were just enough, my love and learning overflowed!

While our culture values us building and maintaining a façade of invulnerability, I vow to allow my vulnerability to be known and to rely on Spirit to demonstrate the Light for my life.

Hope

I remember going into the Counselor’s suite at Nacogdoches High School in 1983.  They had announced there was an opportunity to take college courses during the summer, while still in high school.  It piqued my interest.

I remember the counselor scanning my high school transcript.  A’s and B’s with one C.  Sophomore English.  Why did I get a C?  I remember intercepting a progress report that was to my parents.  It said “Libby always seems to try.”  I didn’t try.

               

The counselor scanned my grades and quickly dismissed me saying my grades were not good enough.  No options, no hope.

Ironically it didn’t faze me.  I was going to college—it didn’t matter when really, now or later, but I was going regardless of what she thought.

And to college I went.  Bachelor’s degree.  Master’s Degree.  Doctorate.  I got them all.  I wonder now what that counselor would say if I were to meet her?  I know one thing she’d say and that’s “Dr. Wallace!”

How does a person dismiss another’s potential?  She could not see the tsunami forming inside me.  But she still tried to dismiss the tide.

How is it we have individuals in the public school systems who dim a child’s hope?  Do people think they are helping when they diminish hope?

On the tip of the tongue of every adult working with students should be “you have amazing potential, what do you dream of?”  Then build from there—do not deconstruct hope, find a footing for it and start building! 

Writing for my Soul

I believe writing (long-hand, in a journal) is an essential, dare I say, critical tool one MUST engage in, in order to have true growth in life.

I have been a journal-er for years.  I derive so much from long-handed writing that I literally, in 2013-2014 did my entire doctoral dissertation in writing before typing it up.  When changes were needed, I wrote them as well then edited my original document.

I find the process of writing deeply revealing.  Information which has never come into your mind is suddenly appearing on the pages as you allow it to siphone from your brain to the paper with no filters.

I believe daily writing (in the morning because you are still in the spirit of shaping your day) connects you to the world.  I’ve discovered my deep love of certain things in the world around me through allowing my pen to float along the page as I think about general happenings.  I have solidified political stances and changed my mind as I presented my arguments to myself.  Writing connects us deeply into our world.

Writing nudges us to remember and connects us with our deepest longing.  Years into my current career I answered the question “when you were a child playing, what game or scenario was your favorite?”  I knew the answer immediately!  TEACHING!  But further still I loved making worksheets, guided learning papers, and test which I required my poor cousin to complete.

When I realized this, I didn’t immediately quite my job in order to teach, but I do look for ways each week which allow me to have a little time writing which also makes my heart sing.

Frederick Bueckner, noted theologian, said “where our greatest passion meets the world’s greatest needs, there we find our vocation.”

Through exploring oneself slowly and intentionally one may just find vocation and much clarity.

Writing allows passions to rise and the clarity to either know to stoke the flame or let it burn out.

Often when we are upset about something, a personal slight, a rude customer, or we are just having a bad day, we can let it rip in our journal.  We can scream using ALL CAPS and exclamation points !!!!!!!!! and this allows us to et it out of our system without another human being having to survive our emotion tsunami.

By the same experience, we may realize that we have had a life-long love for gardening and decide to experiment with setting up apartment gardens for assisted-living apartments.  With pen in hand, we may learn how to fan the flame from spark to roaring fire.

Writing, I have found, soothes my soul and connects me with Spirit by being blessed with self-understanding, direction, and intention.

May writing benefit you greatly as well.