Clarity!

We're down to our final two weeks of looking at the 8 Cs of Self-Leadership from the IFS-Institute and their founder, Dr. Richard Schwartz (Calm, Curiosity, Confidence, Compassion, Creativity, Courage, Clarity, and Connectedness). Hopefully, this series is creating some positive focus as we keep moving forward into 2025.

We've already touched on Calm, Curiosity, Confidence, Compassion, Creativity, and Courage, and this week we turn our attention to Clarity.

Clarity

With several of these elements, I have made reference to portions of the definitions from the IFS-Institute.  This week, I want to share their full definition for Clarity because it has so much wisdom by itself.

Clarity

1. the ability to perceive situations accurately without distortion from extreme beliefs and emotions

2. the ability to maintain objectivity about a situation in which one has a vested interest

3. the ability to recognize one’s own bias or preconception and then seek a deeper understanding

Powerful, right?!

A few thoughts from my perspective:

First, I love that each layer is about an ability, because that means it is something we can work on and grow, which also fits so well with their whole idea of moving toward each of these elements of the 8 Cs. It's not about accomplishing some level of achievement, but continuing to grow and focus on our ability to have greater Clarity.

Second, part of the invitation here is to "stand at a distance" from ourselves - to take a step back and look at things with a clearer perception.  So much of the time when we are in the middle of something, we can get so caught up in it we can't really notice what is actually happening. But if we can take a step back and see things a little more objectively, we will often gain some real Clarity about the situation, which can help us see new approaches and choices we may not have seen before.

Finally, there is also an element of truth telling here. One of my favorite questions to ask myself and that I often encourage clients to ask of themselves is, "What do I actually know is true here?"  We can get ourselves tripped up when we pay more attention to the story we are telling ourselves about a situation or a relationship than we do the actual facts of what we really know about it.  We jump to conclusions or allow our bias and prejudice to cloud the actual basic facts, so being honest is a way to increase our Clarity and helps us navigate those tough situations better.

What about you? What ideas do their definitions of Clarity raise for you? Is there a situation or relationship you are too close to right now, and taking a step back would help to increase your Clarity around it? Perhaps there is something you are jumping to a lot of conclusions about? What impact would it have if you just slowed down and asked, "What do I actually know about this situation? What are the raw facts?" Is there a friend or a colleague you could chat with who could help you see a particular circumstance or relationship from a different perspective, and how might that help with your Clarity?

Here's to gaining more Clarity this week!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center.  We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you!  Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.

Courage!

We're on the downhill stretch of looking at the 8 Cs of Self-Leadership from the IFS-Institute and their founder, Dr. Richard Schwartz (Calm, Curiosity, Confidence, Compassion, Creativity, Courage, Clarity, and Connectedness). Hopefully, this series is helping to create some positive focus as we keep moving forward into 2025.

We've already touched on Calm, Curiosity, Confidence, Compassion, and Creativity, and this week we turn our attention to Courage.

Courage

One of the first things we have to acknowledge when thinking about Courage is that it's a partner to Fear.  In other words, Courage is what is necessary in order for us to act in the face of Fear, and learning how to navigate forward progress in the midst of Fear can often feel like a daunting process. However, I think if we can change the way we think about how these two interact together, we may be able to create a pathway for movement that doesn’t have to feel so extreme. 

Most of the time we think about Fear and Courage like switches in a series. 

When the Fear switch is ON, the Courage switch is OFF.  When the Courage switch is ON, the Fear switch is OFF.

In order to turn Fear OFF, we have to turn Courage ON. If Courage is ON, then Fear should be OFF. Our perception is that it's an all or nothing situation.

However, experience tells us that the interplay of Fear and Courage is more like a dial. 

Sometimes we can be overwhelmed with Fear, and Courage feels really low. Sometimes we can feel very Courageous, and Fear is minimal. Most of the time, it is somewhere in between those extremes.

With this perspective in mind, we don’t have to get rid of Fear in order to move forward, we just have to turn the dial up on our Courage so we are slightly higher on the Courage side than the Fear side. We don't have to turn off Fear and turn on Courage, we just have to find enough Courage to help us take a step in the face of the Fear. The IFS-Institute describes it as the ability to take responsibility for ourselves, and the strength to take action toward a goal. 

What challenges are you facing right now that involve some fear? How could you approach that situation in a way that simply required you to find enoughCourage to take a simple step? Is there some kind of personal responsibility you need to face in order to dial up your Courage? Would it help to name your fear to a friend so it turned the fear down a little and the Courage up a little? If that's true, who comes to your mind and how could you prioritize a chat with them?

Here's to turning up our Courage this week!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center.  We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you!  Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.

Creativity

We've reached the half-way point of our exploration of the 8 Cs of Self-Leadership from the IFS-Institute and their founder, Dr. Richard Swartz (Calm, Curiosity, Confidence, Compassion, Creativity, Courage, Clarity, and Connectedness). Hopefully, this series is helping to create some positive focus as we keep moving forward into 2025.

We've already touched on Calm, Curiosity, Confidence, and Compassion, and this week we turn our attention to Creativity.

Creativity

I would like to again borrow some insight from the way the IFS-Institute defines Creativity, and in particular, two of their specific definitions: the use of the imagination to produce original ideas... [and] the ability to create generative learning and solutions to problems alone or with others. 

When I was a kid, I had a friend that I can remember spending hours with using our imaginations to create all kinds of wild adventures. It didn't matter if we were at his house or my house, whenever we were together, we would come up with all of these incredible stories of adventure and conquest and act them out around our yards.  I can also remember when my boys were young watching them play and run around our backyard, often swinging their light sabers like they were real life Jedis in Star Wars.  Our imaginations have the power to create whole new worlds and countless possibilities, but something happens as we age and become more "mature."  We get told that some people are more creative than others, and that there are certain ways things need to be done. Then, if we don't follow all of the correct procedures, we are "out of line" or creating disruption in the system.  

While I think there is a time and a place for helpful procedures and protocols (I won't run down another nerdy rabbit trail about airport stuff, but let's just say there are times when procedures keep us safe!), I also think we need to recapture a better sense of wonder and the use of our imaginations to help us think more Creatively. Activating our imaginations more can help us see things through fresh eyes and a new perspective, giving us the ability to develop some new original ideas or to find new solutions to problems we are facing.

My dad worked as a mechanical engineer his whole life and for a significant portion of it he helped run a research and development division for a manufacturing company. During the course of his life he ended up with his name listed as an inventor and creator on more than 95 patents, having made something brand new no one else had ever made before. If you ask my dad about being an inventor, he will tell you that he isn't one - he was just a simple problem-solver who was trying to look for solutions in new ways. 

Maybe we won't get our names on a new patent, but I certainly think embracing greater Creativity could have some powerful impact. How could you use Creativity to help you approach a current situation from a new perspective? What problem are you facing that might require a new solution, and how could you use your imagination to dream about it? Is there a person or a team you are engaging with that seems to just come back to the same rut? What would it take to think Creatively about that individual or group and see if you can find a new approach that might get you out of the rut?

Here's to engaging our Creativity this week!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center.  We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you!  Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.