Mindful of Our Impact

I've had the privilege in the past few weeks to get some feedback from some individuals that I've made an impact in their lives.  Some of that feedback came in the moment, some of it came later when I found out a previous conversation was really meaningful to someone.  I understand that the nature of my work puts me in situations where I am having deeper conversations with people, but I am often surprised when I hear how much of an impact I have been honored to have in someone else's life.

When I reflect on this in my own life, I am able to see there have been many moments along the way where a well-timed word of encouragement or shared piece of wisdom had a significant impact on me. And similar to myself, when I share with the person what our encounter meant to me, they are often surprised by the impact they had on me.

I guess maybe I should stop being surprised that we affect each other in this way. After all, I don't find it surprising when I hear about hurts or pains that we can inflict on each other, so why wouldn't the opposite also be true in a positive way? 

My point this week is this: Being aware of the impact we have on others around us (both good and bad) gives us an opportunity to be more mindful and intentional about that impact.  What if by recognizing this fact we could work to limit our negative impact and increase our positive impact?  For example, what if we knew there was one person this week we were meant to impact positively, and so we just kept our eyes and ears open to see if we could discover who it was and take action on that moment? And what if in the process of paying better attention, we were more mindful of our words and actions toward others, perhaps choosing to speak in a kinder way than we might normally be tempted to in a stressful situation?  And what if when we saw an opportunity to speak a word of encouragement, we didn't let it pass as a fleeting idea, but we actually acted on it because we didn't want to miss it if that was "the one" for this week?

Bottom line, our words and actions are making an impact on the people around us, and being more mindful of that reality can help us minimize pain and maximize kindness. Who knows, a simple, kind word may make way more of a difference than you think it does!

Here's to being Mindful of Our Impact 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.

So Much Gratitude!

It's been a bit of a whirlwind the past couple of weeks - a family wedding and then some time away to rest afterwards.  As I get back into the swing of things this week, I find myself full of gratitude. Despite the busyness and activity of the wedding weekend, spending time with family and friends was truly joyous! Then getting to be away and read some fun books and not have to worry about a schedule or a calendar, also a real blessing.  

All of this has reminded me how important it is to periodically stop and take time to reflect and name what brings us joy, holding those things in our hearts with gratitude.  I've actually shared about this in the past so it may not be new to you (although it's almost been a year since I last shared it), but intentionally practicing gratitude is a very powerful exercise for our overall wellbeing. Identifying and finding ways to express our gratitude lifts us up and can help to lift up those around us too! 

If you were to take some intentional time to reflect on the joys of your life (it doesn't have to be big things like family weddings but can be as simple as reading a good book), how would you go about that? What would be the best ways for you to share it or express that gratitude? Who would you want to tell and how might that impact their lives too?

I realize this may sound like an overly simplistic thought, but I'd really encourage you to maybe even pause for just a moment right now and think of one thing from the past 24 hours you could be grateful for and allow it to sit in your heart for just a moment. Who knows, maybe you're already smiling?!

Here's to Practicing Gratitude 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.

In All Things Charity

For the last two weeks we have been thinking about a phrase I have heard most of my life:

In Essentials Unity, in Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity

We've taken some time to discern each of the first two phrases, considering how short the list of Essentials usually is, and how embracing Liberty can help us better face the complexity of life. This week we'll ponder the final phrase.

In All Things Charity

In our current world we often think of Charity as a noun, like an organization we give a donation. But in this circumstance (if my high school English isn't failing me!) it's used as an adverb, like how we want to act toward someone or in a situation. Perhaps another way we might say it would be, "In All Thing, Act With Generosity."

There are so many places we can apply this in our lives.  Let's start centrally and work our way outward.

First, how could I act with Charity toward myself? What kind of self-talk am I using, or when was the last time I took some time for some rest and recharge? How could I act with generosity toward myself?

Next, who are the people that are closest to me and what would it look like if I approached them from a place of generous assumption? What might the impact be if I trusted they are really for me, and I leaned into that love and support?

Continuing to move outward, who are the people I see on a regular basis as I go about my life - coworkers, customer service workers, other friends or family members? If I did my best to engage with them from a place of Charity, how might our interactions be impacted for both them and for me?

Finally, as I consider the larger world, things like government leaders or political parties, organizations or various people groups, even countries and nations, while my actions toward them might not have too significant of an impact (but not none - for example, we should still vote!), by acting with Charity and generosity, I am significantly impacted. If I act toward them with anger and hostility, that can eat me up from the inside out, but when I approach with Charity, my inner life is freer and less tight and restrictive.

Out of all these layers, which one resonates the most with you today? If you were to focus on acting with Charity in that area, what would that practically look like and how could you put that into action this week? In what ways could you make an adjustment so your starting point in All Things might be generous and more charitable?

Here's to acting with Charity in All Things 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.