“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.” – Adam Grant, author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, the #1 New York Times bestseller that examines how people can champion new ideas – and how leaders can fight groupthink.
Greetings, once again, to all our highly valued clients and respected colleagues:
Happy October. It is the final quarter of the year and an opportunity to put the finishing touches on whatever your vision and plans were when we started 2023.
I don’t know about you, but I had many surprises this year that I didn’t foresee.
I find it’s a great time to reflect, learn, plan, and crescendo for the rest of 2023.
I also find that it’s a great time to reconsider the next 2-3 years, as we start 2024.
What we “see” is what we get. Our vision can be previews of coming attractions.
(May this buffet of ideas primarily serve as a catalyst to further fuel your own creative initiatives that will be the most relevant and helpful for you. I often advocate taking the best and leaving the rest, from any research that you may do)
The power of our emotionalized visions can be like telling the truth in advance.
What’s your Vision?? (1 refresher minute on this topic, from yours truly)
If you haven’t already, maybe you can start to jot down a few ideas (a declaration) of how you want your future to go, in the months and the years ahead?? WDYT??
Declarations are powerful because they convey our intentions and expectations all at the same time. This is right up there with the power of living from our core values and being true to those values. Think of the Declaration of Independence.
As it flows from within, it can be without. It can unfold in the now, as we speak.
In recent weeks, I’ve been speaking with people about rapid manifestation and speed to execution/implementation, with all the joyous energy they can access.
There are likely to be a few surprises on our path. The surprise is to be surprised.
We’re talking about being engaged and fully living our lives, day in and day out.
We’re talking about progress not perfection – moving forward, onwards, upwards.
We’re talking about continuously expanding our capacity for creative resilience – an ability to quickly rebound and reconstitute ourselves, like a recalculating GPS.
Which leads to the power of dialogue – communication, connection, and creative collaboration as the lifeblood of aliveness and growth, to help galvanize our vision.
As you start generating your energies and compelling ideas, you can capture and advocate your lightning in the bottles of all forms of your various communications.
One of my favorite songwriters and performers had his most recent burst of productivity over the last several months, due to my earlier book. (The Essence of an Accomplished Life: A How-To-Guide for Fulfilling Your Dreams and Living Your Callings). I was grateful and glad to hear that, given that it was part of my intent.
Some examples of what came up for me in a few creative dialogues last week:
A colleague mentioned to me last week that he had not yet left the matrix. I was curious and then googled that phrase, finding an excellent comprehensive article.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-matrix-how-escape-osama-shabbir
In recent days, our younger daughter was very communicative and full of inspirational possibilities, as she was exploring other options for her future.
Here’s what she just discovered and is now on her innovative radar, to consider.
In a conversation with my Creative Director about bigger picture plans for our families and the future (2-3 years out and beyond), we discussed the Zeitgeist (the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era) of intentional communities and what might be possible to help people create and cultivate.
I discovered an example from a part of the US where my wife grew up in N MN.
https://zeitgeistarts.com/about/
By the way, American singer-songwriter. Bob Dylan also grew up in Northern Minnesota. Have you ever felt like what he once wrote about in one of his songs??
‘I Got A Head Full Of Ideas That Are Driving Me Insane’ (Here’s an article on this)
Have you ever heard that life can be like climbing a mountain with no top? As we’ve all heard, it’s a journey. Do you feel like you’re just starting to master this??
Run to Daylight!! I always liked this idea from the fiery Football Coach Vince Lombardi. In the golden years of professional football, one team and one coach reigned supreme: the 1960s Green Bay Packers. Here is 45 seconds about Vince Lombardi, the legendary football coach, summed up in words by Howard Cosell, legendary sportswriter and sportscaster, in 1970 upon Vince Lombardi’s death.
The power of dialogue and declaration. You can create the art your life can be.
Creativity can be messy, at times. As Adam Grant says, we can learn what to keep.
We advocate that you find people who are equally or more inspired, capable, and committed to partner/collaborate with you to take on your next set of challenges.
Whatever you’re pursuing, personally & professionally, I hope this serves you well.
Let’s keep connecting, communicating, and collaborating. I’m at your service.
Best of The Rest, as we head into the 4th and Final Quarter of 2023.
Don
