Category Archives: Development

“The glassblower knows: While in the heat of beginnings any shape is possible

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“The glassblower knows: While in the heat of beginnings any shape is possible. Once hardened, the only way to change is to break.”

—Mark Nepo, Author of The Book of Awakening

Image from Unsplash by Clémente Philippe

Consider yourself a glassblower, shaped in the heat of your early years by many environmental factors. To what degree do you keep the fires burning to continue shaping yourself and your life into a work of art?

Where have you stopped in your development and perhaps become hardened and resistant to change? Where have the changes in your world over the past two years caused some cracks or broken you?

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional life can you fire up the kiln of a new beginning to continue shaping a more beautiful life?

If you, too, are fascinating by glassblowing, consider visiting Chihuly Garden and Glass near the Space Needle at Seattle center. A visit here was ranked 1st of the 499 things to do in Seattle on TripAdvisor. An online visit may be a good place to start.

“There are no ‘pretty good’ alligator wrestlers.”

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“There are no ‘pretty good’ alligator wrestlers.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Matthew Essman

It’s unlikely that there is a Junior Alligator Wrestling League in your community or school system.

What parent would send their child off to such an activity, hoping they would rise in the ranks, and bring home the Champion Trophy – not to mention all their appendages?

Our world is hyper-competitive and sports include a significant risk of injury. Still, many families with an interest in fitness and athletic activities participate, knowing full well that their children are unlikely to make it to the Olympics or turn pro at some point.

Meanwhile, in the working world more and more people are finding that being only “pretty good” puts them at risk of being eaten by the alligators swimming in their vocational waters.

EXERCISE:

What efforts can and will you include in your “pretty great” developmental journey in the year ahead?

Everyone Shines

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“Everyone shines, given the right lighting.”

—Susan Cain, Author of Quiet

Image of a book filled with lights

Photo from Unsplash by Long Vang

Genetics versus Environment.

Nature versus Nurture.

What do these factors have to do with how each of us turns out along our life journey?

As a coach passionate about growth and development, I do my best to keep the lights of knowledge and the beacons of wisdom prominent in my world. My intent is to shine my best in each of my communities, with the goal of contributing to those around in a meaningful way.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you “amp up” the environmental voltage to illuminate yourself and those around you so that everyone’s inherent qualities and talents shine even brighter?

“We forfeit three-quarters of ourselves in order to be like other people.”

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“We forfeit three-quarters of ourselves in order to be like other people.”

– Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher

If this quote has some truth in it, is it such a bad thing?

What if you were to take all the greatest qualities of people you most admire to create this initial three-quarters of yourself? Not bad, huh? The last quarter gets to be a completely manifested part of yourself – unencumbered by anything external.

If you add this all together, I’d say you’d have a pretty remarkable you!

Exercise:

Look at yourself today and begin piecing together the “future you” from those remarkable people around you, as well as through the development of your own unique gifts and talents.