Where Light Gathers

Create 15 minutes where you can be alone and all is quiet.

Turn off all your devices.

Consider the thing(s) you want to bring into the world.

What holds you back?

Ask why that is.

Think about the answer, and ask why that is.

Ask Why five times. You’ll likely get the shape of the things that limit you. The things that scare you.

Does this make you see those frightening things in a new light?

Tread lightly. Leave it better than you found it. Be the host.

All wonderful concepts. They speak to stewardship. Taking care of others, or the places you inhabit. How might we apply this more to taking better care of ourselves?

How are you acting as a steward of yourself?

You are under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.

A quote from Alan Watts.

What a simple and powerful idea. This is the growth mindset. It's why it's OK to “flip-flop” and change your stance on something. What did you learn in the last five minutes that makes you rethink what you think? How does one keep themselves open to this line of thinking?

We learn something new, and adjust. It's part of the process. Continuous growth. We used to think the brain stops learning and growing once we hit adulthood. We now know this isn't true.

Let's challenge ourselves to keep this top of mind.

Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. Then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; He lives as though he is never going to die and dies never really having lived.

The Dalai Lama

Something to reread when I'm looking to be more mindful of the now.

Tired: Go Fast, Break Things. Wired: Go Fast, Learn Things. Expired: Go Fast (alone), Horde Things. Inspired: Go Far (together), Learn and Share Things.

I’m curious. When you think of starting something creative, and you hear the lizard brains voice in the back of your head. What does it say?

You’re too much of this or not enough of that to make this thing.

Something like that?

You can reply and tell me, and we can have conversation about it if you’d like.

Or you can write it down on a post-it or scrap of paper.

Or say it out loud.

Think about it once it’s out in the ‘real world’ and out of your head. It probably feels wrong once written or spoken aloud. Maybe even silly?

You can start.

It’s OK.

Storytelling and interactive experiences connect humans. We all need stories to understand each other and our human condition. Everyone is a storyteller in some way, we all know this, deep down.

Stories and interactions are gifts to the world. Imagine our world with just 10% more of the untold stories, and unshared experiences which are held back by our own fear and doubts.

What better shared understanding would we have of each other?

How much progress would we make towards the light?

I know in my bones that I'm here to help people tell these stories. To help them create shared experience and understanding.

I commit to a coaching practice that helps leaders in creative spaces design and build experiences the world needs. I help them create huge touching works full of empathy and fun, which connect us all.

Imagine all that could be How much more connection we’d have If we all stopped searching for the “perfect pen” Grabbed the one closest to us And started writing…

The Lizard Brain is the part of your brain responsible for handling threats. It determines if you should chose fight or flight when presented with danger.

The Lizard Brain can't tell the difference between the actual tigers in the bushes and the perceived ones. When our higher brain gives control to the lizard brain, there isn’t processing, context, and nuance.

It just takes input (threat!) and makes a decision (fight or flight).

These days, not many people have to worry about the reality that there are tigers in the bushes ready to pounce.

Thankfully.

Now and then

Then – Not being liked meant you were not able to join, or you got kicked out of the tribe. If you were on your own, you likely died.

The tribe was safety.

Now – Not getting likes on your posts feels like you’re not in the tribe. And that still feels like you are on your own.

Kicked out of the tribe. Unsafe.

The breath

A single focused breath can help us understand the tigers and lizards around us. Helping your lizard brain go onto the back burner. We need this subroutine running to keep us aware of what’s happening around us. But when it takes over, we feel anxiety and fear.

A single deep breath.

Then more if you want or need to.