Day 2: Leaders are Readers

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers"-Harry S. Truman

 

 

I have had a love for the written word since I was a child.  The feel of the binding and holding a book in my hands.  I have a ritual of reading when I wake up and before I go to bed.  You can learn alot from what others have to say about a subject.  To be a leader in your prospective field, you should  develop a ritual of reading for at least 30 minutes a day.

 

Another quote that I have read is the "Earners are learners". 

 

 



Day 1 2014: Make This Your Best Year Yet

As we embrace the first day of a new year, we realize that we have 365 days to make this the best year of our life starting now.  Intentionality is key to making the appropriate changes and setting the course to it being your best year.  What does intentionality look like?

1. How will you know that 2014 has been your best year?  So you have to begin with the end in mind, who and where do you want to be December 31, 2014.  Write your vision and keep it in front of you (Habakkuk 2:2)

2. What do you need to do? Make a list of the tasks (goals) you will have to achieve to see your vision come to pass.  Your overall goals along with action steps to achieve each step.

3. Who will keep you on task? We all need an accountability partner or system.  At the beginning of each day read your vision and goals.  Ask yourself what is one or two things you can do to get you closer to your vision.  Do something every day.

Follow me on Twitter at @lacrecialpc and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LDangerfieldConsulting   

Rerouting.....Making 2014 Your Best Year Yet

Since December 1, my status on FB has been counting down 2013 to usher in 2014 by clarifying your vision and to accomplish goals that were established in 2013. I want others to be empowered to experience their best years yet.  Have you ever made a decision from pure emotion?  I made a decision in June to take on a 10 month assignment.  I truly enjoy the work but my internal GPS system has been telling me that I am off course. So it is time to re-route and get back on course. 

Why did I make a decision to take the full-time assignment because I was moving in the emotion of fear?  I felt that I needed to have a certain amount of money and benefits and this assignment provided me what I believed that I needed.  Well, on one of my long commuting mornings God reminded me that what I thought was the answer to the situation was not making it work.  So instead of walking in fear, I am going to reroute and walk in faith.

I have talked with several individuals that have decided to re-route and began to pursue their calling and vision.  One person has to decide to begin a women's empowerment group, another has embraced the call to be a life coach, another is starting a day care center, and another is launching their vision to start a private school.  It is so great to walk with these individuals and listen to the joy in their voices as they share what they are doing.

My decision has been to re-route and resign from the assignment and launch L.Dangerfield Coaching and Consulting.  I have come to the realization that I am not a clinician per se but I am a Coach| Consultant|Counselor Educator|Counselor Educator.  So how do I make that happen?

What are you going to do to make 2014 your best year yet?

Too Successful to be considered a Failure

Too successful to be called a failure – Clipperdome Chronicles

The theme for the week for me has been about failure. In a recent conversation with someone the following statement was posed to me- too successful to be called a failure. I found this to be an interesting observation and asked if it could be used for a blog.  The statement came out of a discussion regarding male and female relationships.  Are you too successful in most areas of your life, but consider yourself a failure because you do not have that “special” someone in your life?

In two different audios that I listen to on my commute to work this week, the theme of failure and success came to the forefront again.  I am an avid listener of the monthly CD that comes with Success Magazine and had misplaced my October edition before listening to it. Well, the CD showed up this week and I listened to it and it was about the success of failure.  One of the featured speakers was Todd Duncan and he mentioned this statement, “If you don’t have failure then you there is no need for success”.  I am also listening to Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook.  She discussed the never ending chase of having it all. Ms. Sandberg brought to light the realism that we will never have it all because that is how life is.  Life is about sacrifice and reciprocity.

How do you cope with the idea of being “too successful” but still not having it all?  When I say having it all…I mean by the world’s expectation of education, accomplished work, committed relationship (marriage) and the 2.5 children with the dog.  Do you find yourself overeducating, overeating, overspending, overachieving, overrelationshipping(ok, I know that is not a word), but being in a relationship just for the sake of being with someone?  I want to remind you that self-actualization is an inside job and we will always be seeking after it.

When purpose and identity collide

 As a counseling professional, I am charged with identifying a theoretical orientation or framework.  A theoretical framework helps to guide my practice as a counselor when working with a client.  The reason I am sharing this with you is because I had another "a ha" moment about the importance of knowing your purpose and how purpose and identity intersect. 

Purpose is why you exist and identity is who you are.  When purpose and identity are aligned, you are living authentically.  So the question may be is why do I exist, you must look for themes that define who you are and what you do. My theoretical framework as a counselor is rooted in the humanistic school of thought. Halbur and Halbur (2011) says "the core belief of the humanistic school is that humans have a basic inclination to become fully functioning" (p.11). I realized how there is congruency in what I do and who I am are connected.

 Self-actualization is described as the "process of moving toward one's greatest potential" (Halbur & Halbur, 2011, p. 60). Self-actualization is a continuous process and it takes awareness and a willingness to develop and grow. Self-awareness is key to understanding who you are.  The connection of awareness and actualization moves you into purpose.

Begin your journey of self-awareness and self-actualization.

Congruence....Living in Agreement and Harmony.

Congruence....to be in agreement or harmony.  The word congruence has been resonating in my spirit over the course of this week.  This has led me to believe that I am out of agreement and harmony with who I have been called to be.  The desire to live my life  authentically and with congruency is at the top of my bucket list.

I can tell when I am out of agreement because I am more irritated, agitated and just not feeling life. It also taps into my energy level, regardless of how much rest I get, I am still tired. How many times have you felt like something is just not right and not knowing where to tap into it?  I know the first step for me  is to get back to a morning ritual of prayer and meditation.  I have been getting up early but I am forever running to get out the door.  Also, tapping into what is it that makes my heart sing.  I must ensure that I feed my heart with something that makes it sing through a daily activity.  Another thing for me is to make better decisions about what is going into my body and getting in some exercise especially during daylight hours.

Let's make a choice to live more congruently and authentically so that the world will be blessed by the uniqueness and goodness that you have to offer.

God's Strategic Plan

What a difference a phone call makes!  Last Tuesday, my mom received the phone call that has changed her life.  My mom has been on the kidney transplant list for almost five years.  She received the call to report to the hospital because there was a kidney for her.  You can only imagine how we felt because this is not the first time that she had gotten the call.  She has received the call before, once we went to the hospital and she was the second recipient.  Another time, we were not at home and the doctor stated it would not have been a match anyway.  In June, she got a call but she had been in the hospital the week prior and could not be tested. I have to say that my mom did not give up hope all those times nor did she become frustrated. 

God strategically planned this right time for her to get the right kidney for her.  The first time, I was not available to stay at  home with her.This last time, I am on Fall Break.  God knew that someone had to be at home with her while she is bouncing back. 

The lesson in this is that when God has a plan, it will work out in His time and the way that He wants it come to pass.  Also, we have to remain faithful to the promise.

We are so thankful to the family or person that made the decision to be an organ donor because they can continue to live on through my mom.