MAWMonday Motivators 04/10/2016

by: Dr. Michael A. Wright In Blog, Coaching DiaryTagged , , , , , , , , ,

CfYAU83W8AApBXEThe morning temperatures are not what I want them to be. But as I stare out my window or drive down the road, I have no doubt that the season is changing. Many trees have buds. The first blooms of Spring are evident. Take this as a lesson similar to, but more expressive than, paint drying or the passage of time. At some point, it will seem as quickly as your turning around, the trees will have their complement of leaves.

The question this week is, “Can you trust that ALL is happening in perfect timing?” In this season… In your life? I have compiled some thoughts from #MAWMondayMotivators who contribute their insight.

1. Enjoy [What Is] More than [What Can Be]
A careful, considerate balance is the relationship between growth ambition and sustained contentment. Wanting to experience the next level is not a problem. The desire for advancement, growth, increase, and upgrade is acceptable, even warranted. The question of HOW is a chief concern. The how is centered in the contentment side of the equation. Questions loom about your current state of calm and readiness, your efficiency and promise, your lessons learned and consistent application. These are the tools of contentment that evidence sustainable achievement of your goals. Simply termed happiness, this contentment ensures that you are not hoarding things, titles, promotions, and relationships just for the sake of vanity. Your attentive enjoyment demonstrates that you honor the ability made possible by your current level of achievement. Your enjoyment is an awareness of the tools and materials available for your building project scaffolding to your next level.

2. Learning through Struggle Can Make You Skillful
The key is to learn in ways and with lessons that 1) Increase your competence for the next challenge, 2) Provide a pattern for transferable skills–not just the answers, but awareness of the process, and 3) Increase your ability to resist defensiveness and embrace the learning even if guilt, embarrassment, or realization of imperfections comes with the lessons. Learning means that you are no longer in that place. You now have knowledge that can inform new choices and pattern new behaviors. Rest assured that leveling up will require something new from you. That sense of struggle and inadequacy you feel is true and honest. You have never been here before. What you have learned previously could only get you to this point. What you learn in this current process is what gets you to the next level–while you persevere learning through the current process.

3. A Thrill Exists in Creative Effort
You have to understand the absolute miracle of creativity. Consider that you conceptualize something in your head. You translate it into the language of the tools you have on hand. You use those tools to make the thought into a tangible representation of your mind’s concept. This is why we celebrate those who are in the arts. We marvel at the sheer audacity required to trust oneself long enough to complete the translation from thought to reality. We are impressed at the skillful use of tools we question our ability to utilize but that are available to us just the same. This is why creative effort is such a thrill. Your task is to engage that effort. You will experience the thrill. You may even, if you trust yourself consistently, produce something miraculous.

4. Invent Your Own Hope
Incumbent! Necessary, required, up to you, you were here so…, binding, responsible and other words that compel action. Having already established the miracle of your creative process, understand that you can apply that gift to creating hope–an opportunity to see the world in new ways. No longer bound by what you knew from the past. No longer bound by the circumstances presented. No longer predestined by some sinister plan for your demise. You can create a new narrative supporting more sustainable choices resulting in new realities beyond what you could think or imagine. It starts with a single thought. “I can do it.” Now, repeat after me: “I can do it!”

5. Timing is Just Right
The idea of too slow or too fast is an illusion! Timing is real. It accounts for a large portion of your achievement. Even with a great idea, you still need timing. But, impatience, the rush, the hurry, the lack of consistency, those are not the problem. We learned in the Tortoise and the Hare that steadiness is more desirable. The advanced lesson is that the spuriousness of timing is that it defines itself, and therefore cannot be quantified until after it has successfully been observed. In other words, keep working. Your time will come. Just like seasons cycle, so too will your opportunity reveal itself in due time. Your job is to be ready. Your readiness is shown by your buds, your blooms, and the fruit you produce.

Dr. Michael A. Wright received his Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work degree from the University of South Carolina - Columbia. Since 1997, Wright has led MAWMedia Group, LLC, a firm helping individuals and organizations tell stories and translate ideas into capital.