Question #1: Why is it so hard to love unconditionally?

In thinking about how to think up ideas for the blog, I realize that it is much easier to have a conversation if there are two people involved.  So in the spirit of connection and growth, I would like to propose a question for us to ponder.  Here is is:

Why is it so hard to love unconditionally?  It is so powerful; it transforms, it enlightens, it brings peace, joy and harmony — yet it can be so illusive, so challenging to obtain with even one person in this life.  I look forward to hearing your thoughts and will think about it myself and get back to you soon.

Thinking, thinking, thinking — where are those great ideas?

Okay — this is my third blog entry and I have what might be referred to as writer’s block.  Might be — because I am technically writing.  I am just writing about not having anything to write, pretty clever — huh?  It is fun breaking all the writing rules…don’t use too many dashes, don’t end sentences with prepositions, don’t misspell words, don’t, don’t, don’t.  Who made up all these rules about grammer?   So, back to the point.  It is fun breaking the writing rules, but it is a little bit anxiety producing.  I was going to look up misspell to see if it had a hypen.  I thought this would definitely defeat the point of letting go of writing rules for this blog. 

Alright, let’s stop avoiding the thinking part.  What thoughts can I share today?  How about free association? Maybe that will lead somewhere. 

Music–music is wonderful.  It can make you feel like dancing, crying, singing.  It can wake you up. It can put you to sleep.  I love all kinds of music.  I think I need more music in my life. 

I remember having trouble with music as a leader.  Music in cube land is the most difficult.  One person wants a radio on and another doesn’t. One wants it lower; one wants it higher. One wants to listen to country all day; one thinks they will lose their mind if they have to listen to country music for one more second. 

I grew up in Georgia.  I love country music. It takes me back, relaxes me.  I don’t listen to it very often though; after a few hours of listening to country music I start to feel a little down.  It really is true that if you play a country song backwards, the guy gets his dog, his truck and his wife back. Okay so it is a really old joke.  I feel a little bad making a joke about country music and saying that it can get me down (though it is true).  I think it is important that I share true thoughts with you, not just the ones that I think make me sound smart, nice and all that other good stuff.  That means sharing the thoughts that may make me sound a little foolish. Okay, so I still hope it will only be alittle. 

Back to the trouble music caused me as a leader.  So team members had some very different ideas about music.  Executive leadership has different ideas too. Some companies eliminated the problem with “no music” policies.  Other companies, being silent on the music issue, left if up to the individual leader to navigate.  Writing about this today, it seems easy, as everyone can bring their iPod and use a headset.  However, some staff want the radio and they want it on all day long. 

In the absence of a team policy that says ”no music”, this can present a team building opportunity. Instead of the dissatisfied team member telling you that they are upset about listening to music all day long, a leader can have them talk to each other and work it out directly.  This is where I always started when a team member came to me and “complained” about another team member; I would ask how it went when they spoke to the other team member.  Of course, you probably know the frequent answer was “I haven’t”.  For another blog, I will discuss why I think this happens so much.  I need to get ready for the day now.  Have a wonderful day!

Oops!

Day 1 of the blog has just been deleted, accidentally, into blogging cyberspace.  Let me assure you that is was the most profound, humorous post you would have ever read, if I hadn’t accidentally deleted it.  So — we will move forward and all the witty things I said on day 1 will be repeated on subsequent days — I am sure! Here’s to blogging and my mastery over this new communication medium.

Day 2 of Blogging: Oh great insights and observations, where are you?

Hi! Day Two (2) of the Blog life.  Yeah!! I am back and my blog is not discarded as yet another attempt to reflect on life in a deep and meaningful way — only to get too busy reacting to life to reflect.  Okay, I know my blogging rules involve no concerns about grammar — I would like to add that I can also write long and awkward sentences that are hard to understand.  Although — I promise that I will try to avoid this!

 Okay, I am stalling.  This blog is about sharing my insights and observations about organizational, professional and even personal life experiences, because after all we are all people who take on organizational and professional roles.   The tricky part is accessing these great nuggets of insight and observation…much easier to prattle — that is a word, right?  I just have never written it before. Back to the point, it is much easier to prattle on than to come up with something wise today.  I think I have put too much pressure on myself early on in blogging life.  How about I share thoughts –period? Some thoughts may be profound (I am sure I am capable of profound thought given practice) and others may be ramblings.  I definitely can ramble.  In fact, I enjoy it.  I like letting my thoughts run around, sometimes in circles, other times like something jumping from train track to train track.  It is hard to describe, but there is an energy about it.  Other times, I love structure.  I mean, I REALLY LOVE STRUCTURE.  Some people love flow.  My wonderful friend and colleague, Margaret, flows.  She is wise and beautiful.  She is creative and powerful. Like the water that cuts through stone and made the Grand Canyon, she has the ability to transform.  I think of myself more like a city planner: I think; I plan; I dispatch; I build.  My dear Father has a PhD in Transportational Engineering; he worked designing streets for many years. He is a GREAT planner.  I like to think that I inherited my gift for planning from him.  I am learning to embrace flow.  Structure by itself has gotten a little too boring, through I do still respect the power of order and a well excuted strategy.  Many sentences back, I was talking about thoughts.  Let’s make this blog about sharing thoughts — and let them be what they are.

So today, let me think about what I can share…

 My daughter has her learners permit.  She was driving today and switching lanes.  She needed to get over to the right lane to make a turn.  As she tried to get over, the cars in right lane sped up and would not let her over. She made it over, but it triggered a discussion on drivers who don’t let other drivers over.  Why is this? Why do some of us let people in front of us and others of us speed up?  When it is all said and done, will it matter?  I think so.  For everyone we won’t let over, well that is a person that experienced a lack of support, a lack of caring, and a lack of love.  They needed to make it over to get to their exit, make their turn, etc. and we made it a little harder for them.  For everyone we let over, we demonstrated regard, caring and love.  Does love seem a strong word?  Love is STRONG. I say let’s spread it around.  Let’s let that driver over and wish them a great day. 

 That’s all for today.  See ya soon…