In almost every social arena I can think of right now, I can see an object lesson on the differences between leadership and brute force. I’m not going to talk about the federal election, though its fumes are everywhere. My opinions on my denomination’s latest work will also wait. But I’ve been mulling over a few quotes […]
Throwing our voices in public communications
The ventriloquist is an entertainer whose performance involves throwing their voice so that it appears to come from another source, like a puppet. Think Jeff Dunham. The stage actor is an entertainer whose performance includes conducting conversations with peers on stage but projecting those conversations out into the theater audience. Think Shakespeare. And then there’s […]
Appreciative inquiry and honoring what’s present
I’ve reached that stage in life where I sometimes look for things I already have: the glasses I’m looking at the world through, the cell phone I’m making a call with, the car keys in my pocket. It’s hilarious. And it’s instructive, mostly because it has little to do with age and lots to do […]
The gift of non-attachment
Recently I talked with a former colleague about the gracious way our community had held space for both of us to outgrow and leave it. “It’s been like an incubator,” she said. “Like an eggshell,” I said. If you’re a growing chick, there’s no point in getting attached to your shell. It nourishes you, makes […]
Your shadow precedes you
According to Carl Jung, a person’s “shadow” represents those parts of their selves that they’re unaware of, especially facets that they might recognize in others and find repulsive. Our shadows accompany us. They’re also often like the second quadrant in Joseph Luft’s and Harrington Ingham’s Johari Window: perceptible to others, but not obvious to us. […]
When good doesn’t want to be great
When I first heard Maya Angelou teaching Oprah Winfrey, “When people show you who they are, believe them,” I said amen with the rest of the viewers. Believe them! They know themselves much better than you do.” —Maya Angelou Just as Winfrey said, though, it’s a lesson that can be easy to affirm and challenging to apply. People and organizations set the […]
