Continuing Reflection…Finding Limitless Possibilities in Repurposing

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Changes and glitches along the way, seem to be a constant companion for me.? With transitioning to more coaching than speaking or training, moving back to the US (which was much easier earlier in my life), with less travel and the time to build new relationships . . . the challenges continue.? I don’t for a moment think that I’m the only one who experiences changes and challenges.? So, as I go down memory lane a bit, convert some of my perspective “then” to my perspective “now”, perhaps your own reflections will provide you with new and/or improved perspectives.??

Everyone knows what the three R’s are (go ahead. . .say that 3 times, fast):-).? We all grew up with them:? readin’, ‘ritin’, and ‘rithmetic.? Some of us did better in some areas than others, but we all knew that these were essential building blocks within the educational system.? We spent multiple years learning the various aspects of these subjects, and some of us even grew up to actually teach them (or try to) to others.? And while much of the technology has changed, they are still integral parts of the educational process in virtually all cultures in the developed world.

Approximately some 20 years ago, I woke up early one morning with a racing brain.? It was still dark outside and definitely too early to be awake (In fact, I’m pretty sure that God was still sleeping!).? However, I was wide awake, with a myriad of thoughts and ideas tumbling around in my head.? Feeling quite smug, I decided to make a few notes and then, surely, I could get in a few more hours of sleep.? I jotted down the things that seemed to be begging for attention, turned out the light, and “bingo” – I was still wide awake!

I can’t speak for others, but personally, I still hate it when that happens (the difference is, at this stage of my life, almost all my nights are spent awake – reflecting and remembering.)! ?About 30 minutes later, I gave up and got up.? The thinking had not stopped and for some odd reason the phrase, “the three R’s” seemed to be clamouring for additional attention.

Donning my walking shoes, I set out for an early morning walk and by the time I returned, I had solidified my thoughts into a semblance of coherence.?

The three R’s seemed to need revising for this time in my adult life.? What were the building blocks I needed to pay attention to now?? Were they different; should they be?

I thought about how long I’d been in business and all the various twists and turns my life had taken – some expected; some not.? I thought about the relationships in my life – family, friends, clients, colleagues.? I thought about all the opportunities I continued to have.? I thought about the choices made and those yet to be made.? As you can see, I thought a lot.

Then I had this truly ‘profound’ thought – thinking didn’t start with R; in fact, it didn’t even come close.? I realized that all the thinking in the world wasn’t going to make things happen – yes, it was the beginning piece, and truly very necessary.? So, how were the three R’s going to manifest themselves in my life; in my relationships; in my business at that stage of my journey?

I thought about the things I hadn’t been doing as well as I wanted.? If I changed my strategy and employed the three R’s relevant for that time in my journey, what would I do better?

For me, those 20 years ago, the three R’s appeared to be:

• ‘ritin’ (yes, some things change and some things remain the same; there was a new book on the horizon, in the process, waiting to be finished – which didn’t actually happen until Covid provided the time for that to happen);
• runnin’ (which for me equates to taking better care of myself physically; those of you who knew me then or know me now understand that it has never meant to literally run – walking is as good as it gets); and?risk (experiment with new material; look for new ways to market, to collaborate and to partner; trust my instincts in both business and relationships, and moving forward to transition into semi-retirement and focusing on coaching leaders, entrepreneurs, and speaker colleagues in the areas of business development and, in my continuing passion, for storytelling, especially in the areas of sharing personal experiences in more thoughtful and strategic ways.).

At times of profound introspection and the anticipated ‘aha,’ I always asked my mom what she thought.? Many of you got to ‘know’ my mom through the stories I’ve shared from the stage and through my writing. So, it seemed appropriate for me to seek her wisdom and insight, knowing full well there would be humour thrown in for good measure.?

When I asked mom for her thoughts, her immediate response was, “I only have one major R in my life.”

“And that would be?” I replied.

“Retirement!” she said.

I had to chuckle, for although mom lived in a retirement facility, she continued to stay busier than many people half her age.?? She was in her early 90’s back then and certainly didn’t ‘act her age.’ ?She did, however, expound at length on how tired she was of people telling her she shouldn’t do things because of her age.

In some respects, according to mom, very few choices were available when you lived in a retirement facility.? You were told when to eat, what to eat, and where to sit when you ate.? Yet, they still called it ‘independent living’.? (Note:? Since you don’t have to cook, it didn’t seem all bad to me.)

The good news was that even in a retirement facility there were choices.? Mom had related many stories of various folks who also lived there.? Some chose to be active, outgoing and positive; others, not so much.

I’m glad that mom continued to teach me that retirement, for her, was more like a headspace than a list of things you can’t do.? She had always been a ‘can do’ person, and even for “a woman her age” she continued to choose to ‘do’ until she passed at the age of 101 in 2011.

Now we come to late 2023.? I had the opportunity to revise my 3 R’s once again, as I was asked to be on a panel for the CAPS (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers) Toronto Chapter.? Specifically, we were to discuss our personal thoughts about building a successful business.? Another opportunity, not only to reflect, but to learn from OPE (Other People’s Experiences).? Twenty years later I realized that I’d actually created and built my business through the changes and challenges on another iteration of the three R’s:? Research – the basis for starting any endeavour, especially when going into business for yourself or as a team leader; Response/Responsibility – when building your own business (project, team, etc), I learned very quickly that “the buck stopped with me” and that meant it was my responsibility to respond in as a thoughtful and positive way possible, to staff, team members, clients, colleagues, family, and friends; Relationships – building the appropriate kinds of relationships over time, whether in business or in life, is what provides a strong foundation, solidifies your values, provides a basis for your vision and transition through your journey!

Who are you learning from?? What are the three R’s for you; in your relationships; in your business?? Are your three R’s different at this stage of your journey than they were 10 or 20 years ago?? Maybe yours don’t start with R, maybe they aren’t alliterative at all; maybe they are things you’re already doing.

Without periodic reflection we may forget some of the lessons learned, and we will certainly, at least in my experience, miss out on the chance to look to a future of limitless possibilities based on lessons learned.