A Cooperative Voice
Barry Lewis Green
I am an Educator, Speaker, Coach, Writer, and Creator ... advancing high functioning Purpose and Unity through elevated conversations, capacities and Character. Let's move forward together, stronger.
I am on a 33 Day 33 Virtue journey around health. I invite you to consider and try it, whether better health is a goal or something else.
Each day, I am exploring a noted Virtue and considering how it might apply to reaching my goal, in practice. The first three days, I had a bit of an a-ha around being my own best friend. And, I am now seeing this as an innovative June.
That said, and six days in, I am also seeing a true foundation of sorts building for what is now 4 weeks left in this little experiment.
Having considered Commitment, Compassion and Confidence as groundwork along this bit of a journey, having considered on them and reflected on what Contentment might look like along the way... I now see this pyramid.
Enter Cooperation
... for June 3. I am aware that Cooperation is often seen as something between individuals and parties. But, what about Cooperation within?
As I enter that 4 week stretch committed to exploring better health of body, mind and spirit, I am seeing the power of Cooperation amidst the three (body, mind and spirit)... and of Commitment, Compassion, Confidence, Consideration and Contentment. And there is a peace arriving with that. I now revisit that notion of being our own best friend... and I think upon my handful of closest and best friends. I imagine what Commitment, Compassion, Confidence, Consideration and Contentment looks like in my own most trusted friends. And, I see them all, in them. I am thusly blessed.
And then, I imagine what it would look like if I was such a committed, compassionate, confident, considerate and content friend to myself as I walk these days of getting healthier.
If I was to coach and mentor myself, what would those Virtues look like in practice as I rise and fall, as I progress through ups and downs and ins and arounds.
I am finding it a powerful exercise to imagine how being my own would best encourage me in this area of my life. In so many other areas of my life, such seems natural. It is common habit, in many ways; personally and professionally. In this area, it needs work. To get back to that dancer shape, to achieve optimal health again... it needs Cooperation. It needs the Cooperation of Commitment, Compassion, Confidence, Consideration and Contentment. It needs that co-operation. And then, just this morning, I posted this on LinkedIn....
"Some lessons take a long time because we want to somehow or for some reason believe otherwise. In Organizational Behaviour, I have long taught that there are 5 ways to address internal and external conflict. #Competing?is necessary when we know we are right and the consequences of being wrong are huge. It is the "I win you lose" strategy. #Collaborating?is the win win. It is useful when we can forge an option that everybody is excited about. #Compromising?is tie game when we cannot find the one exciting option but can find an option that satisfies all. #Avoiding?is walking away... when we have no interest in outcome and the conflict is not worth our time. We simply walk away from the game. #Accommodating?is that strategy for when the outcome does not matter and we are truly ok with whatever the chosen option might be. All strategies have their time and space. But each one of us tends to slide into one or two more often than we should. We fall back into them out of habit. For me, while I adore Collaborating, I often fall prey to Accommodating. For years, I have been an Accommodator by habit. Problem with that is no strategy should be a go to and Accommodating can lead to accepting too much. Guilty as owned. No more. No bitterness. Just this sense that I will be moving forward in the direction of my Soul. Like water, I will adapt and be flexible but not with destination. No freakin' distractions nor adaptations to "fit" something. Adapt where and when truly needed... but the tree will only bend so it does not break. It will bend no further. Train is moving out... on the track. See who and what rides along. If you are a habitual Accommodator... know you have a 5 speed gear shift with 4 other gears at your access. Reminding myself of same. Peace. ??"
I think it speaks to some of this. Listening to our Souls moves us away from listening to those other voices that are not our own best friends. So, my thought to you today is two fold.
First, heading into these 4 weeks, I do invite you to join this journey by reading and reflecting on this post. Do a virtue a day, or pick any number to practice on given any soulful goal you might have.
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Second, I humbly suggest that you reflect on the cooperative pyramid as a model of self-talk, if you will. Fully imagine and flesh out that committed, compassionate, confident, considerate and content friend inside who serves as coach, mentor and friend; that good bad-ass.
See where that takes you. I will.
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I?am an Activant too; an Educator and Entrepreneur by experience, education and?Enthusiasm... with 40 years in leadership training and development, 27 years in business college education and 20 years certified and associated with?The Virtues Project. Additionally certified for 16 years in Temperament Assessment and with a longstanding body of work around Character Leadership, I help advance?conversation, consultation and capacity around?Character,?Purpose?and?Unity...?and?the?global goals. My work in business and education is to help those building a better world at school, work, business and community; locally and globally.?Humans together, strong.... that is?my?meaning... and?the space I can stay forever. To that?just cause, I commit.