The Humble Power

I was just reading this offering from The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday.

• “I will keep constant watch over myself and — most usefully — will put each day up for review. For this is what makes us evil — that none of us looks back upon our own lives. We reflect upon only that which we are about to do. And yet our plans for the future descend from the past.” —SENECA, MORAL LETTERS, 83.2”

It reminded me of these sacred words of Bahá’u’lláh.

• Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.

I have heard it said that the past does not equal the future ... and it doesn't. The future can be different, by intention and effort... and even through external forces. That said, the future is impacted by the past unexamined. At home, school, work, business, play and community... taking daily account of our day... the good, the bad and whatever else... it matters. Trials and triumphs both ... can be tests and teachers, challenging our best focus and response. Living without daily reflection can lead to unlearned but valuable and needed lessons in the micro and macro. And it requires Humility:

A Daily Humble Practice

May we each set a sacred and surgical time daily to take stock of our day just experienced. May we candidly ask ourselves these 5 questions:

• What strengths of Character did I practice today?
• What strengths of Character did I need ... and did not practice?
• What does this tell me for my own practice forward?
• What will that look like, in practice... forward?
• How will that practice help forge a life ever better lived and served?

I am learning such yet again through my recent thoughts around SLOWER Living and Working. Character is the soil from which the tree of behaviour arises. As we reflect on aspects of Character ... both practiced presently and in need of practice ... the behaviour follows suit. Take care of the Character, and the behaviour results through its conscious execution.

This is not about shame nor blame... both unproductive. This is about learning and "sharpening the blades" on being and living our best lives. May we invest that surgical and cellular time daily to make each day a classroom for our best sense of Character moving forward.

Justice, Peace and Unity...

Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy with Epic Engage

• My work and Service is focused on being and doing as a Leadership Educator, Speaker, Coach and Creator ... helping Educators, Entrepreneurs and Emerging Leaders working to build a better world at home, school, work, business, play and community... through the advancement of Character, Purpose and Unity.
• I help nobilize leadership, mobilize mission and humanize culture. I focus on what I call The Humanity Map... exploring those forces of Character, Purpose ad Unity. I hold conversation around same, and advance action towards. It is not about Perfect as a noun, destination and myth. It is about Perfect as a verb, journey and our best reality. Indeed, it is what unites us... and I am The Unity Guy. Let us Aim High.

• The LECturn is a more random initiative offering up thought for Leaducators, Emergents and Communitrepreneurs around Character, Purpose and Unity as 3 fundamental forces for leadership at home, school, work, business and community. The articles are surgical and value-driven for real time and the real-world.... drawing on a well and hard (and humbly) earned depth and breadth 44 years in leadership training and development. Core topics will include matters of Character, Temperament, Purpose, Unity, Leadership, Stoicism, Spirit and Excellence. Each "episode" will surgically offer up a value-driven thought around some idea in that Core 8.