I AM

In April, during our California book tour, we were enjoying strolling around Oceanside and came across a sign that said The I AM Temple. I found this so intriguing. Harrison Klein, one of my mentors taught me the power of these two words—I AM.

They are powerful words because they ultimately define how you see the world, and shape your actions, and of course your results. For example, recently I heard some individuals in a coffee shop sharing their stories. One individual was making comments like “I AM so exhausted”, “I AM sick and tired of this snow and cold”, “I AM sick of being on a diet all the time”, “I AM worried about the new manager- I hope everything doesn’t change.”

Whereas the other person made comments such as “I AM so excited about vacation”, “I AM loving my son’s new teacher, he’s doing really well this year”, “I AM back at the gym again”.

The difference between their “I AMs” was quite noticeable. I couldn’t help but take note the difference in their presence. The first individual appeared tired, and her non verbal communication included eyeball rolls, lots of sighs and a very serious almost agitated demeanour. The second individual was expressive, smiling as she spoke, learning forward when she shared exciting news, and appeared relaxed and light.

It was a powerful reminder that these two words are powerful, and that we must carefully choose our I AMs because they shape our future, and out results.

What I AMs are you giving off?
What I AMs are shaping your future?
What new I AMs can you create to create more positive and powerful outcomes?

What makes a good leader?

In many workshops I invite responses to this question. “What is a great leader?”
The responses I have heard continue to intrigue me. The term leadership has many definitions and qualities.

Recently I came upon this quote “Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do what you want done because he wants to do it” by Dwight D. Eisenhower.
It reminded me of a supervisor I worked for many years ago when I worked as a correctional officer in a secure custody young offender facility.

This leader had an amazing ability to inspire staff to “get the job done”, even the tasks we did not particularly enjoy. How did he do this? He connected us with the big picture, ensured that we all knew the role we played in corporate goals, and in changing lives. He ensured that we were accountable, to ourselves, our team and the clients.

He believed that there were many paths to completing a task and allowed us some freedom for creativity and testing out new approaches. He did not micro manage, rather, he checked in with us frequently for us to tell him what we are learning, how we have overcome challenges, and how our approach made a difference. Those who wanted to be micromanaged didn’t last long in his unit. Those who stayed went on to make big differences in the lives of others, and in doing so, grew a great deal!

What a great leader? My response is “His name is Jon!”

It’s not what happens, it’s what you do that really counts in life!

Norman Vincent Peale says "The secret of life is not what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you."

What a powerful quote. Life often gives us curveballs and adversity to deal with, that is a fact of life. Really in life there is very little that is completely within our control or influence. How you deal with life’s situations is what becomes really important.

The first step in changing how you deal with life’s situations is to change how you see the situation. This of course is easier said than done. Try to view the situation as neutral or positive. Ask yourself “what can I learn here?” or “how can I grow?” Seek to find opportunity wrapped up in the challenge.
The next step is to act upon your new view point. Stepping into action is an important step in locking in the new viewpoint. Rather than fall victim to the circumstances, take action.

Finally, seek to review what you have learned. I am a firm believer that life continues to send us the same challenges, crises or problems until you learn the lesson. The faster you learn the lesson and incorporate the learning, the quicker the pain goes away.

So remember, it’s about what you do when life happens that really counts!