July 11, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
The Stream is an opportunity to return and wade in the consistency and essence of meaning created in a younger experience.
Experience is created when I am conscious of what is going on around me. Being aware is a heightened sense of listening. To listen, one must be present. This heightened sense of listening produces a present-moment consciousness of what is unfolding before us – not judging the unfolding; just being conscious. This is awareness.
To be aware one must be attentive. We turn events into experience as we pay attention. We turn situations and occurrences into experience as we open to the possibilities in the moment. And being in control of consciousness does not mean being in control of a specific event or situation.
Being attentive and open as we allow experience to develop and form increases intuitiveness and supports our ever-growing awareness. The stream is an opportunity to return without getting stuck in the past. The stream is not a place to live in the past amidst regrets. The stream requires presence; and presence requires awareness.
Posted in The Stream | Tagged Experience, Presence | Leave a Comment »
July 7, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
I can’t remember where I put it, but it is still in my possession – a short essay I wrote in junior high. It was entitled The Therapy of Work. I started working at a very early age. At 5 I was helping herd our dairy cattle into the grazing pasture across the highway that ran in front of our house. One Saturday morning my Dad needed someone to drive the tractor that pulled the hay wagon while he and workers loaded the bales. Now most 5 year old boys would love such an opportunity, but I was less than happy as he had taken me away from my favorite cartoons.
By junior high I had worked in my grandmother’s retail store and was operating a lawn care business in our neighborhood. I had learned to enjoy work.
Then came my mid-twenties: From the age of 24 to about age 31 my work life was nomadic confusion. During this time I developed what I would later call a misguided self-comfort. I told myself that all work was a curse – thanks to Adam.
In the creation story, Adam was brought into physical existence to be with God. When Adam disobeyed, the trust in the relationship was broken. Original disobedience broke original purpose. Adam still belonged to his Maker, but now he had to live apart from Him outside the Garden. And now Adam would have to toil for his existence.
In my time of struggle in my work I told myself that this was the way it was meant to be – work had been cursed. I was wrong.
The curse was not the work. The curse was not being in the immediate presence and direct relationship for which Adam was made. Just as there is complexity that originates from original disobedience, there is complexity of purpose that originates from original purpose not fulfilled.
There is a contention that states the Maker made just to have company – and leaves humankind right there. To me, this sort of doctrine ignores individuality and oversimplifies and demeans the very individuals God intended through Adam’s choice.
My misguided self-comfort was to embrace work as a curse. But here is what I finally realized: Work was not the curse. And that although I’m in a complex environment, I can find purpose and live with meaning.
Further, I believe God intended direct relationship to be brought to loving reality one individual at a time – through the uniqueness of each creation – not in a pre-stamped form and prescribed manner of action and process. But through experience unique as each individual to each of God’s unique, individual intentions.
Posted in Confidence, Stories | Tagged Complexity, Individuality, Intention, Love, Purpose, Uniqeness | Leave a Comment »
June 26, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
As we talked by phone, it was hard to believe ten years had passed since Shannon and I first met. It was good to reconnect and tell good stories.
I remembered that first meeting with Shannon and her interest in doing work like that of the team Sheri and I were leading. She was so excited, but also troubled. As I listened I sensed two things; one was how she viewed our work and the other a concern about her own professional history. I challenged her view of our work – did she see it as real work? She then cleared up the second concern as she talked about how she struggled with walking away from all her experience in human resources.
In an instant it all came back so clearly. I had been out of college for a year. It was a great year and I had learned a lot and accomplished good things. I was talking with the human resource manager about the new position and promotion that was being offered to me. I had said to him just what Shannon had said to me 23 years later, “I don’t want to walk away from my experience.” I found myself saying to Shannon exactly what Bob had said to me, “That’s experience. It’s tucked under your belt and no one can take it away from you. It will go everywhere you go.”
The intersection of my story and Shannon’s story in and of itself tells us something important about experience – it was an experience. And an experience like I had in meeting someone cool like Shannon – and allowing the experience to deepen through relationship – is a critical ingredient that creates flow in my life.
If limited to a narrow view of experience – what I ‘did’ during a specified time – I cheat myself of the joy of performing on the stage of life. I don’t perform because I trained. I trained because I wanted to perform.
Rhonda, one of my Coaching Clients, has a strategy to help her achieve her goal. It says. “Connect experience with the influence needed to help people achieve their goals.” In the process of setting this strategy, I was struck by how she defined experience: “A rehearsal of knowledge.”
Rhonda and Shannon – my experience with them – has helped me better understand experience in its fullness. When conscious of the fullness of experience we are better equipped to expand our influence as needed. We are being consistently encouraged by our experience to confidently be who we are; to perform our authentic role on the stage of life.
And it is this level of confidence that ensures our present attention to this ongoing rehearsal of knowledge.
Posted in Confidence, Credibility, Stories | Tagged Experience, Presence, Present, Story | Leave a Comment »
June 26, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
By the very act of writing this I am making a commitment to improve in a particular issue; shifting goals.
I’m not referring to far-reaching goals like the personal and professional ones I assist my Clients in establishing. I refer to daily objectives we set for ourselves as we flow week to week.
At this stage of life, I believe I have become a rather even-tempered being with a steady and consistent approach in how I move along my chosen path. But back to the commitment. While I’ve matured in many an important process, I can still become very angry when certain daily objectives are thwarted. While I’m proud to say these events rarely involve another human, I shamefully admit how tiny the events can be.
In the last four years in particular I’ve made some significant progress as I’ve studied ways to improve. Part of this progress I owe to the work of Dr. David Burns as I studied and practiced dealing with what he calls ‘automatic thoughts.’ My friend Doug Duncan calls these ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts). These are thoughts like, “I always screw this up” and “I’m so stupid.” We mistakenly blame an event for how we feel when the real culprit is our own ANTs!
I have added another layer to my learning and practice in controlling automatic thoughts – thanks to Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi. In his book Flow - the Psychology of Optimal Experience, he talks about shifting our goals.
Bob and I had not talked in quite a while so we scheduled a coffee meeting. Bob is a very creative and experienced man who impresses me with his confidence and clarity. He arrived at our coffee appointment and told me that his check engine light had just come on in his high-mileage Honda. Now he had a choice; get angry at the interruption to his daily objectives or shift his goals. He described to me how, upon seeing ‘check engine’ illuminate, his mind quickly surveyed his schedule for the day, his task list, and his bank account. He shifted his goals and called the dealership; and had a nice, relaxing visit with his friend.
I’m writing about this topic as a result of a shift in my goals for the day. As Mihaly proposed, the ability to shift goals due to circumstances gives me back the control – at least in how I feel as I flow through my day and as I learn to create flow at any given time.
I’m still learning. And this is a good thing.
And by-the-way; Bob was at the dealership for 2 hours at a cost of only $26.95.
Posted in Confidence, Wading the Stream | Tagged Accountability, Behavior, Experience, Flow | Leave a Comment »
June 18, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
As leaders, our behaviors are everything.
I remember a conversation from several years ago while still an employee in the corporate world. A few of us who had worked together for many years were talking about how things had changed in our particular culture; and in most of corporate life in our society. One specific part of our conversation noted how each of us no longer told jokes. At first I think there was a moment of sadness.
That’s when I found myself saying, “You know, while we may think we miss those times, a lot of our behavior – not acceptable today – was not right even then.” All agreed.
While we were influenced by a developing corporate consciousness, we were simply acknowledging our own development as leaders – our own individual maturity and awareness.
For me personally, I didn’t give up fun; I simply moved to a more conscious application of strengths – and this was fun for me. A pursuit and mastery around strengths brings with it a new language.
It’s not about what you should or shouldn’t say. It’s not about pleasing others. It’s not about being liked.
It is about being who you really are – being you in a way that does not compromise your values; a way that demonstrates a loving understanding of other individuals.
Your new language is really not new at all. It is now simply properly representing your authenticity – free of any judgment from self or others.
It is this level of language, exercised in all interactions, that builds confidence; yours and that of others. It’s about caring enough to encourage and exhort.
Posted in Communication, Confidence, Credibility | Tagged Accountability, Awareness, Behavior, Love, Maturity, Responsibility | Leave a Comment »
June 15, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
True Balance
True balance is about the free flow between intent and commitment.
True balance is about:
~ Selflessly giving to self.
~ Navigating a new confidence.
True balance is built on the principle of commitment:
“Concerning all acts of initiative … there is one elementary truth … that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.” -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Principled Action
Principled action is about the free flow between purpose and authenticity.
Principled action is about:
~ Finding and freeing voice.
~ Being present.
Principle action is built on the principle of authenticity:
“Whatever you want to do for others, you must be able to do for yourself.”
Leading in Love
Leading in love is about the free flow between understanding and practice.
Leading in love is about:
~ Focusing on purpose.
~ Balancing desire, intent, behavior and impact.
Leading in love is built on the principle of practice:
“For maximum effectiveness, you must put your what before your how.”
Posted in 21st Century Skills | Tagged Accountability, balance, Behavior, Character | Leave a Comment »
June 10, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
“We are attempting to make work more lifelike, more in the image of what we instinctively want for ourselves” – David Whyte, Crossing the Unknown Sea
The revolution I advocate is an intentional approach to leadership. The revolution is accomplished as a leader frees the flow between internal motivation and external validation.
The internal motivation includes Intent, Purpose, and Understanding. These are about who we are as an individual.
The external validation includes Commitment, Authenticity, and Practice. These are about how we translate who we are to the world.
We need a revolution in how we think about work and our place in the world of work. In the 21st century we spend the vast majority of our waking hours in this world of work. For many, a large chunk of the restorative power of sleep is stolen by the haunting presence of one’s work.
Due to the large portion of energy given to work, we have a right, even accountability, to approach this work in a manner that enriches us as a person.
Thus a revolution.
A revolution is commonly thought of as a collective assembled for the purpose of overthrowing some existing system. The revolution I advocate begins in the heart and mind of the individual leader. It is about true balance, principled action and leading in love.
Posted in Wading the Stream | Tagged Abundance, Intention, Love | Leave a Comment »
June 7, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
This is my bike just before going into the shop. You can’t tell parked where it is, but the back tire had just blown. Fortunately for me, my ride had taken me out of the country and into town near my wife’s office.
At the end of the warm riding season last year, I had decided to ride through the winter. I went and bought some cold weather gear and kept that commitment. Just as the weather was getting warmer, I noticed several things that needed attention – tires and one of the shifters needed replacing. I kept riding.
On the day this photo was taken, I had ridden through the country into town. I normally don’t go into town. I was headed back out of town to take the country route back to my house when I heard it – the air rushing out of the back tire. Now I had to get to the shop.
How many leaders have treated their own care like I did my bike – waiting until something makes them stop and check in for a tune-up?
Don’t let this happen to your leadership ride. Take care of yourself. Do it regularly. Determine how you best do this and schedule this regular maintenance just as you schedule other areas of your work.
Posted in Credibility | Tagged Leadership, self-care | 2 Comments »
May 26, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
The Stream
The Stream is beautiful, ever changing, and purposeful. The stream is about flow.
My friend Pam, who is my creative encourager, was not surprised when I claimed a metaphor for my writing project that was about water and flow. I love fly-fishing, thus I wade the stream. As a wader I am inspired by the stream’s beauty, respectful of its changing nature, and encouraged by its purposeful flow.
While ancient in its purpose, the stream is presently focused. I practice in the stream’s presence mindful only of the moments that flow by as I wade in its wisdom. From the depths of experience, the stream is a beloved storyteller. Wading in the stream’s presence I am restored in my own story.
The stream is a loving, inclusive force necessary to the life that surrounds it and the life that is drawn to it. As one who is drawn, I’m in awe of this force that has become such a part of my experience.
Posted in Stories, The Storytelling Leader, The Stream | Tagged Flow, Love, Presence, Purpose, Story | Leave a Comment »
May 21, 2009 by Jeff Brunson
Fortunately for me, during most of my youthful years, we lived close to my grandparents. Even when we lived farther away, my parents were great about going home to see my grandparents. I treasure the time I was given with these wonderful spirits. In particular, my maternal grandmother and I were best friends. I don’t remember ever thinking of my grandparents as old, or ancient – not in the negative, labeling sense.
The stream is ancient. To me, ancient speaks not of time but of experience. Experience is a great teacher when enhanced by the love of a storyteller.
Patch, my dad’s dad, was a great storyteller. He mostly told for the love of the experience being told about. But occasionally he told an old story for the need in the present moment – the need of the listener.
The stream is ancient in its experience and the stream is now for the benefactor of its magic. The magic is played out for the benefactor because the stream understands its place in the larger story. Through the stories of my grandparents, I felt their sense of purpose in the moment of the telling and I still feel the purpose all these years later. I always felt a story was being told just for me.
The stream is ancient in its experience. My grandparents were wise in their experience. When this experiential wisdom is carefully handled by the loving storyteller, I trust it explicitly.
Posted in Communication, The Stream | Tagged Experience, Love, Now, Present, Storytelling, Trust, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »
