Fall is officially here. In Colorado, that means the mountains are turning gold and before we know it, they’ll be covered in white. The air is getting crisper, and for many—animals and humans alike—, this means hibernation.
Packing on pounds. Stockpiling food. Taking a long nap. Sound familiar?
Hibernation can be defined as “to be or become inactive or dormant.”
In these basic terms, many people have been hibernating year round without even realizing it.
Have you?
Too often, we become inactive because we get stuck in the process: We think about something, wait for something to happen, then think about it some more. By the time the opportunity for that something—a kind gesture, a selfless act, a bold action—is upon us, we have filled this time or space with something else—something less significant—and let that opportunity pass. With half of our thoughts and actions still in What if? mode.
Why? What are we afraid of?
Public speaking. Heights. Death. Those are the easy answers.
The difficult answers demand that we think, work, live—and lead—with intention.
Charlie Kim, founder and CEO of Next Jump, lists 9 Differences Between Selfish and Selfless Leaders in his HuffPost Business guest blog post. With TedTalks phenom Simon Sinek, Kim identifies problems and characteristics of selfish leaders and tools we can adopt to learn and grow into selfless leaders. His list aligns well with one of the fundamental principles of service and servant leadership: Serve first, then lead.
“Identifying the problem is 50 percent of the solution. Building a deep understanding of how things fail helps us learn and grow from our mistakes.”
Read a related blog post: Oz Never Did Give Nothin’ to the Tin Man
What are your limiting beliefs? What are your greatest challenges each day? Why do they exist? What barriers do you have to overcoming them? What does this “burr under your saddle” look like after a few days? A few weeks? A few months?
Please share your thoughts and reflections in the comments below.
