In this solo episode, Lisa revisits the question “what does it look like to lead yourself well?” by introducing the concept of recognizing when you’re out of sync between your out in the world life and the inner life that carries you around every day. She shares three specific resources for your tool kit.
In learning to recognize when we are out of sync with ourselves, the first step is getting alone and quiet. The first resource referenced is the book Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton. Lisa read a quote from page 41 which says
One of the primary functions of solitude is to settle into ourselves in God’s presence. This is not easy and it takes time. But it is the answer to the heart cry that erupts when we have been distracted for too long by surface concerns. “I have lost myself!” we cry. Solitude is the only way to find ourselves again. And the longer we have been lost to ourselves, caught up with external stimulation, the longer it takes to find our way home again.
To get back in sync we must take the time to get alone with God and get quiet.
In this process of recognizing we are out of sync we can try harder to make things align again; the approach which is common to most of our culture. Lisa shares another approach from the work of Aundi Kolber, a therapist and recent author of Try Softer and the Try Softer Guided Journey. Learning to pay compassionate attention to ourselves when we are out of sync is a gentler and kinder way of regaining our footing. From the Try Softer Guided Journey Lisa shared this quote:
Our bodies do communicate with us; even if we feel disconnected, our bodies are holding and witnessing the experiences of our lives–and if we can learn to listen, if we can learn to speak the language of our bodies, we can unlock a whole new understanding of how we move through the world.
The second step to getting back in step with ourselves is paying compassionate attention to what our bodies are telling us. Are you physically tired? Hungry? Thirsty? Need activity? Need to get outside? Paying compassionate attention to our body’s signals will help us move back into alignment between outer and inner life.
The final resource that was shared is the book The Unhurried Leader by Alan Fadling. As a person of faith it is crucial to develop habits of thought and action that help us return to Center as quickly as possible so that we can lead ourselves and others well. From his book, Lisa read this:
What if our leadership influence were more about overflow than about managing what we perceive to be limited, if not meager, resources at our disposal? What if God’s kingdom really has come and I’m actually invited to be a key player in people’s vision and knowledge of their Creator?
Learning to recognize we are out of sync is the first step. Paying compassionate attention to what our body is telling us is a great next step. Having a vision of our leadership that transcends our current experience can keep us doing the work of leading ourselves well so that we can lead others well.
