Personal, Professional, Spiritual Power

I can't emphasize enough the importance of knowing who you are. Whether it's your personal life (a relationship, your marriage, your family, friends, self-development); your professional life (your current career, your next career, a promotion, a new venture); or your spiritual life (growth in your religious understanding, seeking a spiritual connection) you want to ask not just what will I GET OUT OF IT, but WHAT AM I BRINGING TO THE TABLE.

Here's a few resources that may help in your development and understanding. There are many more and which I will continue to share with you. You can also email me with your interest in DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM) retreats, seminars, etc. (beverlymacy@gmail.com)

• Personal Development: Any one in this list
• Professional Development: What Color is Your Parachute? This classic is always a good place to start
• Spiritual Development: Have you engaged in your practice lately? When was the last time you went to your church, your synagog, practiced your meditation, etc. Here's an interesting link for the Council of Spiritual Development.

Self Awareness

It turns out that self-awareness is your responsibility. Don’t wait for the boss, the teacher, or your friends to tell you who and what you are. All of these important people in your life may be well meaning. But you need to define who you are. There is power in YOU.
People ask me how to go about this process of self-awareness and self-examination. Let's put this in the context of self-discovery and talk about identifying the framework an individual might use in their personal and professional life to measure success. I’ve used a number of tools over the years and most are good. Anything that encourages growth is welcome. Here’s a simple exercise that is the very tip of the iceberg in terms of “becoming aware of self”.
EXERCISE:
Right where you are – sitting in a chair, reading on the beach, lying on the bed, start by becoming aware of:
1. Your surroundings (what are the weather conditions, sounds, light?)
2. Your physical responses (is your heart beating faster?)
3. Your psychological responses (is your thought process fast or slow?)
Pay attention to these things every day. Tune in to yourself and your surroundings. This is the beginning. More next week.

Oprah:James Frey, A Modern Morality Play

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica online, a morality play is an allegorical drama in which characters personify moral qualities (charity or vice) or moral abstractions (youth or death) and in which moral lessons are taught.

In today's culture - played out and endlessly analyzed in the 24-hour news cycle and the online arena - we are witnessing a 21st Century morality play firsthand. What are the moral lessons we're watching unfold? And who do you most identify with in this drama? Are you James Frey or Oprah? Does it matter that the truth is manipulated if the story is compelling? Some have emailed me, "What's the big deal...his book has helped people." Others are outraged. Where do you weigh in?

From a personal, professional, and spiritual growth standpoint, the DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (tm) program emphasizes the power that comes from having built a firm foundation in your ability to weather any storm. Because, by defining WHO YOU ARE (Point #1 - KNOW THYSELF), you will have defined your own "morality" and self-truth and you will know what you're made of. Knowing what that means to you , in plain language, is a good exercise to undertake and revisit regularly.

The transition we're watching unfold is multi-faceted: James Frey's transition from "hero to goat"; Oprah's transition in re-gaining her (moral) footing in this situation; the publisher's transition from a "These things happen" stance to..."We'll be more vigilant in the future"; the public's transition from curiosity to introspection still being played out; and the underlying transitional question we're asking ourselves as a society - does the truth matter?

Hope for Jill Carroll

This situation has really captured people's hearts. Good post on Boingboing this evening. Glad there's hope alive tonight...

From the post tonight..."But today, five female Iraqi detainees were in fact released (Link ). And, as of just a few minutes ago, a breaking wire story from the Associate Press has an Iraqi police officer saying he thinks Jill may be freed soon ( Link ). The mother of Hala, one of the women being freed, even had kind words and hope for Jill's release, telling AP: "We are happy and we thank God for this blessing ... I call upon the kidnappers of the American reporter to release her because she is as innocent as Hala."
This all looks tremendously hopeful. All the good wishes and prayers sent out for Jill may finally, hopefully, be answered."

The Truth Will Set You Free

And so, at the end of the day, we see our society straining at every level with The Truth - what it means, why it's important, who's telling it (or not):
James Frey
Oprah
Jack Abramoff
Cable News
Ken Lay / Jeff Skilling
President Bush
Somehow, we're all connected. What I know is that, "It starts with me". I need to be truthful in my life, my words, my work, my spirit. I need to be on a firm foundation to see me through the transitions - whether good or bad - that lay ahead. Even if it's hard, telling the truth is easier than the lies required to maintain what's false. We are a forgiving society - when asked. The lies may make me look bigger, better, stronger, but in the end it's the truth that sets me free.

Good Day for Telling the Truth Part 2

In keeping with the Million Little Controversies theme: More musings on telling the truth and what that means. You may remember Aaron Brown from CNN. He's got some interesting thoughts on "Truth in Cable News" here.
As I said earlier today, I do believe the fact that we're discussing the topic at a national level is good. What's important to each individual is to know your own personal truth and stay aligned with that no matter what.

A Good Day for Telling the Truth

Well, the speculation about "how Oprah was going to get out of this" is ending another chapter. She talked about being "duped" today on her show. She needed to put this behind her. As for James Frey and his "fiction"...time will tell. If he's served any purpose at all, it's that we're having a national dialog about it. here and here

A Million Little Controversies Day 3

James Frey will appear on Oprah today.

Let's see what happens....more later.

Personal, Professional, Spiritual Power

The Dynamic Transitioning (TM) Process consists of the 7-Point Program. This month we're focusing on: 1. Know Thyself, The Power of YOU.

1. Know Thyself

The Power of YOU

2. Consider the Possibilities

The Power of BLUE SKY

3. See Yourself Succeeding

The Power of VISIONING

4. Plan the Work and Work the Plan

The Power of ACTION

5. Practice Flexibility

The Power of RECALIBRATING

6. Giving Back

The Power of GIVING and RECEIVING

7. To Thine Own Self Be True

The Power of SELF TRUTH

Career Transitioning

Some have said that a baby born today will most likely have three twenty-year careers. Think about that. It's true that today many of us are in our second twenty-year career so it's easy to see that happening.

This creates the opportunity to explore totally new career paths. The actual process is a transition and with it come all the excitement, anxiety, uncertainity, opportunity we talk about in Dynamic Transitioning.

I like what Patricia Soldati says in her article on Management-issues , "Intriguingly, it is only at the end of our transition process that we reach our new beginning. Backwards to all that is intuitive and comfortable - yet this new beginning is not an independent point of light, but the result of the process of honoring the old and readying oneself for the new. " read more

A Million Little Controversies Part 2

So, is it ok to "stretch the truth" ? Do we live in a culture where the "truth" doesn't matter anymore? Here's some recent comments from a reader on boingboing.And here's some food for thought from Ethics in America.

I teach Competitive Marketing and Strategy at UCLA and devote an entire week to the topic of Ethics in Business. We cover the meaning of ethics and how to navigate the dangerous waters of "crossing the line". We take it very seriously and teach the value of being on the side of truthfullness. What message do corporations want to send to the professional community about who they are? Thoughts?

A Million Little Controveries

I'll post thoughts on the James Frey "Million Little Pieces" ethics issue later today. What do you think?

YOU Need Exercise

The Power of YOU is the theme this month. In addition to the reading, learning, personal and professional development you do - you MUST exercise for balance, health and POWER. Transitions can knock you off your center...don't let that happen to you.

The Power of YOU

Know Thyself is the first point in the DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM) Program. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Most of us immediately think,"Of course I know who and what I am." But some of you may have wondered, "Who AM I? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose here on Earth?" or "What do I want to do with my life? What work, calling, vocation, avocation do I wish to follow?"

A firm foundation in knowing who you are is critical to maintain balance during times of transition. You don't want to just "survive" during a transition period - you want to "thrive" during these periods.

Do you even know what it means to be happy and what it takes to achieve happiness? These are important questions for anyone who is seeking happiness to ask themselves. ... thinking about the things that make you happy.

A fun and revealing exercise to learn more about yourself is this:

Make a list of 50 things that make you happy. That's right - things that make you happy. And the list needs to be YOURS - not what you think should make you happy, but what touches your heart, lights your ambition, makes you smile. They can relate to your professional life, your personal life or your spiritual life. I heard this idea expressed in a tape by Thich Nhat Hanh a friend gave me many years ago and thought I'd pass the suggestion on to you.

Space and Time Transitions

I just love news items like this. Especially the Scorpius site...

Transitional Trends

As business transitions into true global economy, my crystal ball says that the following trends should be watched closely in 2006. Are you ready for the transitions in your business? How are you preparing to transition yourself, your company, your resume?

1. Healthcare

• A major battle looms between the banks and the non-banks for thenearly $94billion in HSA deposits expected by 2010
• Renewed focus on corporate wellness and health promotion improves the bottom line
• Consumers demand electronic medical records and will happily pay for the service

2. Emerging Technology

• Should you be thinking about business blogging and podcasting? The answer may surprise you
• Mobile commerce and mobile everything else (TV, movies, music,games, mobile search, GPS, RFID, healthcare and financial services applications, and more) zooms in 2006
• VoIP gets it right

3. Automotive

• The automotive industry discovers the power of maintaining an online advertising presence in a big way in 2006
• 2006 will see an emerging luxury car "boom"; and cars that are small but not cheap
• What GM's future means to the industry

4. Global Marketing and Strategy

• Dialog marketing extends relationship marketing
• As market segments continue to go deep and narrow, brand equity matters now more than ever
• "3 billion new capitalists" emerge in India and China - do you speak Mandarin?
  

Recommended Reading

I'm often asked what books I recommend for leadership, personal growth, etc. I will be compiling a list and posting soon. What would you recommend?

A recent book of fiction I can recommend that recently impressed me (and many others) is:

The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-time.

Meditation

I've been using the "Passages Practice" technique from Blue Mountain Mediation Center for the past year. At various times it's been challenging, uplifting, calming, balancing. The passage I started with is the Prayer of St. Francis.

I recommend you find some method of centering yourself and stay consistent.

KNOW THYSELF

Know Thyself is the first point of the 7-Point Program of DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM). Socrates was famous for arguing that one should Know Thyself in order to be wise; that the unexamined life is not work living. In leadership courses this concept might be referred to as self-awareness.

Wharton Business School's MBA interview process cites "an important factor or quality to the applicaton is the person's awareness of who they are, where they've been, what they've learned, what they've gotten...Nothing can replace an individual's self-awareness and their ability to articulate to others how they fit." I do know this, you are the sum total of your beliefs about yourself and about the world in which you live. It is these beliefs that must be examined.

Who are you? You may not be able to answer that question right now. Before you finish the DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM) Program, you will be able to answer this question for yourself. It is a very important question. You both need and want to answer this question for yourself to transition successfully and with power.

7 Point Program

The 7-Point Program is simple, elegant, and powerful. Each concept is deep in meaning and practical use. Most importantly, you want to be on firm foundation when change and transition occurs in your personal, professional or spiritual life.

Remember:

• Transitions occur naturally and are part of the low and pattern of a person's life
• Transitions occur often and sometimes last for quite awhile
• A transition does not signal failure but rather opportunity

1. Know Thyself
The Power of YOU
2. Consider the Possibilities
The Power of BLUE SKY
3. See Yourself Succeeding
The Power of VISIONING
4. Plan the WORK and Work the Plan
The Power of ACTION
5. Practice Fexibility
The Power of RECALIBRATING
6. Giving Back
The Power of GIVING and RECEIVING
7. To Thy Own Self Be True
The Power of SELF TRUTH

Article on Gather.com

I just posted an article on www.gather.com here - a cool new site I learned about today on CNBC. Good concepts - let's see how they do.

WELCOME

Welcome to DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM). Transitions can be moments of truth form many of us. Whether it's a huge success, picking up the pieces, or just a slow, steady progression through the stages of our lives, most of us feel "helpless" over conditions that change our lives from the outside.

I've developed a program called DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM) that is a clear and concise 7-Point Program to enable you to create a powerful and meaningful life and master transitions. DYNAMIC TRANSITIONING (TM) helps you find and use your personal, professional, and spiritual power to affect positive change and direction in your live.

Email me!