In her blog on leadership, my friend and colleague, Julie Diamond, poses this challenging set of questions for leaders: “Are you using your power fully, in the way you want to, to create the worlds you want to create? Are you using this opportunity to do amazing things, to be creative, to make your team or company a great place to work, and to create exceptional social value?”
In the Power2 Leaderlab, a program developed by Julie Diamond and Lesli Mones, seasoned executives and top leaders can examine what gets in their way or derails them from creating their dreams and learn how to use their personal power to accomplish more and to create more fulfillment for themselves and others .
Even if you don’t see yourself as a leader, you can ask yourself, “What are my dreams? What am I doing with the life and opportunities I have? Is there more in me? Am I creating something that improves my life, the experiences of those I love, the community I live in, the organizations I am a part of? Am I bringing my values and visions to life in some way? And if not, what gets in the way?”
More often than not, we can point to accomplishments. And we can identify a litany of legitimate reasons why we can’t even begin to reach for our boldest dreams – children, parents, bills, career obstacles, difficult situations and difficult people, the economy, etc… Some of our dreams just seem too big to fit into our lives.
Most of us, though, have had moments when we feel our values and dreams come to life. We may have just a fleeting glimpse or more prolonged contact with the strength of our spirit, abilities and actions to manifest our vision. But we don’t always understand how to tap into that magical mixture of timing, personal power and circumstance.
I have noticed that some of my deepest dreams have been nurtured, in some instances, over many years through inner reflection, casual or synchronistic conversations and unintentionally gathering info from outside sources (tv, books, surfing the web and everyday exposure to current events, etc…). Looking back, I sometimes think of my aspirations as having been in a long period of quiet incubation and ripening.
I also know when the time is right, that I have had to find ways to use my personal power to break the earth, to plant my dreams in the world and then provide the gardening, water and sunlight to grow and carry them to fruition. Knowing when the moment is right and how to bring myself, as an instrument of the dream, into the mix is critical. It takes awareness, courage and eldership.
Of course, there have been times I have tried and failed to leverage these crucial ingredients to bring something new to life for myself or others. Then, I lick my wounds, see what I can learn from the experience and ask myself “Is there more in me? What’s next?”
For the leaders Julie and Lesli work with there are programs and methods, like those offered in the Power2 Leaderlab, to help leaders get and stay on track to create amazing results. But what can you do to develop your dreams and turn them into a reality? What support do you need to incubate, plant and grow your dream garden to fruition? Why not take the plunge and discover what’s inside of you and what support you need to live it? Therapy can be a great place to explore our dreams for making our world a better place.