I find exploring myths, symbolism and how stories affect us, help us create meaning and sense of our lives.
A couple days after the New Year, I was in my office when my assistant yelled to me, “Come quick! Look!”
“It’s like Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds!” Ew, I thought.

Out the bay window I saw dozens of crows descending on the property – with no apparent motive or place to go. Over the next half hour they proceeded to fly back and forth between our property and the neighbors – and then dispersed. We were curious – what’s going on, what does this mean??? We googled – A few notes:

There are a myriad of perspectives – mythical, poetic, scientific, and those we make up ourselves.

The American Society of Crows and Ravens says that crows “have nothing to do with what we think about them. Death and suicide are our problems, not theirs.”

Dr. Kevin J. McGowan from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology says, ”The poetic term for a bunch of crows is a ‘murder.’ No scientist calls them that, only poets. Scientists would call it a flock.”

One reference said crows congregate on lawns to eat grubs. But they didn’t look like there were eating. Besides, what’s different about the lawn this year than last?

A shaman site said: ”Crows are adaptable to all environments and will eat almost anything, they can survive in almost any situation. …They are surrounded by magic, unseen forces and spiritual strength. If a crow enters your life, get out of your familiar nest, look beyond your present range of vision, listen to the message(s) in its caw and act accordingly.”

I just finished a year where my house was literally turned upside down – botched home renovation infecting every room, leaving us homeless for a while – my daughter started high school, step-son started college, both my parents had major medical crises, I had a major milestone birthday and my clients went through dramatic changes. So, the upheaval of 2011 forced me to get out of my comfort zone big time – to rethink my life and business and act accordingly.

It could be grubs, but I choose to see the flock of crows as a sign for 2012 to expect the unexpected, expect surprise visitors, and if I pay attention – this “magic” can take me to a broader perspective with unforeseen possibilities.

What are you doing to ready yourself to seek and take advantage of the “magic” opportunities coming out of nowhere – or to look for the sublime in the benign?

© Copyright 2012 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved.         www.sagelead.com

Yesterday as I reflected on my Grandma’s life, I learned that new technologies take longer than we think to make it to market, if at all, or to become popularized and cashed-in on their commercial value.

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage: Is there really anything new under sun?

I’m sticking with Grandma’s leadership this week: old wisdom is the new wisdom. She always said, hold onto your clothes long enough and they will come back in style. I have to admit I have some of her hats and coats from the 40s that I have worn recently!  I also wished I’d kept my fry boots – they’d be back in style and worth a fortune! Yet they were my sole present for Christmas one year when I was in high school, as my parents struggled to make ends meet raising six kids.

It’s all about perspective. Innovation is not about invention. It’s about taking an invention and making it useful, repurposing it and/or commercializing it.

So, I ask you – what exists right in front of you that you could view differently – whether it is a product, a problem, an employee, or your relationship with a family member? What is something that you can change about your life or business that would give you more money in the bank, greater productivity or satisfaction? These are different faces of the same coin. They are all about changing the energy of your current situation.

If you want your business or life to be different – The ultimate question is, how do you take what you have and make it different or conceive of it differently? This is innovation grandma-style – transform the old into the present for future wear-ability and endurance.

© Copyright 2011 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved. www.sagelead.com

All great things are born out of chaotic, forming – creative – energy. So this is a time of great transformation potential!
How do you manage yourself amidst the chaos swirling around you – whether it is the fluctuation of the markets, your business or the temperaments of those around you?

You get your own energy in sync and balanced – to stay grounded and nimble in the creativity space. Be – embody – the calm in the eye of the storm.

Tomorrow, I am leading a Naam Abundance Meditation at UUCD at 24 Clapboard Ridge Road, Danbury, CT . A $12 donation goes to the space.

This is a music meditation and we will focus on synchronizing your energy to optimally take advantage of these crazy times!

Open to the public – with or without prior meditation experience. Bring a pillow, yoga mat or something comfortable to sit on.

Yesterday for my (milestone!) birthday, my husband gave me an airplane flying lesson. I’ve wanted to learn since I was 17.

I had a one hour lesson with 30 minutes in the air. This occurred two days after Hurricane Irene yet it was amazing how calm, brilliant, blue and clear the sky was. I walked away with many insights related to life and work that I will be blogging about for the next week.

Within minutes of landing in the cockpit, I was on information overload: My instructor explained the takeoff checklist, the different dashboard tools, how to steer, keep the airplane nose and tips level, etc. I enjoyed the experience knowing HE ultimately had control of the vehicle so I didn’t have to retain everything. Whew – nothing like having a safety net! Like learning to ride a bike – this was as much a visceral as an intellectual experience. I had to steer with my feet. Talk about feeling uncoordinated! I needed to get in touch with my toes while my eyes made sure I was level with the horizon.
Taking Off

The only way that we continue to grow is to put ourselves in situations that are stretching or foreign. If life doesn’t present us with challenging experiences then it is up to us to actively seek them out. This is how we grow beyond what we know and can do. Otherwise, we replicate the same experiences which breeds complacency and ultimately, atrophy of body or mind.

Do you want to be renewed or get a fresh perspective on your career, relationship or work project? Take on learning something new, however small. You’ll be amazed at what else you’ll learn as it keeps you young by creating new brain cells which gives you access to new insights and actions.

© Copyright 2011 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved. www.sagelead.com

Deep insight, intensive workshops, breakthrough coaching sessions, a cataclysmic life event… these all are catalysts for change. These are the events that many wanting change seek.

We can come off these events with a high, with a great uplift in our motivation or a low searching for meaning, answers.
THEN, reality sets in and the heavy lifting of integrating these events – emotional and mental shifts and behavior change – into our daily living sets in.

This is where I see the need for an uncommon practice to take root: realistic optimism. How do you stay optimistic and steady with your practice of behavior change despite what you know, despite how hard it may be, despite the lack of support you may face in your environment? How do you keep the faith and believe you can do it? How do you acknowledge the incremental, daily changes you do make?
Regardless of what others say, savor what you know to be true. Savor your improvements. These are the roots that grow great fruit.

© Copyright 2011 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved. www.sagelead.com

We are 6 days into the new year, and I don’t know about you, but the speed of change is picking up – the tension is palpable wherever I go. Even if changes are positive or desired, it can still feel like an unmanageable blast.

When it feels as if everything is, or needs to happen at once. What’s a leader to do?
Go slower.

Right.

2011 will be a year of transformational change – with things coming out of nowhere. With this kind of activity, it can feel like your head is spinning – multiple demands, uncertainty, going into unknown territory.

This is exactly when you want to take a deep breath and pretend someone has hit the slow speed button on your life movie. Or, as my brother says, imagine you are walking in peanut butter. This will give you a chance to hit the pause button to allow your brain to process what is happening to make better decisions.

When we live in a microwavable world, we think if we wait 10 minutes to respond to that email, text or phone call, we’ll miss that deal or be unacceptably behind on the to do list. It’s all an illusion and a matter of perspective. I chucked my microwave a long time ago and in those extra two minutes waiting for that water to boil, I’ve conjured up all sorts of great ideas.

© Copyright 2011 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC All rights Reserved. www.sagelead.com

Solstice, Full Moon, Lunar Eclipse. An incredible time to work with the energy of the earth to set intentions for next year. What do you want to clear and make way for new growth next year?

According to Grove Harris: “Winter Solstice, Dec. 21, 2010 packs a celestial punch with a full moon and a full lunar eclipse, visible in the Americas if we’re lucky enough to have a clear sky and energetic enough to be up. The eclipse will be visible after midnight EST, reaching it’s maximum at 3:15 a.m. The last winter solstice eclipse was in 1638, and this one will be topped off by the Ursid meteor shower. Even city lights won’t block out all this action.

“In New England, winter solstice marks the first day of winter and the beginning of the return of the sun. While the cold deepens, the lengthening days show a welcome turning towards spring’s renewal. This gives a message of hope: frozen ground, relentless cold and the darkest season will not last forever….

“…preserving hope is one role of religion — to help people negotiate how to remain hopeful despite adversity and to live in the realm of possibility rather than in despair, no matter how warranted. The winter solstice models this on a celestial level. No problem between science and religion here. When it’s darkest, the light begins to return. And this year, the full lunar eclipse reinforces that message. Light and dark are intimately interconnected.”
Where can you find hope when it’s the darkest?

www.sagelead.com

Our personal growth division is offering another Manifestation Workshop on October 15th, 6-9 pm, in Danbury, Connecticut.

In an evening, you will gain greater access to your creativity, intuition, and resilient nature to help you better achieve your dreams and goals. This workshop will be informative and experiential in nature. You will have the benefit of creating powerful alliances with like-minded seekers. Sign up by October 1 and receive an unbelievable 35% discount!

Past workshops have included people who have worked on a range of goals and dreams such as career transition, retirement goals, weight reduction and relationship issues.

This is ideal for you if you need a boost to dissolve the obstacles to achieving the success you desire and deserve! Click here for more information or to Register Now.

See what past participants say after 40 days:

“I am finding that I feel more confident in expressing myself…less torn between alternatives, less fearful of anticipated (imagined) responses from others.”

“I am grateful for these new beginnings, for the clarity and energy I feel.”

” The mudra for lessening attachment helped me maintain some calm within a rather frenetic atmosphere.”

Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC     www.sagelead.com

This is the ultimate paradox of life. Sometimes you just have to throw yourself into the wind and know you’ll land on your feet.

To live is to risk.

To risk is to live.

Go for it.

Copyright 2010 Sage Leadership Strategies, LLC   All rights reserved.   www.sagelead.com

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