I do my work, what do you do?

I do what I do because you do what you do.

I don’t do what you do because I do what I do.

I don’t do what you do because you do it better.

You don’t do what I do because I do it better.

Maybe you do what I do but do it differently.

It is highly likely that someone precedes us who knows how to do what we do better because they have done it longer, love it more and dedicated their life to it. The challenge then is in finding out what each of us is here to do, right now, not ten years, nor twenty years from now.

Wow! Light bulb on.

Jenn Shallvey3 December 2012

Lost leadership or leader of the lost?

It can be lonely at the top, some say. Being a leader means setting the trail not following. Add a vision, passion to make a difference, desire to create change. You can feel like you are an explorer on your own in a desert. In times of change the isolation can seem unbearable. Frustration brews and simmers below the surface. You can see the change needed. You can see what will benefit the whole.

Conscious leadership, TeamsJenn Shallvey19 November 2012

Eastern Water Dragon in backyard

Jenn Shallvey18 November 2012

Lest we forget...

My daughter's class is studying WW2 during this term at school. As my father served as part of the RAF during that time I thought it would be useful to share his story. My purpose was to show what life was like from the perspective of an individual whose job was to fight. After compiling the presentation from an objective and fact based perspective I reflected further. I share here some thoughts that came to me as a result of this exercise.When asked about the war (WW2), my dad did not often comment. He preferred instead to let the memories stay in a drawer with the memorabilia.

StoriesJenn Shallvey18 November 2012WW2, Dad, Peace

Sculptures by the Sea

Jenn Shallvey4 November 2012

Mean it when you ask RUOK?

Today is RUOK day. If you don’t know what this means then say the letters out loud. It is a simple question not asked often enough. The fact that there is a day dedicated to this reminder says a lot. Our society is in such a state that we forget to ask the simplest of questions “Are you ok?” and mean it. Of course the key message is to not just ask this question on one day but all throughout the year whenever you feel it seems appropriate.

For me it is more about being sincere and authentic when you ask how someone is doing. It is such a common greeting that we often don’t listen for the response. How often do you meet someone and ask without really thinking about the person’s day. It is likely that you share the words as part of a conversation but not the feeling inside of really wanting to know. We have someone where to go, thoughts on our mind, our our own worries and concerns or the task at hand as distraction.

When we ask someone how he/she is doing many secretly don’t want to know. Many of us don’t want to go into a conversation that isn’t upbeat, superficial and trivial. Many of us are too afraid to hold a real conversation and truly listen to another person.

Authenticity, Causes, Communication, Community, Relationships, Self careJenn Shallvey13 September 2012

Magnetic Signs

Jenn Shallvey13 September 2012

Intuition is the answer

A NOTE FROM JENN...

On the move

Spring is in the air for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere. It feels fresh, alive and exciting. Newness and reminders of the cycle of life are abundant. With this cycle there is again the reminder of the transition we travel from one stage to the next.

I am amidst a transition at the moment, albeit one self imposed. As I write this month’s newsletter I am surrounded by stacks of boxes, emptied bookshelves and clutter. All this organised chaos is in preparation for moving house in two weeks time.

Despite years of experience moving (including shifting my life 20 years ago from California to Sydney), it seems that over time we accumulate stuff we don’t notice until we pack it up in boxes. In my world there are four of us sorting and packing stuff.

As we pack and sort we keep asking ourselves the questions:

1. Why do I have this stuff?

2. Why do I need this stuff?

3. Why do I want this stuff?

The answer has to be it brings me joy and happiness, it is essential for living or otherwise it goes out the door via a garage sale or donation. I have successfully applied this approach in past clutter clearing expeditions. However nothing can compare to the scale of a house move.

There are of course interesting conversations going on about what each of us in our household considers important. I value and love my book collection or as others might call it, mini-self help library. No need to go to the shops, just come to my house for the latest on self help, personal development. As I pack the boxes, most books go in, few leave. (I also laugh a little considering how easy it is to transport my ebook collection on 1 kindle and 1 ipad compared to the 7 bookshelves of books in heavy boxes.)

Since my clutter culprit is the library, I reflect a lot on why I have these books. As a writer I love being surrounded by the works of authors who have successfully followed their dream, put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard) and transformed their message into a format accessible and available to all. The book still trumps all for me as it does not require an electronic device, can be enjoyed for years to come and engages me in a tangible experience. Even today I still do what I did from an early age - sit by a bookshelf, pick a random book, open up a section and see what it says. Wisdom on tap. Try it on your own book collection.

Even so I am truly aware that I am keeping the books for now because I can and not because I have to. If tomorrow life changed and this luxury no longer served me or my household then I would let them go.

Lesson learned: enjoy what you have and let it be a part of your life intentionally not as an attachment or dependency.

The other observation I have about moving that I feel is worth sharing with you is the emotional and psychological aspect of it. No doubt about it, moving is a stressful experience. You are creating upheaval in all areas where normally you assume stability. Our home is our base, our anchor, our foundation. When we shift this physical location we shift everything in our world with unknown and unseen ripple effects not noted until later. Even experienced travelers know that when you land you adjust your living space to suit you and support you in a more personal way.

So moving in itself is another way to check and see how emotionally self aware, together and grounded you are in your practices. The more you have worked on yourself on the inside the easier it is to deal with the changes on the outside. As well the more you are prepared on the inside the more prepared you are for bigger, more challenging change. Moving tests this paradigm and allows you to see the vulnerabilities, cracks and weakness in your defenses. It also lets you discover how you embrace the opportunity and shift of change.

Yet what happens when it’s the other way around? Hmmm. What about moving before you are ready on the inside? Well, I would have to say it works you. In a way you accelerate the process a bit. You are forced to face reality, deal with avoidance, confront unsupportive habits. It is easy to dwell on the negatives. They come up and are real. There is a loss experienced. A loss of what you knew, the familiar, the comfortable. Yet to stay in this place does not serve anyone, especially you.

So for me moving is an exciting opportunity to create a fresh start and new direction. Moving is a chance to really let go of what no longer serves you, is needed or necessary. Clearing out is healthy.

Lesson learned again – don’t wait until you move to sort, clear and let go of what no longer serves you.

It is in this context that I share with you this month’s newsletter.

I also hope you are enjoying the moving moments and change opportunities in your world.

Warmly,
Jenn

Newsletter articleJenn Shallvey5 September 2012

Time to value the wisdom of elders

I was sitting in a cafe writing the other day. As I sat there immersed in my work, an older age brother and sister walked in with their elderly mother. Their mother was assisted by a walker and the careful guiding and navigating of her ‘kids’. It took quite a bit of shuffling around to get the seating just right. The elderly mother was hard of hearing, as evidenced by the siblings’ loud, raised voices used when trying to communicate with her. The mother seemed out of it and not too fussed about what was going on.

Then the son took out a hearing aid, placed it in his mother’s ear, and a different woman emerged. It was almost like she came alive. Despite her frailty and not so working order her smile beamed across the cafe. Her laughter caught the ear of everyone around her. As I looked at her I could see the sparkle of life fully brilliant in her eyes. Nothing was stopping her from being herself. She may be in a run down vehicle but what was going on inside certainly had some puff left.

Community, Thoughts to ponder, Wisdom storiesJenn Shallvey19 August 2012

Stopped in your tracks is a good place to be

A NOTE FROM JENN...

Life happens

Of late I am feeling the pace of life accelerating. It is not obvious, just a noticing that lots is happening around me and others. Change is in the air. Just when you think you it have all sorted out, something comes your way to challenge this assumption. I am OK with this. In fact I am embracing the fact that no matter what we do life stays interesting. I do not deny the accompanying frustration and challenges, yet these help put matters in context.

To truly appreciate what is happening around me I do need to stop and pause. I am also being even more mindful of where I extend my energy. I ask myself questions like 'is this activity or direction in my highest good or that of others? Is this really the best use of my time? Is it really worth it?" Perhaps you are doing the same. There seems to be a sorting out of what matters and what doesn't matter.

Some practical aspects of this observed experience are the number of people I am meeting or learning of who are pursuing their passion. It might be in response to a loss of job or a change in circumstances. Yet no matter what, people are claiming what makes them come alive and thrive. Very exciting.

And there are other changes that force us to get back to basics and consider what really matters. I certainly am having a dose of this myself. Maybe some of these have occurred in your life or work. Maybe you are in that space of rethinking and refocusing. It is healthy and normal and helpful in the long run, at least I tell myself that.

Overall the biggest learning that keeps coming up for me is that no matter what life throws you it is up to you how you choose to respond. So how are you responding?

Warmly,
Jenn

Newsletter articleJenn Shallvey17 August 2012