Inspiration can be found in the simplest of places if we are open to see it. Recently I was watching one of my favorite programs “Sunday Morning” and there was a touching story about a retired executive named Dominique and a goose that developed a friendship at a park in Los Angeles. The man would go to the park to walk and somehow one of the geese ‘took a liking’ to him and would walk every step of the way with him. The goose even tried to follow him home! Watch it here….http://www.casttv.com/video/vlgotv7/loosey-goosey-cbs-sunday-morning-4-3-11-video.
After watching this video, you will see there are a couple of lessons to glean from this touching story:
Be Open to the Magic Around You
I would venture to guess the original reason Dominique went to the park was to exercise and be out in the fresh air. However, look what happened as a result of this simple act of walking! A delightful friendship, with a duck of all things, was formed. These kinds of synchronistic moments can happen if we take the time to see them. They often will find us IF we are open to receiving them.
In Giving We Receive
We hear this so often it almost seems a bit cliché – but it really is true. It’s hard to tell who benefitted the most from this unusual alliance – Dominique or Maria/Mario. Mario needed/wanted someone to love and maybe Dominique needed to be needed or loved. Who knows all the reasons or rationale for how and with whom we connect. The important thing is we all need to be loved and connected to a cause or person beyond ourselves. It is in giving of ourselves we are able to receive the love and abundance that is our natural birthright. But if we stay constantly attached to our daily “To Do” list and addicted to our need to succeed we will miss the joy that is right at our fingertips!
What if leaders today created workplaces that encouraged people to take walks at lunch and maybe feed a duck or enjoy the laughter of a child as they ate their lunch? It is well-known that relaxation and laughter create chemicals in the brain that heighten sensitivity and enhance performance – not to mention make the workplace a more enjoyable place to be. Supporting people to be their best at work AND outside the workplace produce a very different employee and work environment.
So if you’re a leader — go take a walk and feed a duck or two and invite your employees to do the same!
Tags: assertiveness, consulting, executive brilliance, jennifer whitaker, leadership development, motivation
