LETTING MY HEART LEAD THE WAY

     We know a great deal about what leaders do and how they do it. But we know very little 

      about the inner place, the source from which they operate. And it is this source that 

      "Theory U" attempts to explore. When leaders develop the capacity to come near to

      that source, they experience the future as if it were "wanting to be born" - an 

      experience called "presencing." That experience often carries with it ideas for 

      meeting challenges and for bringing into being an otherwise impossible future.

                             Otto Scharmer author of Theory U and Leading From The Emerging Future

This morning I told a friend, “I need to get off the phone and let my Muse show me my next blog. I’ve no idea where it’s coming from." This year’s sojourn has been about what Otto Scharmer calls "letting come an emergent future." 

It’s quite the adventure living into this freedom. It's about breaking the chains of traditional thinking. It's about trusting my heart to lead me. 

Some of my most life-altering moments have been when I let my heart lead the way. Since I was a child, I always wanted to be near chimpanzees. I shared this one day in a group. Well someone knew someone who had recently gone to a chimpanzee sanctuary in the United States. 

"Oh, boy." 

A phone call later, I was speaking with a woman thought to be the sanctuary founder. Turns out she wasn't in charge of a sanctuary at all. She arranged African Safaris."Had she ever arranged a trip to a chimp sanctuary?" Well, yes she had. 

That's how I found myself on a plane to Zambia, Africa, the home of Chimfunshi. Talk about experiencing a future "waiting to be born." 

Shelia Siddle with an orphaned chimp

With nothing more than their heart’s dedication, the Siddles created the largest Chimpanzee Sanctuary in the world. Inspired and on fire, I saw my new future birthing before me as I hung out with the chimps. I saw the Siddle's sheer innovation, freshness and native leadership.

Chimfunshi chimps; photo by Karla Boyd

I had listened for years to the suffering of animal rescue workers: they were burnt-out and in need of new ways. In Africa, I saw how to move beyond the old paradigms that perpetuate more suffering. On that auspicious journey, I was called to offer leadership development work into the animal steward community upon my return to the states. 

Last week, I wrote a blog, Change Your Vibration And Tell Me What You Want. It's a request to publish positive media images and share what IS working. It's what made the Siddles natural leaders. It's what let me trust my heart and get on a plane to Africa. 

After I hung up the phone with my friend, a rainbow appeared on my walk. Back home, leaning into the unknown, I found myself opening to a link about positive news stories. Harmonyfund.org and Laura Simpson's “Unique Blue Sky Approach” caught my eye. In perfect synch with last week 's blog message were these words:

     We do not expose our supporters to graphic photos of animal suffering or distribute

     dire forecasts about animal suffering. Instead we focus on a spirit of joy and 

     determination as we pursue essential operations to provide food, veterinary medicine, 

     shelter and protection from cruelty for animals worldwide.

Harmony Fund photo

That is how I believe we move into our best futures ... flowing with the threads of where our hearts are leading us. 

So when, dear Reader, did you last follow your heart? 

CHANGE YOUR VIBRATION AND THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!

Already this season, I have requests to lift spirits.

Everybody needs love and encouragement. It’s not the negative news, pictures or reporting that inspires us to respond to world pain. But positive vibrations do.

Be a bringer of hope.

Inspired and soulful inquiries move conversations forward. Moving the conversation forward means speaking into community when your contribution inspires the learning environment. Lifting vibrations and aligning moves the conversation forward.

Old worldviews are problem-based with uninspired, and even toxic, vibrations. Humans resort to scarcity and fear-based thinking. Negative speech and dissecting issues brings the conversation down ... and us along with it.

Three days ago, a friend on Facebook posted on her timeline: “I’m leaving Facebook. I can’t stand all these awful images.” Putting up awful images on Linkedin, Facebook and in the media news shuts down inspiration and positive energy that could make a difference.

One person wrote in response to our friend leaving:

              Posting horrible things is unnecessary to get the people who will help, 
              to help. And shock value of horrendous photos is not going to get the 
              people who are not already helping, to help.

                                                                                        MaryGaye LeBoeuf

                                                                             ‪

Old belief systems are dying out. Yet, there is still controversy about what creates positive change. I believe that MaryGaye is right; shock value does not motivate us to create positive change. Namaste Global Vision's ten years of research in the animal steward field suggests the same. There's a lot of despair, anger and burn-out in the animal steward field ... and a lot of negative results. 

If you don’t do this by tonight.....it will be the end. This isn’t a message of hope. Nor does it inspire. When I get one of these Facebook messages, I have a sinking feeling; I have heart palpitations. I have to stop and do intentional work to re-align my vibrational field before I can move into a positive place...before I am RELIABLE to make a difference.

FIRST CHANGE YOUR VIBRATION AND THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT!

Noeline McManaway has been helping people for years to lift their vibrational field, transforming negative issues. She offers a rich perspective:

Once we get into our aligned positive beneficial space then we have that field of positive energy going out for someone else to pick up on. When we are depressed and in that negative state, someone already with that tendency picks up on that and they get more depressed. When we're happy and aligned that energy goes out to anyone who can benefit from it. 

         

We all NEED to SEE what is WORKING, be inspired, and buoyed up. We need positive images. Years ago, part of my job was to consult with leaders of halfway houses: homes for women re-entering society after long bouts of drug abuse. Lenore, Director of one of these programs, ALWAYS met me at the door saying: “Tell me something good.” She was drowning in a sea of sorrow. She counted on me to tell her what was working!

Scientific research demonstrates that what we focus on expands. Focus on the negative and negative outcomes grow. Focus on positive inquiries and positive outcomes flourish. Appreciative Inquiry, an organizational leadership process, teaches that asking the right questions allows the pathway for positive results to open up.

“Many well intentioned teams have abandoned problem-solving projects because the weight of the problem was too much to bear,” David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva write.

Appreciative Inquiry Organizational Change Model teaches that positive interviews create positive futures. The key is first to change your vibrational field and THEN focus on what you want.

Wild Horses are in the news recently. If I used a problem-based approach, I might ask someone:

“What is your systematic approach to save wild horses before it’s totally too late?”

It generates scarcity consciousness. It suggests nothing CAN be done. It invites in the awful news. It calls out low vibrations.

If I asked a question from an Appreciative Inquiry model, I’d ask:

“I know you’re a very committed person that likely works 40-50 hours a week. I see how much you care about your work and the environment. Could you take a moment and share your best experience with wild horses? What’s your most positive story about wild horses presently running free? What is one thing you’d be willing to do to build on that success in Wyoming?”

It honors success and commitment. It inspires change. It builds on success. It listens for what’s possible. People’s vibrations light up in sharing good stories. Change occurs when we are aligned and sending forth positive vibrations. It’s what animals and people need. To build on that foundation, I might ask people to turn to something that inspires them.

Michael Stillwater and Gary Malkin put together such an inspiring video. “The Great Bell Chant” nourishes lives. It fosters positive vibrations. It renews the spirit.

Dear Reader, tell me a story about the time you created a positive impact with others. How and where in the world, will you build on that success?