Month: April 2020

Don’t let this title fool you, I have not found the way of balance. This line just happened to jump off the page and smack me across my face as I was reading an article in Cowboys and Indians about famed artist Morgan Weistling.

See, I had just gotten up from my beading table which has box upon box and strand upon strand of beautiful sparkling potential. Each bead is perfect, minute, and fascinating in it’s own way. And I will spend time at my table trying to hear their unique story; trying to find their quintessential pairing partners to fashion the most exquisite piece.  First, I tried to organize them. Maybe if I put them in order I could have clarity. When that yielded no results, I put strands of different kinds next to each other to see if that spoke to me. No luck. Finally, I thought I could make a simple pair of earrings. I inserted the silver post into the bead, bent it to form a loop…but it wasn’t perfect. So I quit to turn my attention to my latest magazine to find inspiration.

The one little musing of an artist’s struggle to balance perfectionism with productivity hit me on such a deep level.

How many things have I started, yet not finished, because it wasn’t perfect.

How often do we all do this in our own lives in one form or fashion?

As a parent, there is so much that isn’t perfect. The grace is to find perfection in the imperfect which builds to productivity.

May we all find that balance and grace.

Check out Mark Bedor’s article in the May/June 2020 Cowboys and Indians magazine…the art work is amazing.

Do you consider yourself a leader?

I remember asking my team of nurses that question on day during team building and was surprised by their response of, “No.”

“Really?!” My mind swirled around all the ways they were leaders, each in their own unique and individual way. I thought to myself, “Why don’t they see it about themselves?” Then that got my mind spinning around what being a leader means.

What is a leader?

If you’re a parent, you are a leader. If you are a member of a family, in your own way, you are a leader. If you live in a community, you are a leader. For me personally, I am the leader in my neighborhood by being the first to have backyard, suburban goats. The neighbor down the road, a leader in suburban chickens.

Being a leader isn’t always the General George S. Patton or Rosa Parks of the world. Being a leader is sometimes as simple as just being that person that has a mission, like tackling the laundry, and following through. Being a leader is one who offers kindness, when others do not. Another thing to keep in mind: there is no cookie-cutter style to leadership. We all have beautiful and unique ways of expressing leadership style that can be enhanced based on evaluation of effectiveness, and that is where the real masterpiece comes through.

Evaluate your normal. Is your normal to not view yourself as a leader, even though you are? Is your normal to avoid the tough things? Take time to explore some of these questions and you will find you are doing one of the most positive things a leader can do…Evaluating your own effectiveness.

Embrace the leader within yourself, and see the transformative power you hold.