Who Do You Think You Are?

You have to make great effort

“Don’t just put in your time. That is not enough. You have to make great effort.” When the shine wears off the habits we’re trying to form, when we begin to merely show up rather than put in the hard work of consistent, effortful focus, we lose hold of the very skill we’re trying to develop. Trusting the process implies patience and that you’re aware you’re taking a long-view approach. But it also implies that you take very seriously the small micro-task in front of you. Do each step of the journey with your whole attention. While sometimes it is enough to just to “show up,” it’s a good reminder that on the path of personal transformation, you have to work at it. This episode was brought to you by Big Self School. If you have been a part of the growing community from around the globe (30 countries by last count) that are following these daily meditations and ideas, we love your presence and are so glad you are listening. I hope that the process is making a difference in your life. If you would be so kind as to help our online visibility by giving us a review on Apple iTunes we would be deeply grateful. We’re starting this podcast from scratch and are bringing content and value to our listeners every single day without exception. Your support in even this one small way would make a big difference. Thank you!

Falling up into the second half of life

“Normally a job, fortune, or reputation has to be lost, a death has to be suffered, a house has to be flooded, or a disease has to be endured.” Rohr is pointing out a clear pattern that one of the primary ways we are ushered into the second half of life, of falling upward, is to experience failure or setback. It’s a part of life, and it is good to be reminded that these experiences will happen. What we do with them is the real story. Another way of stating it, “Before the truth sets you free, it tends to make you miserable.” This episode was brought to you by Big Self School. If you have been a part of the growing community from around the globe (30 countries by last count) that are following these daily meditations and ideas, we love your presence and are so glad you are listening. I hope that the process is making a difference in your life. If you would be so kind as to help our online visibility by giving us a review on Apple iTunes we would be deeply grateful. We’re starting this podcast from scratch and are bringing content and value to our listeners every single day without exception. Your support in even this one small way would make a big difference. Thank you!

Blind people who can see, but don't

“I don’t think we did go blind, I think we are blind, Blind but seeing, Blind people who can see, but do not see.” The quote speaks for itself, but the book it comes from is an allegory for the breakdown of society, which is fueled in large part to our failure to “see” each other. The year 2020 has seen a global pandemic, and calls for increased attention to the issues of systemic racism. In large measure, we are called to perform radical empathy. Many refuse because it is too hard, uncomfortable, or threatening to their power. They remain blind. This episode was brought to you by Big Self School. If you have been a part of the growing community from around the globe (30 countries by last count) that are following these daily meditations and ideas, we love your presence and are so glad you are listening. I hope that the process is making a difference in your life. If you would be so kind as to help our online visibility by giving us a review on Apple iTunes we would be deeply grateful. We’re starting this podcast from scratch and are bringing content and value to our listeners every single day without exception. Your support in even this one small way would make a big difference. Thank you!

How we engage and work with others

“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” Our meditation focus is often on the self, and that is no doubt where the work begins. But a huge follow-up step is naturally how we engage and work with others. We all want to succeed and we can’t do it without others. In fact, we spend so much of our time working with others to accomplish our very own goals, it’s important that we are able to work well with others on teams. Most of us want to collaborate. We are ready to share our ideas and work with others, and most of us don’t want conflict. This quote focuses on the power of a good team — but perhaps more importantly, that it is rare. As Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” This episode was brought to you by Big Self School. If you have been a part of the growing community from around the globe (30 countries by last count) that are following these daily meditations and ideas, we love your presence and are so glad you are listening. I hope that the process is making a difference in your life. If you would be so kind as to help our online visibility by giving us a review on Apple iTunes we would be deeply grateful. We’re starting this podcast from scratch and are bringing content and value to our listeners every single day without exception. Your support in even this one small way would make a big difference. Thank you!

The Enneagram is a tool that awakens our compassion

“The Enneagram is a tool that awakens our compassion for people just as they are, not the people we wish they would become so our lives would become easier.” Knowing my Enneagram number has deepened my self-awareness, and given me practical and specific tools for growth. It has also helped me better understand people who are wired entirely differently than me. The idea here is to also realize that for as much as we don’t like it when people have agendas for us, neither should have agendas for other people. Easier said than done of course, especially when it comes to our children, with greater understanding comes greater compassion for self and others. This episode was brought to you by Big Self School. If you have been a part of the growing community from around the globe (30 countries by last count) that are following these daily meditations and ideas, we love your presence and are so glad you are listening. I hope that the process is making a difference in your life. If you would be so kind as to help our online visibility by giving us a review on Apple iTunes we would be deeply grateful. We’re starting this podcast from scratch and are bringing content and value to our listeners every single day without exception. Your support in even this one small way would make a big difference. Thank you!