Some time ago I attended a forum on women and change. I was at my table before the session began exchanging pleasantries with the other women seated, when one of them turned to me and asked “why are you here? You could be up there facilitating this session.” For a moment, time stood still and a rush of thoughts filled my mind, all of which made me uncomfortable. Did I just fork out money without thinking? The thought that I could facilitate the session never crossed my mind? Was I just doing a friend a million dollar favour by supporting her in the event? My head was noisy!!! I blurted out something about supporting my friend, it sounded “nice and magnanimous” to those who heard it, but it certainly sounded hollow to me. Then my mind stood still, the ego chatter stopped and the truth emerged.
Not once since my friend had expressed a desire to host the event, had I considered that I should facilitate the event. It was always my intention to attend as a participant and I had arrived that evening, open and willing to embrace any learnings, whatever form it took and indeed the learnings had begun. It was in that Time Out…… the intentional cessation of an incomplete task that I came to the full appreciation and awareness of the meaning of the word OPENNESS.
Openness a. Affording unobstructed entrance and exit; not shut or closed. b. Affording unobstructed passage or view: open waters; the open countryside. …
And so it was with me that evening, in my state of openness, my intuition was at its peak and it led to the surfacing of five words that ultimately brand my life purpose.
You see in reality, we never stop learning. How many times as leaders have we failed to listen to subordinates, because we believe that we have heard it all before? That we know it all or that we know more than they do? Take a Time Out today, silence your ego chatter and see what emerges. Time out …………..the intentional cessation of an incomplete task.
are you ready for a time out? 