Three Minute Leadership- Living a Life That is Truly Awesome

To: The Great Leaders Who Have a Passion for Continuous Learning

In his TED video, Neil Pasricha, author and founder of the website 1000awesomethings.com*, reminds great leaders of the awesome things they have in life – the simple things that they so casually take for granted: “things like waiters and waitresses who bring you free refills without asking, being the first table to get called up to the dinner buffet at a wedding, wearing warm underwear from just out of the dryer, or when cashiers open up a new check-out lane at the grocery store and you get to be first in line — even if you were last at the other line, swoop right in there.” To experience the ‘awesome’ that life offers each moment, he suggests three A’s.

Attitude – “ None of us can predict the future, but we do know one thing about it and that’s that it ain’t gonna go according to plan” Pasricha writes. There are “high highs” and “lumps and bumps” along the way. When we have the lumps and bumps, we should remember that we always have two choices: “ One, you can swirl and twirl and gloom and doom forever, or two, you can grieve and then face the future with newly sober eyes. Having a great attitude is about choosing option number two, and choosing, no matter how difficult it is, no matter what pain hits you, choosing to move forward and move on and take baby steps into the future.”

Awareness – Awareness is seeing the world with the eyes a three year old: “I love the way that they see the world, because they’re seeing the world for the first time. I love the way that they can stare at a bug crossing the sidewalk…. I love the way that they’ll spend hours picking dandelions in the backyard..love the way that they see the world, because they’re seeing the world for the first time. Having a sense of awareness is just about embracing your inner three year-old. And being aware is just about remembering that you saw everything you’ve seen for the first time once, too.”

Authenticity – Authenticity is being and living your “deeply authentic self.” Pasricha shares the story of Roosevelt (Rosie) Grier, famous NFL linebacker of the L.A. Rams, who was 300 pounds and six-foot-five. He as part of the Rams “fearsome foursome… tough football players doing what they love, which was crushing skulls and separating shoulders on the football field. But Rosey Grier also had another passion. In his deeply authentic self, he also loved needlepoint.”

Life is so very short, Pasricha tells us… a scant “100 years to enjoy it… such a short time to experience and enjoy all those tiny little moments that make it so sweet. ” Great leaders choose to capture the awesome in life’s every moment. Be awesome! Do awesome! Remember the words of Henry Miller, writer: “The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself.” Life is so very beautiful, and so magnificently awesome.

* Top four awesome things from website. Awesome is:

1. Anything you want it to be

2. Remembering how lucky we are to be here right now

3. The far corners of your mind

4. Today

Have a beautiful day and an awesome week!!!

Mike

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