Day 413 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises LIVING IN THE REAL WORLD It is only in the place of total silence, that we can hear words spoken without sound. It is only in the place of total darkness, that we can become the brightest light. It is only in the place of total emptiness, that we can touch what is really here. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE? 1. What do you hear in total silence? 2. What do you see in total darkness? 3. What do you touch in total emptiness? Day 412 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises DUAL RESPONSIBILITY We must love others as we love ourselves. This is called dual responsibility. This is a personal and proactive approach to inclusion, where we work with, and support all others. Dual responsibility is our individual way of working. It is us reaching in, and reaching out, at the same time. For when we reach out to help others, we become problem solvers, connectors, and creators. We get out of our heads to explore, make new links and find new possibilities. We make life better for everyone. Dual responsibility is so much more than simply helping others. You see, with every interaction, we are building a kinder world PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Start a new discussions with others. Find out how they are, what they are doing or what their current challenge is. See if you can suggest some ideas to help them. Explore the possibility of working together to make it happen. Day 411 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises EVERLASTING GRANTS Many voluntary organizations and community groups, are trapped on the hamster wheel of grants. They work on applications. They apply and get funding. They spend it. They go again. They work on applications. They apply and get funding. They spend it. They go again. But we can step off the hamster wheel, with an Everlasting Grant. You see, every grant offers the opportunity to create a product or service, at the same time as we deliver the work. Your training course, your support service, your advice, your report and case studies, can all be captured, and then shared. Every grant offers us the potential to create new products, share our experience and bring us income on an ongoing basis. Everlasting Grants are stepping stones to financial sustainability, If only we can get off the hamster wheel. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What products or service can you create with your current grant? 2. Look through all of your previous grants. What can you harvest from this work to create new products and services? Day 410 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises THE HOLDALL Love holds those of all faiths and no faith together as one. Love is all faith, open to all and freely available. Love holds those of all belief and non-belief together as one. Love is all belief, open to all and freely available. Love holds all those with faith and no faith, with belief and non-belief, together as one. Love holds all of us together as one. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Are you totally at one with those from other beliefs or non belief, or from other faiths or no faith? 2. Can you see all of us as one in holdall of Love? Day 409 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises THE ONGOING CONVERSATION The words are simply an output. The work is simply an output. The activity is simply an output. The way forward is simply an output. My success and my failure. My sadness and my joy. All simply outputs. I keep looking at outputs and missing the ongoing conversation. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How would you describe your internal conversation and your dialogue with yourself? 2. Is this spoken, secret, acknowledged or cherished? Day 408 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises SUSTAINABLE SPIRITUALITY Our energy use will shift dramatically over the next 20 years. We will move further away from the old fossil fuel economy which creates greenhouse gases. We are learning to work together for the good of everyone. Clean, renewable energy is our aim. It’s a new way of living for all of us. Coal will stay in the ground and we can look after our world, if we all play our part, together. Our spirituality will also shift dramatically over the next 20 years. We will move further away from the old religious structures which create division. We are learning to work together for the good of everyone. A spirituality of love is our aim. It’s a new way of living for all of us. Religions will stay in their buildings and we can build a caring world, if we all reach out, together. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How will you become a champion of Sustainable Spirituality? 2. Is your belief or non-belief limiting your potential or holding you back from building Sustainable Spirituality? Day 407 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises RULE OF FISHING We’ve been working on our own, for years. Trying to get things done and make things happen. There were many of us all in the same boat. And all fishing away on our own. We are now trying a different approach. We’ve got together and we're working with each other. You see, we’ve packed away our fishing rods. And, as one, we’re casting out our net. It's a huge net and we need your help. Then, we will get more done, and make more happen. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. Are you still fishing on your own? 2. What net are you going to help with? 3. What are you trying to get done and make happen? Day 406 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises WHEN INCLUSION ISN'T WORKING I was asked to advise the Senior Team of a leading UK University on how to make inclusion work. They had four values of 'innovation', 'collaboration', 'determination' and 'diversity and inclusion' in their strategy. But inclusion wasn’t happening. My queries seemed like a strange language to them. They totally disagreed with kindness and didn’t see it as relevant. They had no place for caring, compassion or helping. This was the view of the Head of Marketing and Communication. And the People Director. Others stayed quiet. It seemed a strange position for a student led business. But this University is not alone. Many organizations are trying to bolt-on inclusion as a corporate behaviour, when really, it’s a personal one. It's human values that we must cherish, as well as corporate ones. Inclusion in practice, is about behaviours that encourage and enable us to help each other, as we work and learn together. We must care for one another. We must be compassionate and kind. For none of us, whether staff or students, know what others are carrying, or going through. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are the values that your organization actively promotes? 2. What does your Corporate Plan say are the inclusive behaviours that your organization values? Day 405 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises THE PURPOSE OF WORK The purpose of work is not to make money, build a business, deliver a service or sell products. These are simply activities. The purpose of work is to help others, by giving of who we are, so that we can all grow together, now. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. What are your work activities? 2. What is the purpose of the work that you do? Day 404 of Des McCabe's Personal Development Exercises DISRUPTION THEORY Disruption Theory says that each of us has a responsibility to disrupt the status quo. To challenge the norm. To question of the current process. To reset the routine. To search for a better way. Our task is to be a Disruptor. To use our skills of insight, creativity and leadership, in all that we are, and do! For how else, will the important thinking happen? For how else, will those that we work with, find a better way? For how else, will we shift ourselves, to where we should be? Our everyday opportunity is to have fun, be real, and disrupt everything! PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE 1. How can you disrupt and bring your skills of insight, creativity and leadership, to all that you are and do? 2. List five areas where you can apply Disruption Theory today. |
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June 2021
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