[Originally written for LinkedIn, November 10, 2016. Relevant anew!]
To my dear friends here and friends to be; I bow to celebrate the inspired leadership within you. Really. Even if you may not identify yourself as an "inspired leader," please read on to accept this thank you, plus my confession and declaration from my heart to yours.
The U.S. Election has stirred up deep gratitude in me for the authentic, conscious leadership waking up in so many people these days. Look around. Look inside your own true heart, healthy mind, and restless spirit. We do have leadership to feel proud of and to cultivate more. Together, please. I can’t do this alone. How about you?
Holy hairdo, who would have ever fathomed that Donald Trump would be what goosed me to wake up inspired with more ferocity again. It snuck up on me over my eggs, over easy.
Here’s a text I spontaneously sent to a friend, and then kept going with many more people I felt compelled to touch & thank.
Thoughts wander to the "mourning after" the election (or some celebrating) ...and delicate balance of being fully with sobriety, sadness, buried wounds ....and ultimately curious about Now What. Now what is wanting to emerge...inside of me...from me...through me...as me. I bumped into an older post on LinkedIn...We are here to know we are One with the divine and that is our leadership role...to help people understand this ...not to earn heaven on earth, but to know this is our intrinsic, eternal birthright, calling and destiny. Ok, I'm improvising :-)
Thank You for being a space in this world and in my heart and life ... deep dark & bright light spark...leadership conduit of Love. Enjoy your day. xo xo Marian
I feel a spectrum of emotions. A part of me is rising up with this queenly serve-the-kingdom fervor, offering my support from a deep well of strength and inspiring possibilities. Another part is this frightened, bewildered little girl, wanting you to hold my hand, so we can cross the street together, and get some ice cream after that.
It feels like we are being invited into our greater potential, at times being rattled to realize what we truly care about, and how we want to show up for and with each other. To explore love thy neighbor in new ways, rather than just see red and stumble into unexamined assumption potholes.
One nation, under pressure.
Imagine our founding fathers calling us forth to become the better angels of our own nature, (as my family's Abraham Lincoln bust looks at me while I type this.)
May we find the joy-fuel in evolutionary momentum more than (inherited history of) revolutionary reactions. May we help each other transcend the defaults of fear-based motives, especially the subconscious wounds hiding in the basements of our psyche- individual and collective- that we don’t even know are trying to run the show. One of the gifts of the media circus we witnessed is the display of wounded inner children posturing in grown up suits. So, here we are folks, called forth to muster up more compassion and courage; to face everything, avoid nothing- inner and outer. Starting with the face in the mirror, and tapping into a depth of inner Love for all of our own inner parts. I’m not talking about shallow, new-agey affirmations or hyped pep talks to go win big.
What the world needs now is Real Love. I’ll keep saying this in every post. I don’t care. Well, actually I do care. That’s why I’ll keep saying it. :-) L.O.V.E. Leaders for Our Vital Evolution. And what each leader needs is unconditional Love pouring into every molecule of the human condition, to set our hearts free to live up to what we came here to be and do.
I believe we are meant to have FUN doing this, to dance and sing and find ways to have uncomfortable conversations with maturity and humility. We can unleash a trust the force power that will have us waking up inspired and co-creating our new dream with innovative breakthroughs we have not tasted yet. Would you like to play in that exploration?
Take a peek at a bit of President Kennedy's inaugural address (from the year I was born, 1961):
"The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. "
Amen. Awomen. Ahumans!
Oh, almost forgot my confession. Tricky persona doesn’t want to expose my underbelly. In the spring of 2015, I thought I was in heaven. I had just had the privilege of speaking inside of Google and a Palo Alto start up. I was feeling so lucky to be madly in love with “the one” perfect soul mate, and living in Shangri la. My friends were thrilled for me (after a rough patch with my beloved brother’s death, then a big leap of faith with conscious uncoupling of a wonderful 25-year relationship, and move across the country). Then I was completely blindsided by a sudden betrayal that shocked everyone. I felt shattered, humiliated, ashamed. I lost faith in faith. I lost trust in myself. I put myself on sabbatical for a while, to intentionally let the alchemizing process have its way with me. I surrendered into healing, forgiveness and moving on. I was stunned with what I was feeling at times, as this undulating, aah-I’m better, Whoa, no I’m not!Who am I, what is going on? process unfolded.
As many of you know, this served as a catalyst for yet another wave of transformational growth, forcing me to “go inside” and discover a richer connection with an inner Beloved, and renewed trust. I chose to invest many months of intense work in self-sourcing (inner self partnering, parenting) and conscious relating. (Yes, discovered deeper layers even after decades of growth work-more than most people on the planet, right?) Of course, this has also flowed into new insights with clients these days. I was blessed to still be living in Shangri la, hanging out with the ocean, mountains and trees for this mystical & practical program I ended up creating.
The cute summary could be “from shattered to shining.” It is also a non-linear, ongoing work in progress. Not so cute in dire moments. I’ve had the pleasure of hugging people these days and can look into their eyes and say, “Oh, you’ve been through the fire, hmm?” And we can be fierce warriors of Love and human family for each other, even it’s just ten seconds.
Shakti Leadership authors Nilima Bhat and Raj Sisodia refer to the inner holy family reunion (self-parenting the inner child, and inner marriage of healthy masculine and feminine). I enjoyed connecting with them again at the Conscious Capitalism conference. It was validating and a bit funny that the most annihilating phase of my life could be so efficiently captured in a hero’s journey slide graphic. Check that dip into death-rebirth off the list, hmm? Ha! All kidding aside, if any of you are in some level of confusion or WTF growing pains, please know you are in good company. It may be that the caterpillar in us is dissolving and there really is an amazing new butterfly emerging. I don’t want to make this sound cheesy. I can laugh easily about the perfection of this triggered catharsis and see how it lines up brilliantly with my higher purpose about inspired leadership development. I can also cry easily with the heartbreak and fear that’s still available within. The good news is that all of me is ever more ready to accept and love all of you. And to help us do that for those we are meant to serve.
Especially now as we seek “to form a more perfect union” (as the Constitution intended), inner and outer.
My declaration is that I am newly inspired to step up. More. To be willing to share what feels like a gold mine of practices & tools gathered over decades of my love affair with the inner operating system of leaders at our best. To take a deep breath and declare a wholehearted Yes to being well-used as an instrument for a purpose much greater than my personal pity party or procrastination. I wondered if that language was too harsh towards self. My inner fierce Love voice said, “We are not here to play small and nicey nice all the time. That’s another myth of the mind, my dear. You are here for a higher purpose so far beyond grieving over X or falling into an old comfort zone with Y. You are here to help set hearts free to fly. To be the new leadership…”
What is your own “Now what” this week? Or what is on your heart and mind? Comment for us to begin a virtual campfire a bit here. Add your voice. :-)
I’m also here for campfire of two and delighted to be in this new exploration with you. If you are feeling moved or just curious, don’t hesitate. Who knows why we may be drawn to connect.
Set your life on fire. Hang out with people who fan your flames. - Rumi
Dear friends, do not let your inner fire be trumped by changing winds. We need your Love and the unique gifts you were born to bring. It’s my joy and job to help you.
Marian@MarianBaker.com
773 552 4511
