Maybe You Don’t Need to Do More. Maybe You Need to Notice.

I learned something recently because I had to.

Isn't that how some of the best lessons begin?

As part of my doctoral work and coaching certification, I was assigned a practice called BREATHe, from Charles Stone's Holy Noticing.

And yes, there was an academic paper involved.

Because apparently simply saying, "Wow, that was really helpful," doesn't quite meet doctoral level requirements.

But somewhere between completing the assignment and writing the reflection, something happened.

I realized I wasn't just learning a coaching technique.

I was learning how to notice.

BREATHe walks you through six areas:

Body
Relationships
Environment
Affect, or emotions
Thoughts
Heart

It sounds simple.

Until you actually stop long enough to do it.

I spend a lot of my life moving.

Teaching. Coaching. Writing. Serving. Leading. Planning. Solving. Thinking about what needs to happen next.

Maybe you do too.

We can become so good at managing our lives that we forget to actually experience them.

BREATHe asked me to stop.

What is happening in my body right now?

What relationships need my attention?

What is happening around me that I haven't even noticed?

What am I feeling?

What am I thinking?

And what is happening in my heart?

Not fixing.

Not judging.

Not immediately developing a five point action plan.

Just noticing.

That last part may be the hardest for those of us who are used to getting things done.

I was trained as a journalist, so I learned years ago to look for the story.

As a coach, I am learning to listen for the person within the story.

And through BREATHe, I am learning something else:

Sometimes we need to become quiet enough to notice what God may already be doing in the middle of it all.

Maybe today's Monday Motivation isn't about doing one more thing.

Maybe it is about noticing the life you are already living.

Take a breath.

Notice your body.

Think about your relationships.

Look around you.

Name what you're feeling.

Listen to your thoughts.

Then ask one simple question:

What do You want me to notice today?

You may be surprised by the answer.

Hoping you take time to notice today,

-srt

#MondayMotivation #BREATHe #HolyNoticing #BePresent #PurposefulLiving #FaithAndLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #ReaCoachingAndConsulting #LeadWithStrength #LiveWithPurpose

The Stories We Live By

I've been thinking about our conversation on Monday.

A few weeks back, I wrapped up another semester teaching graduate Project Management at Jessup University.

As I was meeting with students about their final projects, I found myself wondering...

Years from now, what will they actually remember?

Will it be the project charter?

The Gantt chart?

The executive status report?

Maybe.

But I have a feeling they'll remember something else.

The stories.

The story about the project that failed before it succeeded.

The story about a leader who admitted they didn't have all the answers.

The story about taking a risk.

Making a mistake.

Learning the lesson.

Trying again.

One statement from a recent leadership course has stayed with me all week.

The brain is wired for stories.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized storytelling isn't just something authors or speakers do.

It's one of the greatest gifts we can give another person.

Think about it.

When someone shares a story about overcoming failure...

    You borrow courage.

When they talk honestly about grief...

    You borrow hope.

When they describe starting over...

    You borrow possibility.

Stories help us believe that if someone else found a way forward...

    Maybe we can, too.

As a coach, I've noticed something else.

The most powerful stories aren't always the ones we tell other people.

They're the ones we tell ourselves.

"I'll never be good at this."

"I'm too old."

"I've missed my chance."

"I'm not enough."

Those stories shape our decisions long before anyone else hears them.

But here's the beautiful part.

Stories can be rewritten.

Instead of saying...

"I failed."

What if the story became...

"I'm learning."

Instead of...

"I'll never figure this out."

What if it became...

"I haven't figured it out yet."

The facts haven't changed.

But the story has.

And sometimes that's enough to change the future.

Coffee Conversation

Before we finish our coffee together...

Can I leave you with one question?

What story have you been telling yourself that no longer deserves a leading role in your life?

Don't rush to answer.

Sometimes we don't realize we've been living inside an old story until someone gently invites us to imagine a new one.

This Week's Reminder

The stories you tell yourself become the life you build.

Choose them carefully.

Until next time, keep leading with strength and living with purpose.

-srt

#ThursdayThoughts #Storytelling #LeadershipDevelopment #Coaching #Mentorship #Learning #GrowthMindset #LeadWithStories #ProfessionalDevelopment #Purpose #ReaCoachingandConsulting

Everyone Has a Story. Keep Writing Yours.

As I wrapped up another semester teaching graduate Project Management at Jessup University, I found myself wondering what my students will actually remember years from now.

Will it be the project charter?

The Gantt chart?

The executive status report?

Maybe.

But if my years of teaching have taught me anything, it's this...

People may forget the lesson.

They rarely forget the story.

The story about the project that went sideways.

The leader who admitted they didn't have all the answers.

The moment everything changed because someone had the courage to try something different.

Stories stay with us because they help us see ourselves.

That's true in the classroom.

It's true in leadership.

And it's true in life.

The interesting thing is...

Your story isn't just shaping you.

It's quietly becoming part of someone else's.

    The challenge you overcame.

        The mistake you learned from.

            The conversation that changed your perspective.

                The season you thought would break you...but instead built you.

Someone, somewhere, will need that chapter one day.

This Week's Reminder

Never underestimate the power of your story. It may become someone else's turning point.

Happy Monday, friends.

Until next time, keep leading with strength and living with purpose.

-srt

#MotivationalMonday #Leadership #Storytelling #GrowthMindset #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #ReaCoachingandConsulting