“The most powerful thing you can ever do is to be yourself.” Dwayne Johnson (formerly known as World Wrestling Entertainer, The Rock). The next powerful and loving thing you can do is keep on the journey of self-discovery, all of your life.

Even though today’s episode was taped before all of our lives changed and a day before my Mom’s death on March 10, it fits. We are all being called to evolve ourselves while we do business differently, remotely. Getting my head around 18-months of this is daunting at the moment. We will figure this out. DOWNLOAD

I began this 3-part series as I was rolling out a new tool for you to more easily and more directly assert Self-Leadership Mastery. Self-Leadership is about betting on yourself to create the best life and business you can. As you take charge of your journey, you shift to lead from that internally strengthened and empowered place that resonates in your soul. That purist, highest, truest place spiritual leaders talk about. An enlightened and aware state.

I give a brief summary of episodes 1 and 2 where I discussed Mike Kabeya’s journey with him and interpret his WeMentor Self-Leadership Well-Being Spectrum. You can hear both episodes by scrolling down to the Mentoring Resources.

Both episodes were wonderful and motivating, even more so the 2^nd time around. Mike Kabeya and I hadn’t been behind the mic together since last year. It was fun to get caught up and share with you ways to interpret 2 of the 8 areas within the Spectrum.

I found this statement to be particularly true in my Mom’s case. “If the brain interferes with a person’s ability to perform any step in a task, the person will not be able to do the rest of the task.” The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss by Nancy L. Mace, MA and Peter V. Rabins, MD, MPH (1981 to 2017)

My Mom’s transition triggered memories of our family dynamics that played out in very painful ways. I explain how I asserted self-leadership. The intention to get psychological help while going through this with a loving and caring therapist continues to work. I am staying present and connected with loved ones. I am able to reposition my professional service business to address your needs at this time.

At the end, hear how I refuse to commit the five deadly sins that can knock you off your self-discovery journey. It will help you stay on your path.

Here are what leaders are saying about the WeMentor Self-Leadership Well-Being Spectrum:

• Well-organized and group sessions have been well-run.
• Insightful and somewhat enlightening, meaning, it was thought provoking because the questions introduced ideas one doesn’t think about in terms of well-being.
• Validation. Everyone felt better after taking it and receiving feedback. They left with a new perspective on their life and well-being. And, a mini plan going forward. I love that part!
• This tool could be useful in a lot of places. Especially helpful, before and after a big transition, like this coronavirus pandemic.
• I added the Self-Awareness Mentoring Journal (SAMJ), which, I believe increased the authenticity of the assessment. The outcomes are influenced by how a person is feeling at the moment they take the assessment. What I have found is a deeper, richer interpretation of the results occurs after people share their feelings.
• Most of you haven’t taken this spectrum. Now is a great time to take it as you set new 2020 goals.

My Interpretations so far:

• Everyone is in a different place in their lives. The tool offers enough openness for each person to tailor where they would like to go with the results.
• There are different worries at different ages and during life transitions.
• A small but significant pool of 15 people have taken this tool. More have taken it since then. These are seasoned leaders who have taken lots of personal development assessments, so their feedback reflected their experience.  I implemented their suggestions.
• A few mentioned how different their well-being would have been during their last life transition like a divorce, being laid off, or out of work for extended periods of time, loss of someone close to you, financial upheaval in business causing financial duress, expanding the family to add more kids, shifting how you parent, expanding or selling a business, etc.

Do these three WeMentor Self-Leadership Activation Exercises:

1. Take this risk: Practice social solidarity. We need connections with others. It is how we are wired as social beings. We are all in the same boat all around the world; going upstream without a paddle. Think about how you connected with others before the pandemic. Formulate a weekly strategy that would feel good in meeting your need to stay connected with others. Adjust it as your needs change and shift. It will be awhile, up to four weeks, before the new routine becomes a habit. Then evaluate the rest of your life. Focus in on creative ways to meet your daily needs. This could be a great time for a money meeting to brainstorm how you can live more frugally. Have fun with it, if at all possible right now!

• Apply Self-Compassion: My feelings are all over the place. Uncertainty and grief collide. One minute I am happy, the next I am angry with the next set of self-isolation requirements. I feel a sense of panic and loss as I work with clients and friends. Some businesses won’t make it. I know you are feeling this too. Acknowledge your tenderness and huge weight of responsibility you feel as you make life changing decisions that have economic ripple effects in your household, and in our communities and workforce. These are not easy decisions you are making. Some are led by forces outside of us like the federal and local government.

• Welcome Appreciation: Be comforted in knowing that no matter what, we will get through this, some more alive than others. Be kind and generous in spirit with everyone you interact with over the phone, and within your household. Appreciate the little things that are still happening. The sun is shining. Chores getting done. Help with cooking and cleaning and washing clothes. You have clothes and food for the day, etc.

I appreciate your kindness and trust in me to collaborate with you to move forward. I am here. Reach out. This is a great time to ask for what you need. We haven’t been through this before. No one living has. Social solidarity is alive and well. I am just an email and phone call away.

Episode 218   A New Tool to Assert Self-Leadership, 3 of 3