Initium Novum (A New Beginning)

I love the end of year holidays. It brings with it an opportunity to kick back and spend time with family and friends. Everything slows down. Paradoxically, in the midst of the manic mass shopping and indulgence all around me, I find this period a cocoon of peace.

December 2013 was super-exceptional though. As I evaluated my life, it became crystal clear in my mind that I needed to do something magical. For a long time, fear of the unknown nearly had me fossilized! I felt like a relic in a museum. Not in the glassed off section where most valuable displays are found, but in one of those dusty corners no visitor ventures to.

“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows. ” ~St. Francis of Assisi

Decide: I fought with the thick fog in my mind that obscured my vision. There was a ray of hope as I said to myself that “I will become unmistakably authentic!” [TweetMe] With the constant hum of that thought, my mindset began to transform. It took me back to my boyhood when I would try to tune into the BBC broadcasts on a shortwave transistor radio. I would turn the large dial to home in on the correct frequency. It was accompanied by high-pitched shrills, but the broadcast would be scratchy and unclear. That’s when the fine-tuning knob came into play. A little tweaking and voila! I was enjoying news from lands afar. My world was alive!

That was how I felt at the end of last year. Like my tuning of the transistor radio, I have resolved to be a doer on a larger scale. I am willing to fight for truth, take on great challenges, risk failure and strive for growth. I will not shy away from making mistakes. I choose to unsettle the status quo.

Take Action: After that, I took some time to define, fine-tune and write down my core values [TweetMe]. Without clarity in my core values, it will be difficult to live up to my dream and vision. These are my solid five pillars that will support me to build on who I am:

I will enshrine boldness in my vision.

I want to inspire excellence in people.

I seek to be authentic in my leadership at all times.

I want to make a difference with my life.

I will consistently add to my knowledge.

This was an awesome, thought-provoking exercise. I would encourage you to define and clearly write down your core values. My good friend Dan Forbes has a wonderful blog post on Finding Your Core Values that you can use.

“And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight and closed in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom. This is the element of freedom.”

Believe: It’s going to be a scary ride, but I want to help people to become unmistakably authentic! My ultimate hope is that you find change from the inside that positively affects your outlook and everything or anyone you touch [TweetMe]. In leadership, communication and branding,

“The degree to which you are able to tell your story is the degree to which you are able to heal. It helps us deal with our shame, our inadequacy. To deal with ME!”

How will you allow your story to be anchored by your core values?

photo credit: thinkpublic via photopin cc