3 Delightful Surprises
Scene: Breakfast in the dining room of the Upside Down Hilton (local name), Port–of-Spain, Trinidad – the first day of our contract to embed a coaching culture in an important department of a multinational company.
William Holt, my business partner, looks right at me and says, “Today, let’s look for 3 delightful surprises!!!” Being stern of mind, nervous about making sure we deliver way above expectations, I mentally rolled my eyes. (3 Delightful Surprises? What is he talking about? Doesn’t he realize the gravity of what we are about to do?)
Outwardly, I frown queryingly and say, “Sure(?).” (no obvious enthusiasm, because obviously he’s living in Pollyanna land.)
To make a long story short, William has been the person who has almost singlehandedly lightened my world. I thought intentional meant being uber serious. I hadn’t known you could be intentional AND light of spirit. That lightness communicates more effectively. That lightness makes depth more profound.
When my point of view changed, everything else changed as well. As Dr. Brad Brown used to say, “A miracle is nothing more and nothing less than a change in perception.”
Bottom line, looking for 3 Delightful Surprises … and finding them at the end of the day … priceless. They are always there. Look for yours, every day. See what changes in your world.
I identify with being light and purposeful. For me that means trusting myself with the task of delivering my purpose as well as the task of keeping a sense of humor/balance, especially when I fail.
In the case of being light in spirit, success/failure doesn’t seem to have much play. For me it’s about what I learn about myself, about the people we are interacting with, and how to tweak all of it to adjust for Reality. All on the fly – so it’s fun and vital and real.