Hi, Subscribers. How was your week? As your guide, I'm here to remind you of the power of play in your daily routine. It's not just about personal and professional growth, but also about finding joy in the journey. Incorporating play can do wonders for your creativity, problem-solving skills, and overall well-being. Let’s set ourselves up for success and inspiration and remember to find joy in every step of our development.
It’s time for an accountability check-in. My dad had a lovely birthday, and I am blessed that he is still alive. The dress I painted was a success, and the gala featured the most incredible artwork. Check out AfriKin Art. I’ve restarted posting about my offers; if people don’t know, how can they grow? This week, I provided a Clarity Nugget as a prize from my last Clarity Playshop, and the recipient said it brought them to tears and was a huge gift to them. This Clarity Nugget is just a glimpse of what you can experience in the Clarity Playshop. You can get your own Clarity Nugget at this link. Also, this week, I attended Bystander Intervention Training hosted by Meta Peace Team and Stone Cairns. This is the best four hours I’ve spent in a long time. Learn more at this link.
This week, we will draw inspiration from The Poké Tarot Pack by BlueberryBlanket. It's always a good time to set goals, so let's not wait for the New Year to begin. One of my favorite reflection tools is Stop, Start, Continue. It's a simple yet effective way to set improvement objectives for our current tasks or projects. The hardest part is often choosing the area of opportunity. What do we want to focus on next week? Let's take a cue from Reshiram, a white bird dragon Pokémon. It hovers in the air with its wings spread, and its wispy mane and tail flow around it. Two wands contain a clear gem on either side. Reshiram is the King of Wands, a truth-seeker associated with leadership and empowerment. It's a fire type, and I often think about how I spend my energy when I get a wands card. How can I empower people as a leader without burning out? Even though the tool is called Stop, Start, Continue, we go in order of Continue, Stop, Start. Let's find joy in this process of self-improvement and leadership.
As a leader, it's crucial to reflect on what we should continue doing. Lanturn, an electric water type, and The Hermit, is a great symbol for this introspection. It resembles a blue anglerfish, and its light underwater makes it appear to be swimming next to the moon. Leadership can often feel lonely, as our focus is on developing our people and hitting targets. According to Merriam-Webster, to lead means to “guide on the way, especially by going in advance.” As a leader, I do not ask my team to do anything I am unwilling to do. I think Lanturn’s light is a perfect depiction of leading the way and lighting the path ahead. Leadership is often not glamorous, as we need to protect our team. I make time to decompress and debrief in solitude. It is during these quiet moments that I get my best ideas. Do you currently have a “me time” practice? If it works, it’s something to continue. Remember, self-care and reflection are not just important, they are necessary for effective leadership.
What should I stop doing as a leader? The Five of Cups depicts Greninja, a Dark blue frog-man Dark Water-type Pokémon. Even though it is amphibian, it looks like an elegant blue fox to me, and its enormous pink tongue is wrapped around its neck like a scarf. It uses its mucus to create shuriken and has hit three out of five targets in the card. Water is about our feelings and communication, and dark energy is about understanding the undercurrents around us. If we lead from our feelings and are not objective, we can miss the mark or even lash out at the wrong thing. This means not jumping to conclusions. A helpful practice is to email yourself, giving you the chance to take a dispassionate second look. Taking a pause is also very helpful. It is often misunderstood or seen as negative when I process how I feel out loud or by typing it in the chat. I also tend to fill space because of my dread of awkward silence. I got to practice standing back at yesterday’s Bystander Intervention Training. When I took a step back and gave space for others to speak, I got to hear excellent insights from my co-participants. Next week, I’m going to stop having hair-trigger reactions. Shooting first and asking questions later is not a winning strategy.
Finally, let's consider what we should start doing as leaders. Frillish, a ghost-type Pokémon, is a great symbol for this. They are the Two of Cups, and we have a blue and pink Frillish with tentacles entwined as if they are doing a formal waltz. How are your relationships? Honestly, this card gave me the heebie-jeebies as I thought about dating again. Nope, nope, nopeity nope nope. However, I do recognize that we need community. Sometimes, I can be very hands-off and only reach out to people when there is a problem. I can start being more intentional in my communications. The caveat is that Frillish are carnivorous and have invisible poisonous appendages. If you have ever been in a toxic relationship, it may put you off from getting involved. Trust is essential to your team, and building community is a muscle that only strengthens with practice. What can you start doing? Perhaps recognize someone through a personal telephone call or email, depending on their preferred communication. Listen. Put away all distractions when you are with your team. What are some of your tips for building and maintaining connections? Taking advantage of the pause and reflection discussed in the Continue and Stop sections will help prevent you from being dragged into dangerous depths. Remember, your team is your community, and building and maintaining connections is key to effective leadership. Namaste
Registration is open for my January Clarity Playshop!
It’s a great opportunity if you want to:
· Access your intuition and gain crystal-clear vision.
· Break free from analysis paralysis and make decisions with ease.
· Combat burnout and reclaim your creative spark
If you want to incorporate more play to help you deal with the heavy things, my current offerings are listed on my Link Tree.
I also encourage you to share your experiences and strategies with the community. Your voice matters, and your journey can inspire others.
