The Magic Bullet Store is Out of Business

Very often, during a conversation, an email exchange, or following a workshop, the question of “Now what?” comes to the forefront.

Usually in talking about motivation, morale, or in creating the conditions that will make our workplaces better, a participant in the conversation will desire advice on how to get people to care more.

The response is that the magic bullet store is out of business.

And it has been for a while.

The real issue is that the current systems we have for education of our children (school), getting money to adults in an exchange for labor (work), and in taking care of both the Earth (capitalism) and the people on it (healthcare), grew up over the last 100, 200 or 500 years.

And no amount of hand-wringing (“It’s just terrible that this is happening?”), or desiring it to be better (“Can’t we all just ‘get along’?”) is going to change those systems in real, meaningful ways in the world we are currently living in.

The systems as designed are the problem.

Who organized the systems and what they believed is a problem.

The outcomes that benefit a few people philosophically, emotionally, and even spiritually is the problem.

The response to this is not to get mad, give up, or just ignore the problems in the systems and hope that they go away.

Or that someone else will come along and save us from ourselves and put everything “right.”

The response is to act to put your own hands to the levers of the systems in the sphere of influence that you can control (family, work, community, finances, social life, etc.), and begin to intentionally, purposefully, and deliberately push the levers of change.

And to do so with winsomeness, kindness, and grace.

But to do it tenaciously.

Persuasion, conflict management, active listening, responding to advance the conversation rather than to advance yourself, engaging without judgment to pull allies to your side—these are all skills that can be learned, taught, and passed on hand-to-heart, generation-to-generation.

Until we are thriving in the systems that we want to have, individually and corporately.

If the prospect of doing even 1% of that is too daunting for you as an individual inside of your sphere of influence, then you should be asking not “Now what?” but “What is it that I really want to accomplish in this limited life I have now?”

Fortunately for all of us, we were born at the beginning of a revolution in human affairs, human systems, and human motivations.

And all revolutions are scary and destructive before they are enlightening and hopeful.

Look for work first, and the hope will come.

[Advice] Coming out of The Dip

The peace building, consultant solopreneur can’t wait until they are “in the mood.”

the_dip

The fact is, the person building a project, always goes on, whether they feel like it or not.

Case in point:

Last week was not a great week for me; I would like a mulligan for last week.

Nothing went right.

The majority of the days of the week, I wanted to stay in bed and roll over to the other side. I didn’t feel like it.

For the peace building, consultant solopreneur, with no employees, that’s the dip.

Yet, this blog had a new post written, published and distributed every day.

Yet, my children got dropped off at school every day.

Yet, my clients got me on the projects that I was contracted to be on.

Yet, my three new projects for next year also continued being planned and steps were made to move forward in their execution and implementation.

When the peace building consultant solopreneur hits the dip—that moment when that person would rather be in bed, than be out in the world making an argument, making an impact, or making a difference—the hard things is to get up and just do it anyway.

As human beings in an economic and social world only beginning to recover from the hangover of the Industrial Revolution, our responsibility is to do the hard, unsexy things and to motivate ourselves first.

Or, to quote James Altucher, just show up.

That’s how you work, grind and—ultimately escape—the dip.

-Peace Be With You All-

Jesan Sorrells, MA
Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant
Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)
Email HSCT: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HSConsultingandTraining
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Sorrells79
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jesansorrells/

Guest Blogger Heidi Eckerson: Massaging with the Enemy

And our guest blogger series for this month concludes with a contribution from Heidi Eckerson of Revolution Massage Therapy in Endicott, NY.
A graduate of the Finger Lakes School of Massage in Ithaca, Revolution owner and NYS Licensed Massage Therapist Heidi Eckerson trained in the science of the body and the art of massage.
Heidi is dedicated to collaborating with her clients to design massage sessions that promote their wellness in a safe, effective, holistic way.   To learn more about her practice visit Revolution Massage Therapy’s website Revolution Massage Therapy and follow her on Facebook.
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Some guy named Eddie emailed me about joining his group at the BU Health Fair.  “We’re reaching out to all the therapists there. Last year we set up a chair massage corral.”
Thanks, but no thanks.  I had my own booth, promoting my own  practice.  I wanted to stand out.
I arrived early at the Events Center to set up.
Then, one by one, they came. Lugging massage chairs and other gear. They moved tables, discussed the layout—even considered my space!  Handing me a brochure, Eddie introduced himself.  He was President and founder of AIM—Association of Independent Massage Therapists.
He rattled off their names: Lynne with her do-it-yourself face cradle covers.  Marilyn, insisting I visit the other vendors.  Charles my Shiatsu teacher.  Elena ushered clients into our chairs.  The next thing I knew, I was annexed by this group of massage therapists—not quite “join or die” but ….
There was another massage business there.  And they stood out with their flashy tablecloth, win-to-spin prize wheel, and bowl of candy.  But they lacked our energy.  People passed them by, lining up at our chair massage corral.
I am now secretary of AIM.  Members have their own practices, but pool resources to do bigger things: educate people on the benefits of massage; coordinate massage at community events.
We share experiences and advice.  My business, Revolution Massage Therapy, has grown because of collaboration with my competition.  We stand out by standing together.
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Standing out is what a leader does.
You can stand out as well…once you know your leadership style.
Sign up for the February 19th HSCT Seminar, Developing the Leader Within, held at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County for only $89.99!
Follow the link herehttp://bit.ly/1dyaYji for more information and to register!
We would love to see you there!
-Peace Be With You All-
Jesan Sorrells, MA
Principal Conflict Engagement Consultant
Human Services Consulting and Training (HSCT)
Email HSCT: hsconsultingandtraining@gmail.com