5 Alive in October

The universe is made of stories, not atoms. ~

Muriel Rukeyser

Here are my rapid fire five for October:

1. WE Power. WE power is no small thing. I have worked with 3 different partnerships this month and the power of WE is so much more than the power of me.

2. Breathe into feedback. Keep breathing when receiving feedback. I got quite a bit of feedback this month. It is wonderful to get the feedback and it enriches me but I know I tend to tighten when I begin to hear it. I have really focused on breathing into the feedback and using the feedback to inspire myself.

3. Make the other look good. I have been taking an improvisation course. I have learned so much but I love the line in improvisation that we are there to make the other look good.

4. GEMO gets things done. I have relied on the statement "good enough, move on" to avoid dithering and to set a very high level of accomplishment this month.

5. We all have a Signature Story. I taught a three day course at the University of Manitoba on the Power of Story. I suggested that everyone had a signature story. It was so helpful to the participants as they tried to uncover their signature story and to see how their story influenced who they are and what they do. Sometimes the story is not just one story but a theme. We do not only tell stories, we are stories.

We enter into stories,

we are entered into stories by others,

and we live our lives through stories.

~ Michael White

What is your signature story?

Photo Credit: I caught a bushel of oranges by http://flickr.com/photos/kt/49174317/

Comments

[Rosa Say]

David, you really have been getting a lot done, and that is with me just seeing a fraction of it emerge online for all of us! I can imagine the wealth of work going on for you behind the scenes… I would’ve loved to take that story course from you.

I clicked through to the link you offered on GEMO at SlackerManager, and it is very well-written in the way you evoked memory with your acronym. [By the way, the first time I ever heard of the term satisficing was from Bren, the original SM!] The first comment you received there from Dean Furhman struck a chord with me because we’ve been talking about conversation this month on MWAC; it really can be a defining factor in so many work processes.

Great RFL sharing Ikaika: Your 5 learnings string into a potent language of self-leadership: well done!

[Joanna Young]

David - that Rukeyser quote is one of my favourites too

I think there is so much to learn a frame that is called "story" - about the ways that we are telling, being, living our story... about the power of we (because in some ways our stories are all connected together) and also the power that we have to choose the narrative, to choose how we respond to whatever comes along.

Thanks for the reminder - and the stunning photo.

Joanna

[Bridget Aboussafy]

Signature Stories...give me more details, how do I create mine? What exactly is a signature story? Is this a story about who you are in a nutshell, where you want to go, where you've been, and where you are going?

[David Zinger]

Rosa: I like satisficing and GEMO and then using my maximizer strength to make it better. It is a very potent combination for me.

Joanna: I love the photo. Flickr is a wonderful resource and I appreciate the creative commons and the ability to share photos and attribute them to the photographer. I wonder what story we could create about these organges.

Bridget: As far as I know the idea of signature story is my term. I borrowed the idea from signature strengths. Here are a few tips to find your signature story:
It is the story you love to read.
It is the story you can't help but tell.
You keep learning from your signature story.
It embraces a fundamental element of your life and work.
Etc.
Perhaps in the future I can write more about this.
David

[Steve Sherlocks]

David, thanks for your RFL! I too eagerly await learning more about the signature story.

Is the story about you, or something that in the telling of the story reveals the inner you?

[David Zinger]

I am pleased to see how people have responded to the signature story part of my learning. I will write a post about this in the near future.
David