Learning from comments: packing my bags with 'p's

I learn a lot from Joyful Jubilant Learning.  I learned first from dipping in and out, getting a feel for the ideas that were being exchanged.  I learn from reading the ideas, the stories, the practical suggestions from the phenomenal set of contributors we've got here.  And I learn a lot from writing at JJL myself. 

But that's not where I learn the most.  No, the most powerful learning happens under the surface of the posts, in those comment box conversations where our words click and ideas connect, where human stories come together, where our learning comes to life. 

It's what Rosa calls "the collaborative, 'power of we' stuff".

I got treated to a wonderful example of this in my last post here, writing about my Christmas wish-list.  I'd come up with 11 items that would help me stretch and learn in 2008:

Patience, perspective, perseverance, possibility, potential, practicalities, persuasiveness, power, passion, present, and playfulness.

And then wondered out loud if this community of learners could help me make it up to 20...

I wasn't disappointed.  Here's what I got:

A set of powerful additions from Greg Balanko-Dickson

Persistence: very similar to your pick, my favorite is perseverance. I like "persistence" because I like the definition of being "firm or obstinate" in the face of difficulty or opposition after taking action.

It is easy to model, copy, and mimic others and quite frankly, tired, worn out, and old. To be truly unique requires a steadfast commitment to a set of ideals, standards, and principles.

Principles: this is something I keep coming back to with my clients and my own life - "What are the principles that I am applying to the direction, decisions, and development of my business and self?"

In a world where fear, consumption, and war drives the economy and our personal lives - we need principles. Principles that we are willing to take a stand for and defend.

Pleasantness: is exhibiting pleasantness old fashioned? I like to think that the world will be a better place if we practice a little "excessive enjoyment and happiness".

People: In our throw away society we need to throw away throwing away. I think of Patch Adams who put people first and as a Doctor chose to treat the whole person.

Peace: of all the things we chase in society, peace seems the most elusive, perhaps because as consumers we have lost our way by supplanting our spiritual and personal needs with "stuff" and shopping activities.

Reinforcement from Karen Wallace, and a stunning metaphor to carry us into the New Year:-)

To me, the two most powerful (ha!) items on your list are Possibility and Passion. I like to hold a space for possibility, where the future lies before us like a glorious fruit, ripe, luscious and gorgeous - just waiting for us to take our first bite and savour the experience with all our senses. To have the mango juice dripping down our chin and know we are really living.

Rosa added to my list of Ps with:

"Partnership; one of my goals currently is to improve the ways I can collaborate with others, for my natural tendency is to do for myself. Learning factors into this at first, but there are several ways I can be letting go better.

The Hawaiian P I would add is for Pono, the value of rightness and balance (and it WILL be added soon - Pono will be my value of the month on Managing with Aloha Coaching for January!"

(I don't actually believe that Rosa needs a goal on partnership, but am looking forward to learning how she sets about it with her usual gusto!)

Steve Sherlock took my learning set up to 20 with two most interesting additions:

Presence - the beginning of effort starts with the recognition and action of the self. Knowing oneself and how our actions, words, deeds, and yes, even lack of action creates our presence is the key for ultimate success.

Provincial - not in the negative sense of being restricted to a view point, but in the positive sense of knowing and utilizing the basic source of what the self can bring to the table. What is our real expertise? Building upon what comes natural should be less work.

I've never heard provincial used in this way before and although it's a little hard (for me) to shake off the negative associations with the word I'm intrigued by the idea of knowing and making use of what we can bring to the table.  What is our real expertise?  What a great question.

The bags that I pack for 2008 will be all the more value-packed for the contribution of these ideas, perspectives, fresh thoughts and shared learning.  It's why I'm so pleased we can now follow the comments at JJL in a feed.  It won't stop me clicking in, commenting and sharing.  But it will make it easier for me, and you, to grow and learn from the 21st "P" in my list.

The Power of We.

Comments

[Rosa Say]

I am completely with you on this Joanna. We who write here may be thought of as experts in certain fields, but that is not why we decide to write for JJL. Sure, we willingly share lessons we feel we have learned, however the reason we do so is to simply kick things off, writing our posts to present possibilities for the CONTINUOUS part of our lifelong learning, hoping to ignite some fire of collaboration or "we"-learning. Our articles are more of a suggestion, asking, "how about if we start to warm our hands [and minds] on this particular subject here?"

Coaches are fond of saying, "coaching happens in conversations." So does some of the best learning there can be, and for me, that's what happens here at our JJL comment conversations in such a gloriously globally connective way. --- so mahalo nui loa Joanna, for continuing this one!

[Joanna Young]

Rosa, that's it in a nutshell

"how about if we start to warm our hands [and minds] on this particular subject here?"

Joanna

[Steve Sherlock]

Joanna, thanks for putting this together. I think this is one of the great examples of the Power of We. One idea tossed out there, to 'warm our hands over'. And then the conversation really begins. It won't end with this comment, or the next.

Rosa, and whether coaching happens in the conversation or not, I find some of the really great conversations have a life of their own and continue (theme like) for years.

I am enjoying this ride!

[Joanna Young]

Steve, I guess we share an enthusiasm for comment-conversations. The conversations and ideas exchanged can often take on a life of their own, spinning off into something new (and who knows where that will go)

And I guess part of what makes them feel alive is the emotional hit that we get at the same time - the sense of kinship, friendship and connection

Joanna