The Rest Is Still Unwritten
I have written often about stories and lessons learned from times in my career when things did not go as well as I would have liked and that prompted me to start again. What I haven’t really addressed is what is it in us that allows us to look forward…wipe the slate clean…to start again with renewed energy… enthusiasm and hope. I would like to believe that at the core of all leaders…in all journeys…isn’t just the ability to navigate through the storms…to look back at all that we learned and could have done differently…but also the ability to look into the future and find a brave new way forward. I am not sure I have it figured out…but I can share one of my revelations and inspirations on how I moved forward over the years.
As I have shared before…one of the things that feeds my soul…gives me unexpected inspiration and new ideas is listening to music. As I started my journey to Phoenix, AZ (via India) about 15 years ago – one of the popular songs at the time was “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. For some reason - the timing and message of the song really resonated with me and I grabbed on to it. It was my anthem and reminder that I was starting a fresh new job...in a new country and that I should embrace all that was ahead with a belief that it would all be okay. To leave the past behind me and enjoy the ride.
At the heart of what I took away from the lyrics is that the story of our life is ours to write and that we are in control of where it goes and how each chapter begins and ends. No one else is going to do it for us and we have to embrace who we are…where we have come from and look to our future as a blank piece of paper.
The 3 Key Take Aways from Unwritten are…
The Pen is In YOUR Hand, Ending Unplanned. We sometimes feel helpless when challenges hit and change is necessary. I have often found myself wishing someone would come and save me or tell me which path to take. What experience has taught me through every twist and turn is that I am in control of my destiny. I get to write my next chapter and it is okay that I don’t know how it ends. I have to believe that it will all work out and that it is all a part of the journey. YOU can always write the next chapter of the book where YOU are the hero and have confidence that this next step will be the one where YOU make a difference. No one is coming… no one cares…I’m coming…I care!
We’ve Been Conditioned to Not Make Mistakes but We Can’t Live that Way. We often spend a lot of time beating ourselves up over all that we have lost or what didn’t go our way rather than forgiving ourselves quickly and moving on. "Sometimes <our > tries are outside the lines" and we cannot regret it - we have to dust ourselves off and keep going. We need to have short memories and wipe the slate clean to start again. Quite frankly, as we move on to new organizations or roles, no one cares what your title was before, what you did, who you worked for or whether things went right or wrong for you… all they care about is who YOU are NOW and what you can contribute. You have to have grit to lay it all down and be the YOU that YOU were meant to be!
Today is Where YOUR Book Begins, The Rest is Still Unwritten. As the years have gone by I have gotten better at pivoting and viewing each change as a fresh new page and chapter. This goes for my personal life as well as my professional life. The question is…what if I started today with a fresh and shiny new attitude…how would my life look different in 3 months…6 months…12 months? I recently applied this to my weight loss journey. About 10 years ago I had focused on eating right and exercising (thanks Facebook for the reminders). I was able to keep it up for several years and I have been spotty since then in keeping it up. So a few months ago I decided that I had spent enough time wallowing in quarantine, working long hours, eating too much, using the excuse that gyms were closed and that it was too hot outside to do anything. Today was the day and if I started NOW to affect change then in 4 months not only would I look and feel differently but I would not be adding to the problem. I am proud of how far I have come in a short time and hopeful that it is built to last…at least for a while!
In Closing…
Viewing our leadership journey as unwritten and a blank sheet of paper is harder than it sounds. We need multiple reminders based on reflection and coaching. At the core of it all is grit, resilience, persistence and the ability to turn the page quickly. No matter how many times you do it we tend to fall into the same traps. Change means we break our old habits and replace them with new ones so our vision of the future can be achieved. So grab your pen, put the past in the rear view mirror and start your book today...the rest is still unwritten!
Leadership questions of the week for YOU:
What is your inspiration or advice on how high performing leaders turn the corner quickly to see the future as different and bright?
What are the two or three things from “Unwritten” that resonate with you and what do you take away from it in YOUR own journey?
What are your stories from the last few months that come to mind that our lives are a blank sheet of paper and that it as scary and exciting as it is that we get to write it every day?
Thanks for reading and remember....YOU make a difference!
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