Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Starting Points


by Janet M. Shlaes, Ph.D.

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.  ~ Nido Qubein

It’s a funny thing about starting points. Depending on your point of view and sense of efficacy in the moment, a common tendency is to view starting points from a place of possibility and adventure or confrontation, challenge and setback. In reality, starting points are merely data points in time; they make up a small piece of our personal life-narrative, rather than the whole story. Shifting your perspective around starting points to data points in time becomes possible once you’re connected and committed to a vision of where you want to wind up post-starting point. Committing to writing my Transformational Communication Blog in 2013 was a starting point for me. I chose and committed to writing it as a means to improve my communication skills, as well as play with the constructs and insights that grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go. I love to learn and play with ideas, share experiences with others, enhance learning, self-awareness, self-efficacy and professional/personal/organizational growth. Initiating the blog was challenging on a variety of levels as starting points often are. Depending on where I was in various life arenas, following through on writing and posting felt engaging, energizing, exciting or exceptionally difficult. What stayed consistent, throughout the years is my vision and commitment to carrying out my vision for communication. What I discovered over time is that the journey is also the outcome of my vision. I began my blog with a 30 day challenge of posting for 30 consecutive days and chose to reenergize myself over the past 30 days with another 30 day posting challenge. Today marks day 30 of this current challenge. It is both an ending point and the beginning of a starting point for other 30 day challenges.

How do you view the various starting points that you’ve experienced? How might shifting your approach to starting points facilitate your generating and engaging in a vision that calls to you? What 30 day challenge might you commit to?

Janet

For addition insights and observations, I invite you to check out the following posts:

Learn Something New

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