Category Archives: Leadership

Whole and in union. > Fragmented and divided.

Have you ever met a whole person? If you have, they stick with you. Their words, their insights, their expressions, their actions, and their responses all echo from a place of wholeness, unity, reconciliation, and compassion. Everything about them is like a song. A song that heals. A song that illuminates. They know that they don’t know and somehow this has mysteriously connected their dots of life, meaning, and purpose.

Have you ever spent time with a fragmented or divided person? Every moment offers them an opportunity to earn another Masters of Victim Administration. They’ll hand out mirrors as often as they can but they’ll never look in one themselves. The problem is always “over there” and it could never be “in here”. They define everything, including themselves and others, through the lens of competition, criticism, ranking, fragmentation, and division. For some reason they would rather chop and retweet wood with the media to fuel the fires of noise than be an unnoticed vessel for redemption. This is consciousness at the lowest, reptilian level.

The etymology of the word and the idea of a person, comes from the latin verb personare. Per = through….sonar = sound. A sounding through. The original meaning of what it meant to be human was to be a sounding through. How beautiful is that?

Lesson(s) of the day:

  • The message of hope and the music of Love cannot travel through something that is fragmented and divided.
  • We have to start sharing the good and healing moments and movements that are happening and not the loud and clanging symbols of quid pro quo.
  • Most noise makers, unfortunately, haven’t been shown a better way. That’s where you come in.

 

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Flavor > Yield

Everyone over 70 years old will tell you something synonymous with this when they’re asked to reflect on what they know to be true.

Can you imagine living for seven decades without ever tasting the experience that is your life?

Carpe momento.

Tagged

Prediction

 

We’re going to be ok.

What if you made this your personal mantra?

Better question…do you want this to be true?

I vote we define ourselves by our essence, not our challenges or personalities.

Tagged , , , ,

Podcast 44: Chasing Slow with Erin Loechner

Before age 30, Erin Loechner built a fan base of one million women worldwide and earned the title “The Nicest Girl Online” as she was praised for her authentic voice and effortless style. Though she received applause from The New York Times, friends and family, she was still left wanting more.

In her upcoming book Chasing Slow: Courage to Journey Off the Beaten Path (Zondervan, January 10, 2017), Erin shares her journey away from fast, fame and frenzy to a new-fashioned lifestyle of less. Less want, more contentment. Less busy, more rest. Less pressure, more happiness. Less striving, more acceptance. Less fast, more slow.

Erin joins us in this episode at Let The Music Play Podcast as we talk about surrender, abundance, grace, and letting go of the scorecards we tend carry in our lives.

copenhagen-4

Be sure to share this episode with those you love and those you lead!

As always you can stream or download every episode in iTunes or at AshtonGustafson.com.

 

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Something from nothing…

Every sunrise shines with golden rays of Good News.

And what is that news?

The news is just that…today, something NEW has the potential to be. What never has been, because of you, just may come to life…and even better, it just may change the trajectory of another’s day, story, or life.

And you get to co-create that something.

When our finiteness lends itself to the Infinite, this is when the music of creation is cued.

This is when something starts to arise from nothing.

So look and listen.

Put your ears to your chest.

Set your eyes to you the clouds.

Introduce your heart to your soul.

A piece of art is waiting on you to give it wings.

A child is needing you to mirror identity, curiosity, and compassion.

A song is tapping its toes but needs you give it a melody.

A note of encouragement is ready to be delivered.

It’s all here.

In que.

Awaiting you.

To make it new.

Tagged , , , ,