~ Simply saying you desire to be successful is the easy part. The challenging element is to totally engage yourself towards excellence.~ Unknown
What does the word engage really mean ? en-ga-ged : com·mit·ted kəˈmidəd/ adjective – feeling dedication and loyalty to a cause, activity, or job; wholeheartedly dedicated.
In the last October issue of the French ELLE magazine there was an article on personal development which mentioned me ( among other coaches) saying that I was a coach obsessed with effectiveness. When I read the word “obsessed” it gave me a strange feeling because it is a strong word, however when I read the word again without the linguistic provocative edge, I must admit that somewhere there is something true in the perception that others may have of me.
Yes, I have to admit that I am the type of woman who does not tolerate waste of potential. Ever since I was a young girl, I couldn’t help but enjoy all the good things around me . As a child for example, when I was lucky to spend a night in a hotel it wasn’t imaginable in my eyes not to take a little dive in the pool. Restaurants buffets are real traps for me because I want to taste everything. And I cannot begin to tell you the months before my wedding when I found myself in Paris the fashion capital to pick my wedding dress (I had to try them all!)
When I had to make my professional career orientation choice, I started in human resources because I had heard too many people start their work week on Monday already waiting impatiently for Friday to arrive and come alive again. This made my heart ache, I wanted to contribute to stop this waste! The work place is such a wonderful playground to contribute and blossom. Finally a few years later, I published a book with a sub-title which reads:
WAKE UP ! 4 Fundamental Principles to Stop living your life half-asleep !
So , yes I don’t like waste! Stop being a victim, dare to be brilliant, take action at the level of your ambition… All these principles are at the heart of my message, so yes, I agree that I can be called someone who is hooked on effectiveness but I need you to understand that effectiveness has nothing to do with being obsessed!
The word “obsessed” has the negative connotation like an addiction, a deviance, an almost unhealthy need to succeed and get ahead… and this is precisely the point I need to adjust and clarify. The goal is not to constantly live under pressure, or have to constantly outdo oneself … the message I especially want to share is that life is an adventure, a playground which offers us plenty of opportunities to reveal who we are a little more each day.
The main idea here is to be engaged to grasp all the wonderful nuggets of life, but not be attached ! We can try something and fail, what matters is not so much effectiveness but the pleasure derived from honoring our drive and giving ourselves permission to try something that makes us vibrate.
To be engaged is to do everything in our power to honor the brilliance and power which lies within us without being attached to the result. Nourish our desires, align our values with our projects while activating all the power that is in us without forgetting that it is a game and that real wealth is found on the path of adventure more than in the outcome and result. There are so many beautiful things to experience on the road of life should we choose to live it fully awake.
So, I’d like to encourage you to nourish your projects, give wings to your drive and have the guts to play with life, become engaged to reveal who you really are…but not be attached! Have fun activating your brilliance, but don’t let it become an obsession ( or a deviance) . Be passionately engaged!
Love & Respect,
Christine Lewicki
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“Christine Lewicki is a Certified Business Coach, Speaker,Trainer, Bestselling Author and MasterMind Group Leader. Her passion is to help ordinary people create an {extra}ordinary Life, one {im}perfect action at a time, she is also committed to help people quit complaining and become entrepreneurs of their lives. You can download your FREE ”I Quit Complaining Starter Kit” on her blog www.iquitcomplaining.com
