Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Selfless Regard for Reality?

“How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”

Abraham Lincoln


Perhaps our most admired American President earned the nickname of Honest Abe. In this quote, he speaks quite directly to our ability to tell the truth—even when we would like to retreat into delusion of self or others.

All of the speaking, training and coaching work I’m doing involves three steps:

1. Clearing the past – muting the effects of blame, shame, regret, guilt … all those experiences that act as lead weights around our consciousness

2. Telling the truth about current reality—or what the Buddhists call developing a selfless regard for reality.

3. Choosing our future—independent of our past and even our current reality

That #2 can be more challenging than it first appears and, of course, that’s where my work really begins!

You or I cannot meaningfully progress in life unless we really know where we are right now—strengths, areas of growth, opportunities and much, much more.

Have you got a good story about calling a tail a leg and what was the cost/benefit of holding on to it? Share with us by clicking on "comments" below.

With love and respect,

Robert
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