Chop wood, carry water

A Zen Buddhism saying, the full version is: “Before enlightenment chop wood – carry water, after enlightenment chop wood carry water”. There’s depth to this saying that I will leave unexplored for now. For today’s blog, I use the saying to reflect upon the notion that being successful doesn't mean that the work that led you there goes away. 

Many of us get caught up in the end results of what we're working toward or in the idea of how things will be in our lives when we finally achieve our goals. We place unnecessary stress on ourselves to get that next promotion, attain the recognition we feel we deserve or to buy a better car. Yet, being on a career or lifestyle-track doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying the journey of life or even work all day, every day.

You will grow, change and evolve, and opportunities will come your way—opportunities that if embraced will help move you toward your best self, like seeking daily presence and gratitude in everything you do and have, no matter how significant or mundane.

You can keep things simple and reduce stress by focusing on the daily process and sticking to your schedule with presence, rather than worrying about or incessantly thinking ahead on the big, life or career goals. When you focus on your practice instead of your performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time. In other words, enjoy the art of the ‘chopping wood and carrying water’. 

May you gain something more from this parable:

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot.

"There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit.

 "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground.

Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

When you have personal meaning without the world’s applause – you can be free

I’m borrowing that title from a wonderful author Kent Keith who wrote about ten principles called the Paradoxical Commandments while at Harvard in the 60s. His principles will be the topic of ongoing blogs – stay tuned. But it is very relevant as the principle behind this story I would like to tell you.

There’s a wonderful deli in Melbourne’s Brunswick Street called Alimentari. It’s been a place I’ve always gone back to. I have such fond memories of moments there by myself, with friends, and especially with my dear friend – who like me, just finds something extraordinary in this place. It’s always been a special haunt for its gorgeously honest food and sense of community. Nowhere, is more Melbourne than Alimentari.

Two high school friends started it in 1998 as a rustic and cosy deli paying homage to both Italian and Middle Eastern heritage. A vision of two passionate women, it came to life purely through a belief in good food and community. And so, with no money (who would give two women a bank loan in those days without a man in the picture!), Dolores and Linda laboured hard on its physical space and its heart and soul in the cooking, and with the help and support of family, friends and others with the same beliefs, this institution has been and still remains, central to many lives.

The success of this little deli on Brunswick has developed to see an expansion to a restaurant, serious demand for take home meals, and a new food store in Smith Street. With the release of her book Linda Jones one half of the success story (Dolores passed from Cancer in 2010) writes that she is often asked about their business plan in early days. She says, “for the past 18 years the business has told us what to do. The key was, and still is, to listen to it.”

Through the power of what is true, two founders and countless others by association, have created the freedom in themselves to follow through on what makes sense to them. And in doing so they’ve created more than a place to eat – it’s a meeting ground in so many different ways. And while their actions have intrinsic value – there’s a burgeoning business behind it.

How often do we start from a place that is so genuine, honest and real in its intentions and create a lasting, joyful legacy not just for ourselves, but also for everyone who touches it?

What’s your Alimentari?

I hope to see you there sometime.

What we focus on we create

Nothing is more powerful than a person who knows their strengths, and nothing is more unstoppable than a person who acts on that knowledge.

Strength discovery is an innovative way to harness the efforts and talents of individuals and teams. Employees learn more about and focus on their valuable contribution. This understanding highlights where they can have greatest impact.

For a team to create sustained growth and success, its members must continuously invest in each other's strengths whilst building enhanced relationships within the group.  It is exceptionally productive when individuals and a team work together to leverage their talents for the benefit of their stakeholders. The results are profound.

Our strengths create the lens by which we see the world and the way in which we interact with others. This fuels and motivates us to do our best. For a talent to become a strength it requires effort.  What we focus on we create.

Strengths based coaching is an approach that embraces the differences in people, explores the potential that diversity offers, and positions people so they can tap into more of who they are.

When team members are able to reference a common language of strengths; conversations and action shifts - creating a positive dialogue that lifts engagement and performance to another level.