Venture Further Smartly

A story based on the dynamics of conformity and the choices we may need to make in favour of freewill.

• How do you determine when conformity is towards collective growth vs fear of change or failure?

• What role do you choose to play in an organization when your moral compass is challenged?

• How can we convey our life experiences to the next generation without projecting our own fear or personal limitations?

A Universal Language

All people know about stories and through processing some of the emotions, it brings us together and cuts through defensive barriers. It helps us convey complex ideas and concepts in a way that is easy to understand. We find ourselves saying:

“I am not alone!”

“There are others with a similar experience to mine, same struggle or challenges”.

As far back as I can remember, I used to always carry a notebook and a pen with me…

What is worth choosing?

We all have a choice. You can choose to be terrible. You can find reasons to prove it's out of your hands. You just can not be it! Give up! Stop trying because self-control, being mindful of your emotions, these are not easy tasks but they do produce desirable results.

In this story, Hera learns from Kinga how to avoid downgrading her longer term aspiration for shorter term gains. She needs to practice self-discipline and to say “NO” to herself…

• In a world, where instant gratification is fast becoming the norm, how can we teach our children the value of self-discipline through positive influence?

• What keeps you from following through even when you have the awareness that self-discipline could be valuable?

I-M-Possible

Our struggles in life pave the way to our maturation. With a bit of magic, faith and love, what seems impossible may change to I’M-Possible.

This month’s story brings you a 🎁

”Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.” - Chris Van Allsburg

‘Cảm ơn’ Viet-nam (‘Thank you’ Viet-nam)

Recently, I spent two insightful weeks traveling across Vietnam. My mind was hijacked by the simplicity of life in the rural parts of Hanoi. I loved witnessing their deep human connections, compassion, faith and collective optimism. I left Vietnam, wondering once we have overcome adversity in life, how much would we voluntarily share with each other, without the need to boast about it and seek public recognition?

Here are a few experiences, that led me to this …

Context Matters

This month’s brief reflective story is about the mantra “No Pain, No Gain” and how it might differ in different contexts, e.g. is pain an acceptable currency to pay for love? …

Do you see me?

• To what extent do you establish a sense of personal security and worth through task accomplishment, personal achievement, power and control?

• Who defines your relevance and drives your identity?

• How does a sense of grandiosity and dominance in an organisation impact vulnerability?

Once upon a time, there was a little monkey who tried very hard to get his parents attention. He was a smart, cheeky little monkey who loved to be playful and have fun. But…

Foundation of Values

This month’s short reflective story is about : How do our personal values inform our purpose or vice versa?

What would YOU cycle up the hill for?

“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement.”- w. Clement Stone

Three Questions

There are three elements to feeling empowered:

1. have awareness of what is happening for you and why

2. have confidence in yourself and your ability

3. have the desire to improve and take action accordingly.

If you could only ask three questions to get a better perspective, what would you ask?

Nico walked into the sitting room, stomping his feet angrily and sank into the sofa crossing his arms. Sweat was trickling down his red little face. Breathing heavily, he stared at the TV screen absentmindedly…

An Ideal Picture (Leadership Circle Profile)

Our internal set of assumptions are based on beliefs which we use to organise our identity. They are the inner rules or beliefs that define how we see ourselves and our relationship to the world. In this story, some of Peter’s internal beliefs are opposing to Juan’s and hence they trigger each other …

Me, Myself & I

Over the years, we develop different internal dialogues. In this reflective story, Anna’s internal voice is based on internal conflict within herself and the dialogue revolves around “Me, myself and I”.  She tunes into her punitive or critical voice, linked to a distorted logic and emotional pain…

Cultural diversification: I am going to change forever.

Another light reflective story to share with you based on when I immigrated as a child from Iran to the UK. Going from one culture to another is challenging for anyone irrespective of age. Perhaps what makes it easier in the long run for a child is their openness to adapt and their willingness to search for the positive intention behind the newness. When children look up at the sky, they notice the stars and they see that they still remain the same…

Professional Career vs Professional Parenthood

Parenthood is a journey that comes with many ups and downs. Staying at home, going back to work 100% or working part time, each option comes with its own set of challenges and privileges. What makes the journey smoother is knowing what model is aligned with your personal values.

Everyone has an opinion on how life should be lived once you are a parent; what is your opinion?

Bee in the moment

Once upon time, there was a little bee who had a lot of energy and was determined to pollinate as many flowers as possible that Spring. He wanted to make the most honey…

Everyone has a story to tell!

We all have access to one real story with all the details and a full range of emotions - it's our own personal story.

It takes courage to feel & listen to ourselves because it can create powerful emotions. Our interpretation of our feelings impact if & how we want to react, leading to our next steps which then shape our narrative. At any given moment, we make choices and that is something we all have to do either actively or passively.

When I was a child…