Sustainable Ambition Forum - 02.23.21
Building on the last newsletter, I want to pick-up on this theme of embracing who we are.
To do so, I’m going to borrow wisdom from a few wise women.
First, you’ll see at the end of the newsletter a quote from Maya Angelou. And, I’ll modify it slightly by changing one word and say here: Success is loving yourself, loving what you do, and loving how you do it.
In short, success resides in fully embracing ourselves—loving who we are, loving the work we do, and loving how we use our skills, talents, and strengths in doing that work.
Further, you may already know that one of my favorite concepts is from Fred Kofman who says that to achieve “success beyond success” is to live according to our values. You can always find success when you align to who you are and your own values.
These ideas are central to the first pillar of Sustainable Ambition, Right Success, which is about defining success on your terms, both for your career and your life. Right Success is not about societal definitions of success and outward recognition. It’s about Personal Reward, reaping the rewards of your work aligned with who you are and what’s important to and in alignment with you.
So, I encourage you to be inspired by the quote and to explore:
What do I love about myself? Or, try The Practice below noted from Elizabeth Gilbert.
What work do I love doing?
How do I love to work?
You’ll also find below:
A round up of: Reading, Listening, Watching, and Smiling
A podcast episode with my good friend, Philip VanDusen where we talk career management, personal branding, and daring to suck!
And, building on last newsletter’s tool, a “What’s Your Tone of Voice” Tool, to further tune into your personal brand and how you show up in the world
Have a good end to your February! And, please reach out if you’d like to share topics that would be helpful to you right now given whatever is going on in your world. I want my content to be of help to you, so please let me know if a particular topic would be of interest to you.
See you next month!
Kathy
The Round-Up
Reading: “The Charisma Myth” is a book I come back to again and again. I think it’s helpful in two ways: 1) helping you identify your personal presence and charisma, and 2) providing super useful tools to manage what can pop up and get in the way of us being present and powerful. Find the tools here.
Listening: This is a great interview with authors of “Humor, Seriously,” Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas. They share some crazy stats like when Gallup asks people if they’ve smiled or laughed the day before, people 21+ years of age don’t say yes until they are 65+! Meaning, while we are in our work years, we rarely smile or laugh. That’s sad! They also note that leaders who have a sense of humor are found to be 37% more respected and 27% more motivating. So, bringing some laughter back into our days is a must. Learn about the book at their website and take their Humor Typology Quiz here to find out your humor style.
Watching: I was recently reminded of this Elizabeth Gilbert TED talk, so rewatched it. It’s one of my favorites. I just find it so inspirational to believe that we all have a creative genius we can call upon to support us. Even if you’ve seen it, re-watch to get re-inspired!
Smiling: Want to bring some joy to every day? Check out The Greater Good’s Monthly Happiness Calendar.
The Sustainable Ambition Podcast - Episode 6
Join me for conversations with experts, authors, and friends on
what it means to live with Sustainable Ambition.
Join this fun conversation with my friend, mentor, and business colleague, Philip VanDusen, creative entrepreneur and owner of Verhaal Brand Design. We talk about navigating careers more like a web vs. a ladder, the power of mentors, building your personal brand whether you work at a company or have your own gig, and the importance of “daring to suck.” Philip is one of my favorite people to talk to, and I seek him out often for his wisdom. He shares a lot of great insights in this episode, so listen in!
Find it on Apple Podcast here
Or, listen on our website here
You can also find the podcast, subscribe, and listen on Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast.
A Practice: The Voice of Love
On the Happy Place podcast, Elizabeth Gilbert shares a 20+ year practice that she does everyday: “I write a letter to myself from Love asking: what would Love want me to know today if I were a stranger and I wanted to love this stranger who I find in this condition today. What would Love say to it?” What if you were to start this practice? What would Love say to you today, in this moment, in this circumstance?
Find Your Guide:
Find the perfect guide to match your journey.
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”
— Maya Angelou
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SUSTAINABLE AMBITION™ IS ABOUT CRAFTING A FULFILLING CAREER TO SUPPORT YOUR LIFE FROM DECADE TO DECADE.
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