Radical Leadership Blog

Honor Writing

dominicbruno — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:13:35 +0000

David Hawkins in his book, The Eye of the I, says that, “Nothing is as it can be described; therefore, all descriptions are of what a thing is not. The realization of absolute reality and truth is the greatest gift that one can be to the world and all humanity.”

What words will find their way onto this page? What words will be worthy to be written? What is the Field of Consciousness at this time waiting to evolve to?

What does David Hawkins’s quote mean to you? How may this affect the way you write?

Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC
Founder, Radical Leadership

A Pattern is Running at Any Given Moment . . .

dominicbruno — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 03:56:55 +0000

We come by these Patterns honestly; meaning, there were invitations from others — usually significant players in our life like mom and dad — that had us come believe the way we did. While these Patterns are totally irrational, they were come by rationally. In other words, if I asked a person how they came to believe what they did their story would make perfect sense to me. It doesn’t mean it was clear or correct thinking: on the contrary! But how they came to believe what they did by hearing the child-like thinking that created the Pattern, they would make sense to me.

Unless your body and your brain are in the same place, it’s very likely that a Pattern is running in any given moment. That’s true of the great things a person does as well. Many of our successes are built on Patterns that get people’s approval so we can stay safe too.

The powerful way to break this Pattern from running itself is to:
Create body movement.
Shift your breathing pattern.
Make some joyous sound.

If you did that ANY TIME you questioned whether there was a pattern present or not, your whole life would shift for the better.

Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC
Founder, Radical Leadership

Do What We Most Want to Do and Have the Greatest Impact

dominicbruno — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:18:06 +0000

Let’s continue our discussion on Patterns . . .

Question:
Are we doing what we most want to do and at the same time, having the greatest impact on the world around us? See for yourself:

What is it that you love doing?

Where could that talent/love/gift best be used to create more of what you want?

If you did what you loved and what you wanted, how would that be “in service of others” at the same time?

What are three of your best excuses for not doing what you love?

What would be possible if you let go of those excuses…and any others?

Think about a time in your life when you were doing this thing you love? What was the impact on you? What was the impact on others?

What specific Pattern derails you from what you want? Stop and think about how this Pattern emerges; how it feels, your breathing when this pattern is running, the “thinking structure” that runs with this Pattern? (Examples might include a conversation that runs over and over in your head saying the same thing it always says; something like: That guy is a jerk, all those people are the same, people just want to screw you over; I don’t have to ask for permission for anything; nobody is going to rule my life; I can justify what I’m doing here…I’m doing it for their own good, etc.)

We confuse these Patterns with who we are instead of the fact that they are just a “Pattern” or thinking structure that found a way to survive and continued to use this as a way of protecting and defending against the vulnerability of intimacy and showing up being ourselves. These Patterns have a cellular structure to them; have a stored verbal construct (the voice inside your head that predictably says the same thing again and again when this Pattern hits); there’s a breathing pattern that goes with these beliefs and the body will position itself in a certain way as well.

Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC
Founder, Radical Leadership

Patterns That Kill

dominicbruno — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:56:25 +0000

What is a Pattern?

I refer to a Pattern as any human behavior that repeats itself again and again in interchanges with others throughout the day…week…year and life. These Patterns are structured by the ego to defend and protect against vulnerability, to keep others at bay and the individual safe but small; and most often sabotage the individual realizing results or reaching their potential in any given situation. Each Pattern has a breathing pattern, eye movement, feeling set (i.e. sad, angry, scared…) and thinking structure to go with it.

Here are a few examples that identify patterns:

A brilliant, young executive is positioning himself for a new leadership role in the company and has all the talent and ability, but on occasion will go to share information and say things inside-out and upside-down, confusing everyone in the room. What do you think that does to his promotional possibilities?

A woman who is bright, successful, contributing to her community and the people in it in huge ways and she will not ask for what she wants, so she’s constantly manipulating people to give her what she wants instead of allowing them the privilege of supporting her. She gets to remain in control and the people around her feel helpless and small because they are not held powerfully; she gets to be the “big” one all the time and as a result, others feel inadequate.

Tune in for the next post as we continue the conversation about Patterns and the role they play in our life…

Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC
Founder, Radical Leadership

Ego and Essence

tkienast — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:48:26 +0000

In continuing our discussion from the previous post, if this seems somewhat confusing it’s because it may be important to notice that we not only “want” things for ourselves and for others, but there’s also a question of which part of us is doing the wanting! There are two parts of us: One is our ego which is trying to survive and stay safe so it selects from a perspective that “there’s never enough” and the other part that wants is our Essence which is already fulfilled and complete so it holds fulfillment for everyone.

How that looks on a day-to-day basis for me is that I let go of my own agenda.

It is fine to want from ego or Essence but one will be fulfilling and create exponential impact in the world and the other will feel like it’s never enough and will continue to “long” for something and keep trying to fulfill the longing.

Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC
Founder, Radical Leadership

In Service Of Others

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:08:07 +0000

Our whole ego construct is around “i” (small “I”) “me” and “my.” The ego is so busy trying to survive and living in fear that it continues to create a world made up only of itself and its musings. J.R.R. Tolkien portrayed this part of us in the Golum character from his book, Lord of the Rings. This character is a frightening looking little man, shriveled up and shrinking by the moment as he continues to obsess about gaining possession of the gold ring and walking around saying in a shrill, squeaky, small voice, “My little precious! Where is my little precious?”

In my own life that looks like walking around protecting my thoughts, ideas, opinions, advice, actions, etc. and, while we’re much more sophisticated than Golum about how we appear, our ego is doing the very same thing - obsessing, manipulating and positioning for its version of the “ring” which could be: being right, looking good, owning stuff, being smart, intellectualizing, being successful, doing things perfectly, spiritualizing, etc. And our world is getting smaller by the moment because we have to spend our time protecting and defending all of the stuff above and that leaves no room for cultivating freedom which means living in wonder; being willing to not know; embracing the unknown and most importantly, creating what we really want with our hearts — which is always inclusive of “other” because we are the other and we are one (and, that’s just what the heart does).

The greatest way to move around my little “i” and generate possibilities in service of other or others is by going to my heart and asking what I really, really want from there! The second best way to get to the same place is to move from the place of what I want for others, for their sake, from my heart.

Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC
Founder, Radical Leadership