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talktodiana

~ Igniting the power and passion in others…

talktodiana

Tag Archives: empowering

The Young and The Old

31 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 34 Comments

Tags

200 words, building community, caring, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, empowering, gifts, growth, health, leadership, learning, life, mission, passion, Purpose, together, understanding, vision, wisdom, world issues, youth leadership

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” – Greek proverb

untitled2Each generation, at some point, bemoans the world they have inherited from the previous generation. With their whole lives ahead of them, they vow to leave a better world for the next generation.

Then life happens.

The drive to provide for, and protect, their immediate tribe becomes priority. They  block out the injustices in the rest of the world, not entirely, but where these issues intersect their own survival – they choose to protect themselves.

This is not necessarily a bad thing.

This is how we have survived for tens of thousands of years.

We’re not really wired to think about 10, 50 or 100 years from now.

But perhaps in our old age, with our lives mostly behind us, we are freed up to think about future generations.

Perhaps then we are willing to plant the tree whose shade we will never personally enjoy.

I wonder what we could learn and what plans we would conceive if we listened to the idealistic dreams of the young and tempered them with the life-time wisdom of the aged.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

You Are So Much More Than That

08 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 37 Comments

Tags

200 words, beauty, daughters, Diana Schwenk, empowering, encourage, generosity, good character, helpful, honesty, image, integrity, kids, kindness, life, love, miracle, self-worth, teens, true to yourself, Who I am

Always remember–you are a fine piece of china. Don’t let anyone treat you like a paper plate. ~ Naomi Campbell

Michaela in the mirror

Michaela in the mirror

MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE I was a teenager once, or maybe it’s because I raised a daughter…

…but when I read this quote I thought of women and how we compare ourselves to impossible ideals.

When you look into a mirror, what do you see?

Are your eyes too close together? Too small? Do you have uneven skin tone? Are your teeth crooked? Too yellow? Is your nose too big? Are your lips to thin?

If I looked at you, I’m sure I would see beauty. But you are so much more than that.

When you look inside your heart, what do you see?

Are you true to your word? Are you kind? Are you gentle? Are you motivated by love? Are you mindful of others? Are you helpful? Generous?

You are worthy of respect. You bring value to this world. You are a glorious miracle.

Don’t let anyone ever tell you different.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

 Are you a fine piece of china or are you a paper plate?

Being Aware is Half the Solution

08 Sunday Dec 2013

Posted by dianasschwenk in Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, In My Opinion

≈ 22 Comments

Tags

200 words, believe, caring, community, compassion, concern for others, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, empowering, encourage, integrity, mission, Nelson Mandela, passion, peace, Purpose

A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of. ~ Nelson Mandela

photo credit: iamwilling.com

photo credit: iamwilling.com

Yesterday I googled ‘Mandela quotes’  and the quote above jumped out at me. Why? Simply because I have a passion for community.

It got me to thinking though. Do I really live my mission to relate with, promote and speak community wherever I am?

For the most part I think I do because it’s such a big part of who I am.

As a boss I strove to empower and encourage my team.

As a mother I strove to do the same for my daughter.

As a friend I also do this.

But what about my neighbour, the cashier at the grocery store, the random encounter with a distraught stranger?

If I’m being honest, it’s more ‘hit and miss’  in this arena. It seems less automatic for me.

But all is not lost. Being aware is half the solution.

I commit to being more intentional about all facets of community.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Are you living your mission?

Who are you?

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by dianasschwenk in Hump Day Chronicles, In My Opinion

≈ 38 Comments

Tags

career, Diana Schwenk, empowering, Mission statement, Purpose, self-awareness

Maybe you’re an oil and gas executive, or a waitress, or a teacher, a pilot, an athlete, a taxi driver, or you’re in between jobs?

No?

Perhaps you’re a Ph.D student, or an electrician, a mail carrier, a business owner, a soldier, a dog walker, a writer, a pizza delivery man?

That’s not you either?

A homemaker, a board member, a chef, construction worker, politician, salesperson, an accountant, a missionary, an actor, a musician?

Well it doesn’t really matter.

Because that’s not who you are anyway.

That’s what you do.

So who are you?

In a previous job my boss started a process where he met with all his direct reports to develop role descriptions as opposed to the usual job descriptions.

One of the first questions he asked me was, “What do you want people to say about you when you’re not in the room?”

I thought about it for a moment and responded with, “I want them to say, wow, she’s one classy lady!”

This statement immediately influenced my interactions and relationships, both at work and in my private life.

And it inspired me to create a personal vision/mission statement. (More on that later)

The Tweet from @UndertheNeonSky that inspired this post

Once my ‘Role Description’ was completed, I met with my direct reports to go through the same process.

They told me the things they wanted people to say about them when they left the room, things like:

she delivers on what she says she’s going to do;

she has great ideas;

he really knows his stuff;

I feel like I’m the only person in the world when he talks to me.

To my delight it gave me a clearer idea of who they were.

This simple exercise of discovering who I am saved me a lot of heartache when I left that organization.

An organization I’d been involved with for 20 years.

One I’d invested a whole lot of sweat and tears, along with my co-workers, to make more successful.

One who’s mission and people I still very much care about.

Sure it was hard to leave, but I knew who I was – my confidence and purpose in life were not tied into that specific job.

The benefit of knowing who you are and being able to articulate it is empowering.

Chances are that you already live out who you are –  and have been doing so since you were a kid.

I know that when I developed my mission and vision statements and looked back on my life,

all the pieces seemed to fit together and finally make sense.

Writing out who you are in concise language

empowers you to more quickly assess and make decisions on the opportunities and struggles that come your way at work and in your personal life.

My personal vision and mission statements you ask?

I unabashedly display them on my blog, but in case you missed them, here they are:

Vision: Igniting the power and passion in others…

Mission: I relate with, promote and speak community wherever I am…

Short and sweet.

All encompassing.

Transcending any job description.

I can’t say enough about the benefits of knowing who you are and strongly encourage you to find out, if you haven’t already done so.

Remember this: You are not who you are because of the things you do. You do the things you do because of who you are.

What do you want people to say about you when you leave the room?

And tell me…I really want to know.

Who are you?

Talk to Diana


"I RELATE WITH, PROMOTE AND SPEAK COMMUNITY WHEREVER I AM..."

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