The Thoughtful Leaders Blog
Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on February 6, 2012
“Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” Ancient Chinese proverb
Truth be told, my perfectionist days are not all over…
There are still many times when I slip and realize that I have been, once again, beating myself up for not getting, doing, or knowing something fast enough, well enough, or good enough. When I’m wondering why I’m not at the pinnacle of the mountain “yet” – why I’m still climbing and moving so slowly you’d think I was walking backwards…
Those are the times when I try and remember to be easier with myself. When I keep in mind the adage that tulips don’t grow any quicker if you try to pull them up from the ground, or if you dig them up to see how they’re doing and why it’s taking so long to get a blossom. When I remind myself that it is ok to move slowly at times – that sometimes growth and progress take time, and that doesn’t mean that nothing is happening and no progress is being made.
It is always when I release my deathgrip and let it be ok that I’m not as far ahead as I think I “should” be…that I have the breakthrough and the growth and success come quickly and easily. You would think I would learn…
Where are you growing slowly? Where are you standing still?
Allow yourself the grace to grow as slowly as you need at times. Celebrate the growth as you see it and enjoy the slower pace. If you have identified areas where you are simply standing still, come up with two actions you will take to move yourself forward.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 30, 2012
“Doing more of what doesn’t work won’t make it work any better.” Charles J. Givens
This quote made me laugh. It’s so true. Yet somehow we seem to forget and we continue to operate on the belief that if we just try harder, even if it’s not working, we’ll somehow figure it out and push things through.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 23, 2012
“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her.” David Brinkley
I was speaking with a colleague recently who told her tale of woe about a large project she was heading up at work. She shared a litany of roadblocks and obstacles. “Every time I turn around,” she said, “It’s like someone else has come up with yet another ridiculous hoop I have to jump through and a reason why my project will fail…or shouldn’t even be started. At times I just want to quit.”
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on January 19, 2012
 Someone forwarded me another TED video – they always make me think, and I always want to share them.
Barry Schwartz speaks about our loss of wisdom. He argues that our society, businesses, and lives are becoming increasingly stuck on rules and incentives, and that what we need in order to thrive is instead practical, everyday wisdom that will guide us to do the “right” thing.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 16, 2012
“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.” Helen Keller
I’ve noticed a pattern in my life, and sometimes in the lives of others. Something will go “wrong” for me, or something will happen that I don’t like or don’t want, and I’m driven to push against it. Without realizing it, I find myself complaining, or strategizing how to fight the issue, or the person, I’m up against. At times I even plunge into frustration and darkness, overwhelmed with how “wrong” everything is and how hopeless I feel to change things. And the more I push against, the more the issue or situation seems to overcome me.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 9, 2012
“You don’t have to suffer continual chaos in order to grow.” John C. Lilly
We have been taught since we were young, “No pain, no gain.” I no longer adhere to that approach.
The world is filled with organisms that grow without pain and chaos. People grow, cities grow, businesses grow, flowers grow – all, at times, without chaos and pain. The world shows us that it is entirely possible, and yet when I share this concept with my clients, they find it enlightening.
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Posted by Lisa Kohn on January 5, 2012
 It’s that time of year. The weather is (finally) cold, at least here in the mid-Atlantic states. The holiday season is officially over. The gym is more crowded than usual at 5:30 in the morning. A new year is here.
Everyone is friendlier during the change of years. People I don’t usually talk with are wishing me a “Happy New Year.” People I talk with but don’t know that well are offering me hugs. And everyone is asking me what my New Year’s resolutions are.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on January 2, 2012
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain
Sometimes I think that nothing gets in our way as much as our certainty. We argue with others incessantly, steadfastly insisting how right we are on a specific topic, even when they have proof as to another answer. We maintain that our view of a situation or a person is the Truth, and simply refuse to consider that others may view things differently. Somehow we’re simply sure, and nothing can convince us otherwise.
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Posted by Robyn McLeod on December 29, 2011
The New Year is a time of reflection on the past and hope for the future for many of us. As we look back on 2011, all of us at Chatsworth Consulting Group are grateful for all of the wonderful new people that have crossed our paths this year, the new ideas that have been shared with us, and the new experiences that we have had.
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Posted by Chatsworth Consulting Group on December 19, 2011
“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Lewis Carroll
Our imagination is usually expansive and unstoppable when we’re young, and then, bit by bit, it lessens and sometimes even dies. And then corporations pay consultants, such as us, to teach their employees “innovative thinking and problem solving” or “creativity.”
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View Robyn McLeod's profile
You are certainly correct. I’m sure about this!
Thanks for your comment Sue. I’m certainly glad to hear your thoughts! Lisa