The Dream Dean

Thursday, December 23, 2021 (Day 356)

Relaxing Music for the week: A Calm Heart: Liquid Mind (11:33) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsuICdiXtBk

Question: If you could ask yourself 10 years in the future one question, what would it be?

Answer: My one question: Will I still be alive 10 years from now? Odds are that I will still be alive 10 years from now (I’ll be close to 69 years old), but it would be nice to know so that I can continue doing Life Design Catalyst work. To be honest, I don’t want to do anything else – at least in terms of work – other than LDC work. To help awakening meaningful change in others and in myself is my ultimate goal. On Wednesday morning, I had my meeting with my boss – and during and after the conversation, the one thing that was clear to me was that it was time for me to leave. I don’t think she gets the fact that advising is tied to registration and scheduling, not about having the deep-seeded activities and conversations we’ve had with students through our Life Design Catalyst classes. She’s coming from a faculty perspective, when you work with 20-30 students, not 200-400 students. And to have the deep, meaningful conversations in 15-30 minutes just don’t happen consistently. I tried to explain that to her, but she didn’t want to listen. Too bad for the School of HHS and for UNCG, as LDC work moves on to greener pastures. And then yesterday afternoon, last night, and this morning, I started (and continue) to put together a “presentation” on what it means to be a Life Design Catalyst, our role, and how we grow and change lives – not only those we serve but within ourselves. And the foundation of that work – purpose. So, to know that I’ll be alive to continue this “missionary” work would be awesome. But not knowing my “end point” is valuable because I can treat every day as my last, making sure that I “strive to be 1% better every day.”

Other Stuff

I spent this morning reading/watching Philosopher’s Notes on Purpose this morning for two reasons: (1) because it’s the foundation of Life Design Catalyst work, and (2) because I will be a guest lecturer on January 2nd at Unity Church in Greensboro, facilitating a session on purpose. So, listening to these Notes this morning, they came back to the work by Carol Dweck on Fixed vs Growth Mindset. If you haven’t explore her work in depth, here’s a great article I read this morning that is a great synopsis of this philosophy:

• Fixed vs. Growth: The Two Basic Mindsets That Shape Our Lives – https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/

What struck me most was the opening quote by Debbie Millman:

“If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love, and don’t stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, imagine immensities…”

The only thing I would add is that it must be things that makes you better in service to something bigger than you. And for me, that’s the foundation of purpose work.