Words from the Heart

Dear friend,

And so it begins. My June schedule is full of adventures, both personally and professionally. I am sitting in a Panera in OKC across the street from the hospital where my son was born over 26 years ago. I spoke at an amazing event on Thursday in Dallas and have another event there on Monday. So instead of flying back and forth I decided to drive three hours and spend the weekend in OKC.

It's always a treat to get to be back here. I never get to see everyone in person that I'd like to, but those I do, fill my heart, as my wife would say. The proximity of physicality provides a neurological hit unavailable via phone, facetime or zoom. The familiar locations also are a boost to my soul. Simply seeing establishments and landmarks that I've encountered for 30+ years generates a burst of goodness.

Granted, it's only because I don't live here anymore that happens. I don't recall a 7-11 or Braums creating an emotional experience, when they were a daily occurrence. It's not so much the "you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone" phenomenon, but more the nuance of consistency that commonplaces cause comfort subconsciously. Absence apparently brings it into the conscious realm. I like it.

The layers of life that are being applied without our awareness is something. I imagine that's why all therapy goes back to childhood. Every single day adds a thin coating to our soul. Most seem inconsequential; however I suspect each one is making a bigger impact than we realize. Our brains and bodies retain the minutia without our approval and then later release it in doses that often surprise us.

EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM

At the event on Thursday, I got to be the opening keynote speaker with my Ownership Message. Then I did three breakout sessions with my Navigate Message, which is this unique mix of resilience, emotional intelligence, personal growth and mindset shifts. Though all three were the same slides, the message came out differently each time. I attribute that to what the audience needs. During the last session, I had to hold back tears. That's never happened before. It was a combination of my own emotional vulnerabilities and broaching areas of the soul that deeply mattered to them.

I love that. The greater access I have to my own emotional spectrum, the better human I become. I'm sure Brené Brown has some data on that. As much as I like my brain - thinking, reasoning and logical processing, and the intellectual connection it creates with others - it turns out the heart is where you and I make the most difference in a person's life.

MINDSHIFT

What if you attempted to access your own emotions in a way that enabled you to connect with others more meaningfully?

HEART ACCESS

If you've heard me speak or read my book, you know I have this whole philosophy about reciprocation sensation when using our words to value people. Saying "I like you" sincerely to someone generates an emotional burst inside of them. When truthfully articulated it seems a direct path to the heart. I wonder if there are other authentic ways that let us bypass blockades to access another's center?

Heck, I wonder if there are ways for us to access our own hearts more truthfully? The last couple months you might have noticed in this weekly letter, I've been attempting to do that. As an external processor, these words and ideas I generate seem to both come from my heart and also speak to my heart. I'm not sure how that works, but I'm grateful it does. It's why journaling is so useful. I appreciate you reading along.

MINDSHIFT

What if you explored your own thoughts and soul in a way that created a willingness to be more intentional about listening to others words to hear their heart?

WORDS

Even as I wrote those words I shuddered a bit. My natural bent is to listen to words as words. I love words. You know that. These little containers of life are one of my favorite things in all of existence. I value them so much. You wouldn't believe how much time I spend trying to use the right ones, or the most impactful ones, as I'm sharing my thoughts with you.

The source of all words is the heart, however.

We are coming to the end of my words today. I'm not sure how I feel about what I've written. This quest for growth and learning leads me to the most unexpected places, though afterwards seem incredibly obvious. Isn't there a quote about at the end of journey we come back full circle to meet ourselves? I'd like to do that before the end. Fully mind, fully heart in all communication seems ideal... and difficult. I'm up for the work, how about you?

SHIFTING

I hope this week you be as intentional as possible both speaking and listening with both your heart and mind. We may hear differently. We may speak differently. Heck we may become different in the process. #ShiftAway