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Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential
Issue 4.42 - October 15, 2007 - ISSN: 1551-6571

In Kevin's Own Words

The Magic of Memory Lane

On a recent early autumn evening, I walked around the farm of my kidhood. In the spring, my father passed away, so I have spent more time here this year than in recent years. And on this particular evening I was on the farm alone. As the sun began to set a different memory seemed to arrive with each new step; memories of being a boy, of growing up, of mistakes made, of lessons learned and so much more.

I don’t share this to be sappy or sentimental, though I can be both of those things. And to say that a tear drop didn’t hit the ground would be a lie. But those are not the reasons I write this.

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I write this for what happened after the tears fell and about the time the moon began to rise. I stopped thinking about those memories for a minute and started thinking about the day I had just spent as a professional 45-year-old man, doing things that seemed so far removed from this place and those memories.

And then the magic happened.

I began to connect those lessons and memories of the past to the things I did today, noticing things I could have done differently or better. I recognized that how I handled some things were a direct reflection of those lessons I had just remembered, though clearly they had been with me earlier in the day, I just didn’t make that connection consciously.

The magic of learning happened.

It happened because I had stopped to reflect.

I stopped.

I reflected.

I took time to think, even though my laptop and a to-do list awaited me in the house.

I took time to think.

I thought about lessons from long ago and how they applied to me today. Though separated by time, context and circumstances, there were lessons remembered and learned that night that helped me be more effective, productive and successful the following day.

You can do what I did.

You can experience what I experienced.

You don’t have to be at a farm in Michigan, or your childhood home. You could be walking down your street or across a college campus. You could be riding in a subway or sitting in your office. The where doesn’t matter; what matters are the actions we must take.

You must turn down and turn off all the noise around you.

You must tune in . . . to your inner voices.

Scan the memories.

Ask the questions.

Listen to the answers.

Reflect.

Think.

And learn.

Your walk down memory lane may really happen (as mine did), or it may be in your mind; regardless of the where, the memories will offer lessons and learning opportunities – both long remembered and brand new.

And both will be magic.

Potential Principle - Time spent with our memories can be more than sentimental; it can be a valuable learning opportunity. On your next trip down a memory lane, allow yourself to learn from those past experiences; thinking about how you can apply those lessons today, however far removed in time or location you might be.

Kevin

Kevin's Recommends

The Secret Language of Leadership:
How Leaders Inspire Action Through Narrative
by Stephen Denning

As time goes on I have more people contact me to read their books and recommend them to you. As a lover of books, and because I want to recommend the best to you, I usually accept a copy.

When Steve Denning contacted me he didn’t have a finished book yet – it wasn’t published. Steve is persistent; we played phone tag while he was traveling Europe because he wanted to have a conversation with me about his new book, The Secret Language of Leadership.  He offered me a PDF copy of the full book, which I accepted.

After speaking with him on the phone I was interested. After I read the preface, I was hooked.

I will admit that I haven’t read the full book, because it is hard for me to read large sections on a computer screen and I didn’t want to print out the full manuscript. But I can tell you that I can’t wait to get the final book in my hands. My copy is on the way, and yours can be too – because it has now been released.

The subtitle speaks of narrative, but it hardly cracks the surface of this book. Stephen will help you as a reader think more deeply about your role as a leader and how to use your communication skills more fully to create conversation and meaning, and therefore create long term productivity improvements (and much more).

I have been honored to provide a bonus to buyers of the book at its release. There are some other wonderful bonuses – many of which are compelling enough to buy the book for access to them.  Read about this special offer.

However, in the end no bonuses should be required. This book will be extremely valuable to any leader who reads it.

Learn more and purchase at Amazon.com.

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