Mikolaj's Monday Maunder - That which has been your delight

Inspiration and lessons for your leadership journey!

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“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”
~ Kahlil Gibran ~

Look again at today’s quote.  The great prophet is telling you to look again in your heart.  How often do you look in your heart?  It is in your heart that reside your greatest sorrow and delight.  

As many of you may have already heard, Leah and I lost our unborn baby, “IsLaw,” last week.  Our hearts are heavy with sorrow, but it is just as Kahlil Gibran says; it is because we had such great joy and delight that now we weep. 

Although she was with us physically for only fifteen weeks, they were fifteen weeks full of love, delight, gratitude, hope, and the coming together in joy of family, friends, and coworkers. 

And although Leah is the most passionate teacher I know and finds her work and family so fulfilling, I saw a new hope, joy, and fulfillment in her beyond measure.  She truly radiated.  She found that which was her delight.

So many of you have responded with an outpouring of love beyond expectation!  I can’t count the texts, emails, and phone calls of support that we have received.  We have received flowers, cards, surprise meals, and so much love!  Others brought their gift of patient presence.  While I may not be able to respond to each and every one of them, please know that this outpouring of great love truly touched our hearts and makes a difference!

You have brought to life a cycle of life and leadership that I write about in my book:

Loss/Need > Empathy/Love > Gift > Gratitude > Propagation of the cycle

There is an identified loss/need that is responded to with empathy, concern, and love resulting in the gift of something to help which then fosters gratitude in the receiver which leads the receiver to ‘pay it forward’ to someone else; thus propagating the cycle.  This cycle has tangible and intangible benefits to the giver, the receiver, groups, and society at-large.  As Mike Dooley wrote this week, “Sometimes the helper needs help, and for being helped, they become better helpers.”

Leah and I will be better helpers because of you.  Thank you!

Those you lead who receive your gifts of love become better helpers, too.

While our hearts may be full of sorrow right now, your gifts of love bring us back to that which has been our delight all along: Love and Life!

If you like this week's blog, I encourage you to share it with your family, friends, and colleagues and join me on my journey to empower and inspire millions of people around the globe.

Together we can spread words of Encouragement, Inspiration, Empowerment, and Loving Leadership!

Together we can make a difference...

Thank you, and...

Have an amazing journey today!

Alan

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