The Whole World - In Your Hands

Oh, the memories a few little words can bring to mind.

Today, 1962: Astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, flying aboard the Friendship Seven. I was ten years old and living in Alabama when John Glenn made his famous flight. My family had recently moved from the only childhood home I could remember. It wasn’t the first time we had moved; and it surely wouldn’t be the last.

By the age of four, I had already lived in three states and five different cities. The string of moves in the ten years following Alabama would include four more states and six more cities. Such is the life of a military family.

Powerful, unconscious lessons are learned throughout our childhood experiences. For me, it was:

• Family is your foundation. You don’t need a house to have a home.
• Friendships must be nourished to flourish.
• The only thing constant in life is change. Embrace it.
• Bloom where you are planted.
• Attitude is the only thing we can control.

As an adult, looking back, I now realize my experience as a child was totally different from that of my mother. What an amazing woman! In all our moves, I never remember boxes. Magically, each new house was transformed seemingly over night into a home with familiar furniture, pictures, and family traditions. I think of her having to pack up children and pets and leave behind newfound friends. I think of the strength she had to lead a home while my dad was stationed in Vietnam and Thailand. I felt safe.

Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world. Eleanor Roosevelt

My experiences were also not the same as my younger sister and brother. By the time they were in their early teens, the moves were over.

Your Personal Story

You have a personal history that is a culmination of all your experiences. Those experiences have unconsciously shaped your life. It is your gift to share with others. No one else has quite the same perspective.

Where were you when …

In the fall of 1962, just a few months after John Glenn’s flight, George Wallace was elected governor of Alabama. His son, George Wallace, Jr., and I attended the same Montgomery elementary school. Being raised in a family which embraced diversity, I did not understand the very hot topic of school segregation.

One year after acknowledging John Glenn’s mission, President Kennedy was assassinated. Where were you? I was in a 6th grade classroom on Eielson Air Force base, just outside Fairbanks, Alaska. Four months later, on May 27, 1964, we experienced the Great Alaskan earthquake.

So why do I share all this with you?

What is comfortable for us as an individual because of our past experiences may be very uncomfortable to others. Moving into new houses or even careers doesn’t bother me. I find wonderful opportunities for growth in change.

Whether the circumstance you find yourself in involves loved ones, colleagues, or clients and customers, begin looking at the situation from their perspective. Building awareness, empathy, and ultimately understanding will help you develop deeper relationships, both personally and professionally.

You Can’t Change Your Story ~ You Can Change Your Future

None of us can re-write history. It is solid bedrock. It does no one any good to live in either past glory or regret. But the future is like clay. It is molded every day by the choices we make and the chances we take.

The first step in creating a life you love is developing an awareness of your story.

The Circle of Wisdom™ is the first step in The Journey to Swan. A simple six step decision making process involves:

• Awareness
• Acceptance
• Accountability
• Action
• Achievement
• Assessment

You, too, were born to soar! You have the whole world in your hands.