A milestone birthday always offers the opportunity to reflect (hopefully at the spa or over several margaritas) and my recent birthday was no exception. I thought about life – my family, my friends, my goals, the fact that people now call me Ma’am instead of Miss and that I take Advil a bit more regularly than I did ten years ago. But wow, what a relief it is to have a family that actually enjoys being together, a few friends who have stuck with me, a really cool day job and a sense of who I am and what I care about.
I am not going to pretend that I have it all figured out but to me being a leader is deciding what is important and making time for it. It’s looking up from my blackberry long enough to actually interact with a few human beings. It’s road tripping to Iowa to see my Grandmas. It’s crying in public when something is outrageously unjust. It’s taking time to meet with someone who is looking for a job. It’s farting out loud and laughing with your kids. Ok, maybe that’s not leadership but it is really fun and we can’t take ourselves that seriously all the time?!
So take my “pearls of aged wisdom” with a grain of salt….
Share Your Talents
Although life is not always simple and can get a bit rough, there is no lack of inspiration and talent. We all have something to offer – and if you found your way to this blog, you probably already know you can volunteer, offer professional services, serve on a board and of course donate money to your favorite nonprofit organizations. But don’t overlook the basics – go out of your way to be kind to your neighbors, a sick friend, your kid’s school bus driver or the person who empties the trash at your office. I make great cupcakes and love to hand them out randomly. I mean who doesn’t like cupcakes? Make someone’s day.
Get Inspired
How great is technology? All you have to do is look in your inbox for inspiration. One of my favorite emails is Daily Good from CharityFocus.org. This week I read about; how a landlord got a second job to pay his tenant’s rent after his tenant lost his job, how a 13 year old planted 1000 trees and how a couple chose to live frugally and give 50% of their income to charity. Amazing stuff. Some days when I am too busy to be inspired, I delete my Daily Good without opening it… and I usually end up cranky by noon. Find inspiration and hold onto it.
Pay Attention
I am reading Slow Down to the Speed of Life. I think I am taking it literally because after six months I am on page 30 but what is sticking for me is the concept that we are actually better off not always using the analytical side of our brain like obsessing over our mistakes from last month or planning every weekend activity for the next six weeks. You literally use a different kind of intelligence when you are in the present. I am still not that good at it but I can already tell that I laugh more with my boys and I don’t hate driving because I like to dance to the radio. Look around, notice things. I mean really pay attention.
Shameless Plug
And now a shameless plug for an amazing website, GiveMN.org (full disclosure, I am Executive Director of GiveMN… I told you it was a shameless plug). If you are still wondering how you can share your talents, get inspired and pay attention to the world, check out GiveMN – the smart way for Minnesotans to discover, engage and support charities. There are over 37,000 Minnesota nonprofits on the site for you to find and support a cause that you care about. And talk about leadership, read the GiveMN Blog featuring Gemma Bulos, an international clean water activist who founded A Single Drop. Wow.
Big Inspirational Ending
“A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.” Come on 40-somethings, we are wiser for our years. Let’s join forces with the Boomers and the Gen Yers and do something really, really spectacular. Even if it’s not your birthday, hit the spa, drink a margarita or just walk around Lake Harriet – take some time to make sure you are living your life the way you meant to. That is leadership.
~ Dana Nelson is a guest contributor.
