Are you planning to make a significant personal or professional change? Perhaps you are considering a new project, a new job, or a new relationship. Are you mired in the steps you must take or endless listing of all the the pros and cons of the change? Do you feel ready to fly but you can’t seem to start your actions?

Remember, to fly often requires a leap. Perhaps a leap of faith or a strong movement away from the old and familiar — maybe just taking one step off of the curb.

My friend John Junson caught this inspiring and powerful moment of a little, yet determined, bird demonstrating a leap before spreading its wings into flight.

Of course, know that leaping without any consideration or preparation could result in a resounding thud for you.

I am reminded of this quotation from Guillaume Apollinaire:
“Come to the edge,” he said.
“We can’t, we’re afraid!” they responded.
“Come to the edge,” he said.
“We can’t, We will fall!” they responded.
“Come to the edge,” he said.
And so they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.”

A postscript note from John Junson: “Postscript from John: Interesting ironic side note, the bird is a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – a name that is traditionally associated with being cowardly.”

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Extending Invitations

Last week I purged all the books from my bookshelf, I threw out all my workshop notes and articles, and I deleted 1800 blog posts and 1400 images (everything) from my website.

I wanted to begin with an ending for a beginning I do not yet fully understand. I ask for your patience as this evolves and I strive to be patient with myself.

What I do know is that the concept and experience of invitations will be the backdrop of how I proceed. I don’t care for rules, commandments, cheap advice, manifestos, proclamations, and all the various things tossed our way that feel more like coercion than invitation.

While I refine my own invitations I invite you to get to know Johnnie Moore. Spend a little time with Johnnie at:
https://lnkd.in/gWEXfz8t

I am so impressed by his thoughts, perspectives, and very present and engaging demeanour. His methodology of unhurried conversations sings to a time when so many of us are lost in seeking and offering advice without really knowing.

I revel in Johnnie’s video ‘walk and talks’ and his willingness “not to know.” I invite you to visit him this week and scroll through some of the many posts he has created for us.

Meanwhile, I look forward to sharing my invitations as they take shape. As I proceed, I will keep reminding myself that the sky is not the limit, it is usually me.

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I have taken the next radical step in my purge of the past. It feels freeing, enthralling and edgy.

I went into my website at www.davidzinger.com that I started on November 11, 2005. I proceeded this morning to delete every blog post I wrote — a total of 1836 posts on engagement and strength based leadership. I also deleted over 1700 images, most of them my own, that accompanied these posts.

There is no backup!

I plan to embark on a refresh of what I will do in the future on April Fool’s Day. I do not know where I am headed but I feel that I am moving forward after letting go of the past.

The post Deleted but certainly not Depleted appeared first on David Zinger.

At 69, I have gone through many transitions in my life and I currently find myself in a new one. For the last three days I have been throwing out tons of files and articles related to my work and I have purged my shelves of almost all of my work-related books.

Whenever I do this, and I have done this a few times in the past, it is an early barometer of a looming change, even though I do not know the ultimate form the change will take. The process feels enriching rather than depleting or disconcerting.

I know that all transitions begin with an end — often followed by a muddled neutral zone before arriving at the new beginning.

Here are four 3-word lines that are informing me in the art of this process:

1. Not done yet.
2. What comes next?
3. I don’t know!
4. And that’s okay.

I will keep you posted as this unfolds, but in the interim, please know that I feel like Rembrandt in this wonderful self-portrait that I saw at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles in December.

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