What makes your heart sing?

 Listen to the podcast version of this post 

Each Friday's podcasts are always under 10 minutes.

This is episode 105.

My simple rule in making every day decisions is answering this question Will this make my heart sing?

What makes your heart sing?

I’m fascinated by and in awe of people. Each of us is a one-of-a kind human being. Therefore every time I meet someone or speak with some I remind myself this is a never to be repeated conversation with a one-of-a kind human being.

Conversations make my heart sing. I continue despite decades of experience to hone my skills in having candid, convivial, compassionate, conscious and compelling conversations.

From such conversations come defining moments for people and myself. My heart sings every time someone has such a moment, or when the penny drops for myself.

My heart sings through reading books and researching and writing my own books. I’m called to dig deeper, to find out, to learn, and to discover wisdom that can benefit humanity.

What makes your heart sing?

My heart sings when through respectful dialogue and debate people reach a shared-view about the way forward together.

My heart sings when I’m able to create and co-create processes that help people to see, unearth, magnify and essence their essence and the essence of other people.

My heart sings when I’m able to create and co-create processes that make it simple for people to bring their essence to their work.

My heart sings when I am able to help people to make more meaning in your life and to keep meaningful progress visible.

What makes your heart sing?

Action

In my Heart-Leadership book there's a section on The Game-changer that is checklists. One such checklist is what I call 'The Career and Life-Calling Card'. Below is the section about this from my book. Complete your own card and it will help you to be and do more of what makes your heart sing. Sing out if you would like some help.

Discovering our life’s work is one of the most fulfilling quests we can achieve. I recommend creating a checklist like The Career and Life-Calling Card below and reviewing it at least twice a year to see where you’re at and where you could move to.

According to Gallup and many other leading researchers into employee engagement, most of the world’s employees are not fully engaged in their work.

There are many reasons for this disaster.

Often overlooked is the fact that millions of people aren't able or allowed to do what they love in the service of people who love what they do. Hence they're disengaged. A Career and Life-Calling Card helps.

I’m am very grateful to the works of Joseph Campbell, Ken Robinson, Steven Farber, Daniel Pink, and Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles for their work in the area of vocation/work/mission/purpose.

You’ll find their books listed in the Acknowledgements Section.

The concept of “Follow your bliss” comes from Joseph Campbell in his book ‘Hero of a thousand faces’. It has resonated with me since I first read the book over 30 years ago.

The very best explanation that I have ever come across for “follow your bliss” comes from the film ‘Finding Joe’ which is a documentary about Joseph Campbell’s work. 

In the film the President of the Joseph Campbell Foundation describes bliss as “doing what you can’t not do.” I love this!

In an excellent book ‘The Element - how finding your passion changes everything’, Ken Robinson says about the element “the place where the things we love to do and the things we are good at come together.”

“Do what you love, in the service of people who love what you do.” Steven Farber in ‘The Radical Leap’ is perhaps my favourite line of all time when it comes to meaningful work.

What drives us according to Daniel Pink in ‘A Whole New Mind’ and ‘Drive - the surprising truth about what motivates us.’ Is the three factors below:

“Autonomy: the urge to direct our own lives

Mastery: the desire to get better and better at something that matters

Purpose: the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves”

The Japanese say everyone has an ikigai. The French call it raison d’etre. 

In their beautiful book ‘Ikigai The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life’, Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles quote from people born in Okinawa, the island with the most centenarians in the world - “our ikigai is the reason we get up in the morning.”

All of these works and my own experience in working with people to find their essence I conclude that our life’s work, our reasons for being, is found at the intersection between Can do, Will do, Love to do, and People who love what I do. 

I recommend creating a one-page visual as a key heart and head action.

Career and Life-Calling Card where you would feature your answers the following questions:

Can Do

What do I know?

What are my key skills?

What is my real expertise?

How do I practice what I know?

Will do

What is my attitude to living?

What am I really committed to?

How can I be more disciplined in taking action?

How I am really different from others who do what I do?

Love to do

My purpose in life is?

I am passionate about?

I find Joy in?

My art is?

My essence is?

People who love what I do

How do I:

Serve others?

Help people achieve what is important to them?

Solve people’s problems?

Offer solutions to people’s challenges?

Exchange value with other people?

Deliver value to other people?

Become the wise leader you want to be 

Ian