The final lesson I have learned about pursuing personal excellence was best summarized by Robert K. Cooper in his book, The Other 90%: How to Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential For Leadership & Life, Crown Business, 2001. As he wrote, “People won't put their hearts into something they don't believe in.”
Given I am a long time listener of National Public Radio’s “I Believe” series, I asked myself, “What do I believe in?” From personal experience and a lot of reading of others much wiser than me, I could answer that question with the following statements: we are all interconnected; we are all interdependent; we are all tied together by a common purpose of creating success for all those we serve. Or I could quote Francis Hesselbein who wrote, “To serve is to live.”
But my “I Believe” statement is more simple and goes as follows.
I believe in spring bulbs.
Each fall, I plant between 200 - 300 bulbs.
Each spring, I eagerly await their arrival and glorious colors.
Each spring, I revel in how they change the earth.
Each spring, I marvel at their resilience to the weather.
Each spring, I delight in how many people walk by the house to see the colors.
Each spring, I love watching how the annual spring bulb display fills people with joy.
Each spring, I marvel at how much happiness, smiles, and hope the bulbs bring to me, friends, family, our neighborhood and guests.
Each spring, I celebrate their resurrection.
Each spring, summer, and fall I plan for more.
For me, spring bulbs are a positive force multiplier.
FYI: Each spring, there are easily over 2,000 bulbs that bloom around our home. They start in March depending on the kind of winter we have and bloom all the way into June. Earlier this fall, I planted over 275 bulbs. I know it will be a great spring in 2012!
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