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Strozzi Institute workshop offered in D.C. area

Hello all! I wanted to let you know of a free workshop that is one of those few examples of getting far more than what you paid for.

On November 1st from 7-9 PM, the Strozzi Institute of CA is offering a free workshop here in DC metro area (Arlington, to be specific). The workshop is called “Navigating Change – A Somatic Approach.”

For those of you I have worked over the last few years, Strozzi Institute is where I have learned the practices we’ve used to develop leadership presence/effectiveness, to be more grounded and centered in chaos, and to better manage ourselves/our emotions to achieve our goals.  Whether you are a sole practitioner, managing a large team/business, or in transition—these are crucial skills.

Strozzi Institute, based in Petaluma CA, is probably the best leadership training I have taken. I have taken many of their courses, I am certified in their techniques, and continue to study with them. These are not stereotypical anemic touchy-feely courses. They place a lot of emphasis on integrity—and on listening to what our body is telling us—as the most effective guides for making choices. Grounded in martial arts and meditation traditions, SI focuses on how to develop true leadership presence “from the inside out,” and emphasizes the whole self, not just cognitive abilities.

Mark Mooney will be leading this free workshop; he excels at introducing new people to this work! Mark consults across industries and teaches the entry level public courses, including at least one in DC annually. (He led the first two classes I attended at SI, starting me on this path.) And attending the ‘freebie’ is a great way to learn and get exposure to Strozzi without flying to CA or signing up for a 4-5 day course.

Registration is required, to manage the room size etc. I fully expect this to be a full course, so if you’re interested, register now at: http://www.strozziinstitute.com/workshops.

Filed under: Leadership training,StrozziTags: , , , Author: jenny

In Memory of Steve Jobs, Do What You Love

Insightful, pointed, funny quotes from Steve Jobs are flying over the web (many through Apple inventions). The ones I keep coming back to: Do what you love. Do what’s truly interesting to you.

I can only imagine what some said when he quit college and took a calligraphy class. Ten years later, he has Apple create fonts.

But even if he didn’t, would it matter? Does everything we do have to have something to show for it, a concrete result, a high return on our investment? What’s so bad about “wasting time?” I doubt, had he never sparked fonts, that Steve Jobs regretted taking that class. I doubt that every interest he followed led to a spectacular innovation. And the world is better for his diversions…certainly his life was.

I am far from perfect at this. Hearing him speak was a wake-up call for me. I just came back from a marvelous trip overseas, and promptly put myself to the grindstone to make up the “lost time.” I realized that I was making my own world more…narrow. So this week is about connecting with friends, gardening in our summer-like weather, and yes, getting work done—but with a focus on the work I love, making the best contribution I can make, not the grindstone.

Are you doing what fascinates you? Causes you to smile? Quickens your heart?

What are you waiting for?

Filed under: MotivationTags: , , Author: jenny

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