EILEEN MCDARGH'S
Resiliency Report
Published monthly and when the mood strikes.
Update from Eileen
For decades at the start of January, I have written resolutions and measurable goals, often accompanied with a vision board. It’s a powerful and productive practice. At least it used to be.
Somehow, given the unpredictability of this world, the divisive rhetoric, and swirls of a pandemic, setting grand goals seems ridiculous. Ahh but setting grand intentions is another matter.
Intentions become the backdrop of possibilities for just HOW I show up in this world. Intentions seem to be more positive and practical, open-ended rather than closed.
My intention is to practice compassion for myself and others as I slow down and listen more deeply with my heart. May I be a gentle “yes” to people and opportunities that allow me to learn more, laugh more, experience more, and love more. Ultimately, my intention is to close off each day having made some form of contribution to people and the planet—however small that contribution might be.
Maybe you too might join me as we ride whatever wave this year has in store for us. Go slow instead of fast. Go deep instead of broad. Say “yes” to what connects us.
What are your intentions?
And—from my entire family to yours: Here’s to crafting a 2022 worthy of everyone of good heart, compassion, honesty, and faith.
A Young Man Who Roars and Creates an Amazing Robot
In the Chinese zodiac, 2022 is the year of the tiger. This powerful creature represents courage, determination, and a strong sense of justice!
These are the very qualities I found in Severn Swift. He is a young man whom I met when I spoke for the student leadership at the Colorado School of Mines in 2019. After graduation, he wasted no time in putting his computing skills to work. Here is what he just sent me: It's finally happened!!! After working two years at Labrador Systems, today at CES we released our robot to the world. The Labrador Retriever (get it) is a navigating assistive robot that helps move and retrieve items around the home. If you are thinking, "why is this useful?" then watch the video below on how we are empowering individuals to live more independently.
Forget New Year’s Resolutions. Strive for Intentions
January 2022
Take a break and LISTEN— Krista Tippett’s podcast On Being
Maybe it’s because I had just returned from the audiologist with a new pair of hearing aids. Technology has so improved in the last four years. Now my brain can process more sound with greater detail and clarity with these new aids. Perhaps that was why, for some reason, I went on my early morning run and listened to Tippett’s interview with Gordon Hempton. Hempton is an acoustic ecologist . He spoke about Silence and the Presence of Everything. The natural world has incredible sounds and silence—the ability to deeply listen—is becoming endangered. Put on a headset to block out all extraneous noise and just listen to this podcast. All you need is to be present.
The Great Debate: Is It Better to Be Single Or Married??
"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need somebody to clean up after them! (Lynette, age 9)
"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." (Kenny, age 7)
"It isn't always just how you look. Look at me. I'm handsome like anything and I haven't got anybody to marry me yet." (Gary, age 7)
Must Read Book!
How To Fly (In Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) by Barbara Kingsolver. I listened to a podcast in which Parker Palmer, an amazing and insightful author, interviewed Barbara Kingsolver. He concludes: “Please treat yourself to this conversation with a remarkable writer and human being. It occurs to me standing on “The Growing Edge” of our lives is to stand in a place where we are poised for flight. May 2022 be a year in which more and more of us learn to fly.”
Another Great Book!
Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Extravagant Tenderness by Gregory Boyle. Father Greg Boyle is the beloved Jesuit who created Homeboys and has worked for years with the gangs of Los Angeles. I read his first two books: Tattoos on the Heart and Barking to the Choir. Not only is he a magnificent human being but his command of words and the ability to place the reader exactly before a “homie” are powerful. This book was my December reading each night before bed. The compassion of his descriptions transported my mind and heart in a way no writing has ever done. The mutual love and respect Boyle and his homeboy family have for each other caught me by surprise—even as gang warfare continues to rage in segments of Los Angeles. This is a book everyone should read…. and reap!
Couldn’t find my December Resiliency Report. It was there but…
Call it a brain fart. An accident of nature. A collision of too much and too many things. It was an “over” sight. Emphasis here is the word “sight”. I have cataracts in both eyes. The first cataract operation was December 2, a procedure that so many folks assured me was painless and amazing.
I guess I am special as only 1 in 500 cases experience what I had: cataract fragments behind the lens. A second operation December 13 removed the fragments but also left me with weeks of recovery.
To sum it up: I can only read with my right eye. Need my glasses to really see distance although the glass had been removed from the left side of my glasses until the “next steps” can be explored.
About Eileen
If you are looking for a unique keynote speaker in resiliency, a facilitator for executive retreats, a speech coach or an emcee/moderator, then you want to work with Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE. Eileen has spoken for audiences as large as 15,000 and facilitated groups as small as 18! She is the author of seven books and other products that you can find in her online store. The British Research firm of Global Gurus ranked her #4 among the top 30 communication gurus worldwide. Why not hire Eileen for your next event?
Ranked 3rd!
This is the 6th year in a row that I have been ranked in the top 5 in communication. Global Gurus surveys some 26,000 business professionals to determine rankings plus professionals also vote.
Yahoo!
Thank You!
