Ann’s Cat-in-the-Hat Birthday Party!

We begin each week with an hour of Q2 time to gather our spirits, share gratitude for this opportunity to serve and grow together and then one of us leads the team in some purposeful learning.  We typically have pre-readings and pre-work and this morning was no exception.  Except that it was my birthday so I knew there would be surprises but I was not included in the pre-work.

When I walked down the red spiral staircase from the TreeHouse to join the team in the studio I found them all dressed in crazy attire and each sporting a tall, stovepipe, cheery red hat.  Then Duane opened the meeting explaining that most of our team is blessed with high B Quadrant planning, execution, lowering-risks skills.  Yet I serve as the zany, risk-taking “Cat-in-the-Hat”.  He told the story of how the Cat-in-the-Hat, a character from Dr. Seuss stories, would entertain the children and turn things up-side-down by seeing everything from a new perspective.  He then gave me a lovely tribute of teaching others to see problems as opportunities, and never wasting a good crisis!

The team had each brought tributes sharing:

1.  What they enjoyed most and benefitted from their work at AMCA.

2.  How had they benefitted personally? And,

3.  A funny story from their time here.

There was a great deal of laughter and tears as we dared to speak from our hearts and let others see into our inner most soul.  Who would have ever guessed what and how our work together and mutual support for each other might have profoundly transformed our lives, given us dignity and deep self appreciation in a totally new way and strengthened our bonds of mutual trust and unconditional love.  As one partner confessed, “I never dreamed that I would be joining a family that sincerely cared about me as a whole person and where I could be authentic, sharing my joys and asking for support when my world was crumbling around me.”

We talked about why and how this kind of risk-taking and intimate sharing becomes the foundation of a truly extraordinary team, which is our shared AMCA Vision:

To co-create EXTRAordinary lives, leaders, teams, service and results.

We can’t authentically bring to others what we have not claimed in our own work and lives.  To dare to be fully committed to this level of living into each of our personal Callings is a tall and sometimes scary goal.  And yet, as we shared, our hearts grew stronger, bigger, bolder and more humbled by what we continue to experience and create together.  For all of us, the honor and joy of being in a position to awaken this spirit of hope and possibility in those we serve is indeed a great gift!

So in the spirit of celebrating a birthday and indeed the birth of  awareness of our many gifts within each of us, the gift of life and the courage to make each of our lives truly count by being the change we wish to see in the world, that is the stuff of the child-like wonder, creativity and courage to be fully alive in each moment, to face life with unwavering faith and humility and to know that we are never alone.

As Bob Greenleaf frequently signed his letters……    “In the Spirit”.