How brave are you?

Read on, and you will understand why I am asking this question.

This morning I was reading Peter Drucker – a famous management consultant who often worked in Japan - and a sentence in his book jumped out at me as quite profound. He wrote:

"Individual self-development in large measure depends on the focus on contributions."

How you can contribute to Society is a tricky question.

Years ago, when it was not so fashionable, I was involved in the work of Werner Erhard.

“Wow daddy, everywhere here has free Wi-Fi.”

My two girls – 14 and 17 - are with me in Japan. We are wandering around inside the sultry envelope of a damp Tokyo summer. Of course, two teenage girls are way more interested in free WiFi than temples and boring stuff like that. Unless there’s a photo op…

“Hey dad, take my photo walking down these stairs.”

Why? I wonder.

“I want to post it to Instagram.”

Instagram. Right. Still trying to figure that out.

To qualify for the Alexander lie test you must travel in cars (or buses/taxis), use a smart phone (or iPad/computer) and know about Alexander's discovery.

If you this true for you (?) then take the test:

1. Do you want to keep travelling in a car?
2. Do you want to keep using a smart phone?
3. Do you want to keep thinking about your head/spine relationship?

To pass this test you needed to answer an unequivocal yes to all three questions.

I’ve spent a long time making a fool of myself.

Publically, loudly and with a lot fanfare. Or at least that is how I felt sometimes (foolish) and that is how I was told by others (sometimes). Yet as Brené Brown rightly points out – while risk taking opens you to the possibility of ridicule and hurt, it also opens you to all those other juicy emotions like vitality, joy, enthusiasm, love.

Recently I posted on Facebook, and got quite a response.

It was an insight I’d had into my own behaviour – which I am posting to Facebook all the time so what’s new? Yet this one hit a chord with a lot of folks! I was surprised by the rich reaction it garnered. Many people commented, I got unsolicited emails privately, and now I’m reading a book about it!*

When did another person last say to you: “You don’t understand!!!”

Whenever a person tells you that, they are right. You don’t understand their story. You only understand your story about their story! It’s natural, except…

How do you get past that?

Previously in my blog – “Standing Is Just A Story You Tell Your Self” – I asked you to explore the way that you and others stand…

I am writing at the end of a harrowing and hollowing day of beauty at my Costa Rica Mastermind.

I am getting a brain operation here. It’s about being vulnerable and admitting where I am weak. Admitting that I am failing to deliver on the grandiosity and hope I use to pump myself into action against the crisis and disappointments that tend to wake me up.

Not to belittle my accomplishments though.

People don’t buy when they are confused.

And Alexander's discovery is the mother of all confusing things!

I’m celebrating today the start of our 2nd ATSuccess annual coaching program with 9 teachers signed up, and another still on the fence. (BTW: the group is closed, this is not a sales letter).

Last month, in BodyChance’s Yoga Pro in Japan, I asked for a show of hands:

“Who has trouble explaining what they are doing here to their friends?”

All the hands went up.

Just off a call with ATSuccess member Xiaosong in Buenos Aires, talking about her niche of Tango dancers. It seems most Tango dancers don’t read email, they culturally avoid committing to even meet for a coffee tomorrow – let alone joining a long term learning program! – and, well, they don’t behave in the nice, neat ways that ATSuccess has developed for the Japanese and Western markets.