Shannon Cassidy - 19/28 - Bridge Between

Celebrating Courageous Leaders

February 20, 2015March 5, 2015 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

As we emphasize the history and achievements of African Americans during this month, let us learn from the following individuals who stand out for their amazing impact with boldness and bravery.

Leaders can have lots of titles and roles.

From the head of a company to the head of the PTA, from the most seasoned executive to the title-less one who embodies the pathfinder qualities despite the words printed on their business card.

A favorite quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

“I came to the conclusion that there is an existential moment in your life when you must decide to speak for yourself; nobody else can speak for you.”

The following men and women decided to speak for themselves. They chose to show deep courage despite their hardships. I find inspiration in each one of them for various reasons.

All of them have one thing in common: hope. Hope in how they were living. Hope that what they were doing would make a difference for themselves. Hope that why they faced these circumstances would be used for good in affecting others.

Join me on a journey through the highlight reel of four remarkable individuals.

Maya Angelou

Smart
Authentic
Encouraging

She fought for justice, education, and equality. Although known best for her novel “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, she leaves behind amazing artistic work while challenging us to be the good so we bring out the good in others.

She speaks of bringing everyone who has ever been kind to her when she goes on stage. She never felt alone. She challenges us to be a rainbow in somebody else’s cloud. Despite all of our differences, she charges us with being a blessing to somebody no matter if that person is like us or different.

Stuart Scott

Style
Attitude
Likeability

Stuart Scott left an indelible mark on the sportscasting industry far greater than his coined phrase “Boo-yah!”. His unique way of blending hip hop in his broadcasting allowed him to stand out as one who embraced who he was and didn’t change for others.

His approachability was highly regarded. He fought for who he was and won. He was endearing, smart, and loveable.

“ESPN and everyone in the sports world have lost a true friend and a uniquely inspirational figure in Stuart Scott,” said ESPN president John Skipper.

Watch this speech given 6 months ago, and be moved.

Stuart Scott, you are missed. Grateful for the impact you’ve made.

Nelson Mandela

Revolutionary
Humanitarian
Rebel

Bold yet complex words describe him. He was passionate about his convictions and went great lengths for his beliefs. After enduring years in prison he tirelessly worked to negotiate a peaceful end to institutionalized racism, earning him a 1993 Nobel Peace Prize. Mandela was his nation’s first black president from 1994 to 1999.

He encourages us to live by rising every time we fall. Falling will happen. Get back up. Every time. Will you accept the challenge?

Wilma Rudolph

Pioneer
Athlete
Courageous

Wilma was struck with polio at a young age. “My doctor told me I would never walk again,” she wrote. “My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.” Five years after removing her leg brace, she became an Olympian at age 16. Four years passed. After returning home from her second Olympics (and three gold medals later), she insisted her homecoming parade and gala banquet be integrated. These were the first fully integrated municipal events in the city’s history.

“Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.” – Wilma Rudolph

As we celebrate these remarkable leaders who have no doubt made an impact for all, will you accept this challenge?

Go out of your way to make more positive human interaction happen.

Tell me one thing, one small thing, I can do to be better.

Balance Is Out, Fulfillment Is In

February 5, 2015March 5, 2015 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Let’s face it. We’re all busy. Areas of our lives are pulled and twisted, leaving little room for much else. Instead of trying to strike a perfect balance, let’s discover the key of fulfillment.

“Would identifying the amount of time we allocated in our life’s various areas – like work, family, fitness, and the rest – help us figure out our individual happiness and success formula?” Shannon Cassidy, The 5 Degree Principle

Ask yourself:

Are you totally fulfilled at work?
Do your children and spouse see more of the back of your phone than your face?
When was the last time you felt the cold winter air briskly on your face from a pair of skis?
Are you only talking with friends now by liking their posts on Facebook instead of hearing their voice over a glass of wine?

Running the rat race. Spinning on the hamster wheel. Addicted to coffee to muddle through the day. Snapping at those we love most because we are just tapped out and cannot add one more item to the to-do list. Sound familiar?

As long as you continue the habits you have been carrying out daily, you will continue to reap the same results.

Relationships don’t grow without time investment. Careers don’t bloom without hustle and focus. You aren’t able to run in a 5K without lacing up your running shoes and choosing instead to eat potato chips and watch Celebrity Apprentice.

So how do we go from a mediocre life to one that’s fulfilled? Perfectionists beware: it takes time. Small amounts of change. Don’t become paralyzed with a vision of equal perfection in all areas of your life. It’s not going to happen. Let’s work on adjustments that will make an impact towards you feeling fulfilled in the areas of your life.

Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it’s inspiring.

Imagine your life as a pie. Let’s divide in to eight sections. Be honest with yourself here – there is no right or wrong answer. With zero being not fulfilled and ten meaning fulfilled, we’re going to put a 0 in the center and a 10 at the outer edge of each slice. Consider the time, energy, and focus you give to each area combined with the level of satisfaction when determining your number.

Formula for Fulfillment

If this were a wheel, would you find yourself on a bumpy ride? Until we stare the areas of our lives in the face, we often don’t even realize on how much of a deficit we are operating. Congratulations! You’ve done the tough part. Writing it out and acknowledging which areas deserve more attention is the hardest piece of the puzzle.

Now, time for action.

Seven ideas for small change when the slice is close to zero:

schedule a 15 minute Google Hangout or Skype call with a friend instead trying to plan a 2 hour coffee
surprise your children by playing a video game with them instead of barking orders to clean their room
turn the devices off thirty minutes prior to bedtime instead of claiming Pinterest as your downtime. You’ll sleep better.
take $50 from your next paycheck and put in a separate account for your investments / dream vacation / Jimmy Choos.
enjoy a 10 minute walk around the block instead of beating yourself up for not following through with your New Year’s resolution to exercise an hour every day at the gym.
schedule the babysitter for date night. Your spouse will thank you.
spend 10 minutes in each closet and anything not worn in 6 months, put in a bag to donate to charity. You’ll feel great and will be helping out others in your community.

Are you paralyzed into in-action thinking the change is too great? By modifying our behavior in small increments, we make a greater impact in the long run. Stop thinking each area of your life has to be perfectly figured out.

When you look at the areas in your life as ‘five degree events’ and manage them in small chunks, all of a sudden each blip on your radar doesn’t turn in to a catastrophic emergency. Your after-school babysitter quit? It’s not a life changing event. It falls into the category of childcare, and is manageable. {adapted from chapter 8 in The 5 Degree Principle}

We cannot continue operating in the same way day in and day out and expect life to change, or to find fulfillment. No matter how many books we read, how many Ted talks we listen to, how many lists we create…action is what creates change. Once you do a few small steps, you’ll see greater overall difference in your ability to be in control of you.

What’s one section in your Formula for Fulfillment that’s closer to a zero than a ten? Please tell us in the comments.

At Bridge Between we’re passionate about connecting potential to performance. Contact us to help steer you on to a smoother ride.

6 Small Changes to Becoming Your Best Self

December 31, 2014December 31, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Need a change? Lacking inspiration? Not living to your full potential? Drastic changes may not be necessary for this to happen. Being a more awesome version of yourself is entirely within reach. Simply make these few, small changes and watch your perspective change, your personal contentment increase, and your self-satisfaction grow.

Start each day with gratitude.

It is easy to wake up and start the day’s rush and worry from the second we roll out of bed. Too often we begin our days brushing our teeth to the noise of discouraging morning newscasts, and showering as we mentally list the conflicts, meetings, or “same-ole, same-ole’” we are about to face. We begin focusing on what is wrong, rather than what is really, really good. This is the first change we need to make. Before even allowing negativity to enter your mind, begin each morning by filling your head with one new thing that you are thankful for. Write it down and reflect on it throughout the day. Considering one new blessing each day causes a shift in mood and attitude, as well as a happier and better you.

Accomplish something small.

No matter how small, choose to accomplish something each day. Be it making your bed, taking a jog, or adding vegetables to a meal, set a small goal that will fuel your sense of making a change for the better. Once you begin to develop this new habit, it will become a part of your lifestyle and encourage more small accomplishments. Putting this into practice makes you begin to radiate accomplishment because conquering even the smallest of tasks reminds you that you have more control over your life than you tend to give yourself credit.

Let it go.

Everyone, at some point, has that nagging conflict, that relationship mishap, or that irritating client that eats up their thoughts and energy. Ironically, however, the person who is the cause of the frustrating thoughts (the frustrater) doesn’t spend a fraction of time giving energy to that which consumes the frustrated. If you have conflict that is consuming you, LET IT GO! Don’t waste your energy on what can’t be fixed, nor on what won’t make you a better you. Flush it out of your system and put that energy into being a more awesome version of yourself.

4. Talk … and listen.

Go out of your way to make more positive human interaction happen. Stop and talk to people – ask the Starbucks barista or the bank teller about her life. Make lunch conversation with the co-worker you haven’t reached out to. Take a few minutes out of each day to make meaningful conversation and remind people in the universe that they matter. And listen to them! You will be surprised at how good it feels to make others smile when someone takes time to care for them. You’ll also find that you learn a lot by listening. Even more, your burdens will lighten as you begin to by habitually consider others… and you might even make a connection that will change your life because of it.

Take responsibility.

If you are unhappy with something in your life, refuse to play the blame-game. Look at what you can do in your power to change what you can. Each day, take a few minutes to consider what you don’t like, what you’ve messed up, what is mediocre, as well as what you’ve done really, really well – and own it. People will trust you more, and you will empower yourself when you recognize what you have done to put yourself where are. You’ll also, again, realize that you are much more in control of your life than you have given yourself credit, and you’ll uncover motivation to become a more powerful version of yourself.

Try something new.

Nothing will inspire more change and betterment than when you actually take a step outside of your normal. Make a list of both small and huge aspirations that you might want to try. It could be eating at a new restaurant, it could be taking a French class, it could be mentoring a kid, or it could be signing up for a triathlon. You might find yourself in uncomfortable or awkward situations at times, or you might even find that you have discovered a new thrill. Nonetheless, by challenging yourself, you will experience personal growth, and you will discover more personal strengths than you imagined you had.

Life is too short to be less than awesome. You have the power to be the best you there is, and the road to your best can start with small changes today. What small changes will you make? How can we help? Contact us today and let’s make this next year your best ever.

Putting Your Best Interests to Work

December 22, 2014December 31, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

“Stay hungry, stay foolish.” This was advice that the late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs gave to the Stanford University Class of 2005 during their commencement speech.

In his speech, Jobs in effect said that you will do your best if you do work that you love to do, not what other people think you should do (that may not be for you). This can be what “stay foolish” means, not necessarily acting reckless, but rather if what you love to do means that you will not be running with the herd. Do you risk being called foolish? Perhaps. Do what you love to do. This was advice that Jobs gave himself on a daily basis during his tenure at Apple.

Staying hungry means doing the work you love to do with such dedication, that it was as though each day of your life was your last. This puts in to stark perspective the preciousness of the choice you have in regard to the type of work or career you want to pursue.

I don't get no respect Rodney Dangerfield

Age does not matter. The choice can be there for you. Consider the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield. He did not start his successful stand-up comedy routine (highlighted by the self-effacing phrase “I don’t get no respect”) until he was in his early 40s, after working for some time as a salesman.

While this may not apply if you are in your 40s, never played professional basketball, and you want to be the next NBA all-star, there are still opportunities with other interests where age may not matter.

The inspiration here is to tap into your interests and you have an opportunity to do your best work, and without necessarily regard to age.

What do you really love? Sometimes finding the answer to that question is harder than we think. Try finishing these sentences to help get you started.

1. I can hardly wait to _____.

2. I really lost track of time when _____.

3. I always find the time / money for _____.

4. The best gift someone could give me would be _____.

Once you’ve established your interests, it’s time to reflect on them.

What about this activity is so interesting to you? What emotions do you experience when you do this activity? What could make the activity even better? Interests what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail

A great resource to help you pin point your unique interests and enable you to discover your best self is our founder Shannon Cassidy’s workbook V.I.B.E.. Your V.I.B.E. consists of four specific pieces:

Your VALUES.

Your INTERESTS.

Your BELIEFS.

Your ENERGY SOURCES.

Finding your V.I.B.E. helps our clients discover who they are and what makes them tick.

Please share with us in the comments – if you could add ONE more hour to each day, what would you do with it?

For more information on our programs, please visit our website: bridgebetween.com.

3 Tips on Letting Your Inner Leader Emerge

December 15, 2014December 31, 2014 Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Do you dream of being a leader? If you’ve never held a leadership role in your life, you might have come to believe that you’re a follower or, at best, a good team member. However, everyone has depths they’re not aware of and can contribute to their teams and the people around them. You have what it takes to be a leader if only you put your mind to it. Consider the following tips: D.I.S.C. personality assissment

What’s Your Style in Dealing with People? One of the most important aspects of leadership is working with others. You have to convince people that your suggestions are good. You have to get them to be enthusiastic about your ideas so that they put in the work required to execute the plan. When it comes to people, everyone has a different style. Some like to talk to others one-on-one while others like to speak in a group. Although you will feel most comfortable working in a style that best suits you, the most successful leaders learn about different personality types and how best to motivate and communicate with them. One assessment we use with clients to determine personality tendencies is the D.I.S.C. method. Understanding the four basic temperaments is key to working well with others. Although everyone has their strong suits, an effective leader benefits not only from bending their personality traits in communicating with others, but are better equipped to manage and motivate others when appealing to their hot points.
Do Certain Ideas Keep Occurring to You Over and Over? If you’re sitting in company meetings every week and you keep having the same thought about improving the product or increasing productivity, don’t ignore that thought. Run your idea by a colleague. Schedule time with your supervisor to bring it up or discuss in a meeting. If something keeps occurring to you, consider that a sign of your inner leader trying to speak up. Go with it.
Take Time Off. If you think back to how many famous innovators and creators have worked, you’ll find that they worked hard for long periods of time but they also took time off when necessary. Have you heard of Archimedes? He tirelessly worked on coming up with what’s now known as the Archimedes’ Principle. He wasn’t able to solve it. He took some time off and went to a public bath. He was lounging in a hot tub when the solution came to him and he ran out, half naked, shouting “Eureka!” (I found it!). Take time off yourself. You’ll find great ideas bubbling in your consciousness, which undoubtedly helps to refine your leadership abilities.