The Leadership Blog by Ann Vanino

The third stage of The Hero’s Journey is Refusal of the Call. In this stage, the hero says no to the adventure. There can be any number of reasons – fear, complacency, not knowing how to answer. This refusal is a clarifying stage. By saying no and then later, hopefully saying yes, the hero understands the commitment he or she is making. The Hero’s Journey is not for the feint of heart. Setting off on this journey requires courage. Our youth have many aspects of their lives that may dissuade them from walking their own hero’s journey. Their mentors and allies can help them to see both the opportunities and perils of their journey and to develop want they need to set forth.

2010 has the energy of newness and promise. Many of us had significant challenges in 2009 and now there is a new year of possibility. What openings exist now in your life? Take advantage of them so that 2010 can be a year of creativity and positive change.  When openings appear, you have to first recognize them and then walk through them. Don’t dally; there is also a sense of speed to this year. The openings are for now, not later. See the openings in your life and make them work for you.

There are times you get blue.  It can slow you down, make you think. Can you look at feeling blue as a gift, just for those reasons?  You can go so fast and so much is vying for your attention that you miss important signs that it is time to slow down.

If you feel blue, look at it as an indicator that something is out of alignment. It is a sort of blue flag, instead of red flag, that is waving in front of you.

I have started practicing this and find it useful. If I create time for self-examination, I can usually find the source of my blue feelings quickly. Then I deal with them. Many times, I realize that if I had not acknowledged the blue flag I was heading for a crash.

You can resurrect yourself from feeling blue and be better off for it. Keep an eye out for those blue flags.

How do you handle
Opportunity knocking
With fear or courage

President Obama has asked for huge change as we convert to a green economy. In my work promoting green workforce development, I am realizing that we are asking organizations and individuals to change in fundamental ways. So, our work is not only to create the green workforce of today and tomorrow, but also to help transform our institutions so they can be responsive to the needs of the green economy. What are these needs: to act with speed, to bring environmental considerations into our analysis of the nation’s economic health and viability, to work collaboratively in order to assure 360 degree thinking, to be comfortable with risk and to think creatively in ways have not been supported in the past. Along with the speed required, we must have patience, so that change is accepted and people and organizations have what they need to make it happen.