Practice What You Preach

“Practice what you preach.” “Walk the talk.” “Do what you say you will do.” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Live with integrity”.

Those are “rules of thumb” that most of us have heard all our lives. Pretty good advice.

And, so, as a management consultant, I have always tried to “practice what I preach” and invite consultants of various specialties to participate in my personal life or in the life of my company, Jameson Management, Inc. We have trusted consultants who work with us in various areas : communication, organizational structure, financial and physical health and well-being, etc.

During the early years of Jameson Management, Inc., I became acquainted with a master consultant, Dr. Ken Anbender. Dr. Anbender is a clinical psychologist who shares his insights into living a fulfiulling life—both personally and professionally—with his individual and corporate clients. He worked with John and I personally for over 10 years. His partner, Gail Cantor, also worked with us on our project. She worked with me and other members of our organization.

For the past two days, Gail has been here working with me personally. The two days were full of discovery, learning, and insightfulness. I believe that life—and business—is ever evolving and that there will never be a day when things are perfect or when there is nothing left to learn. A part of the joy of work and life is to be on a continuous path of improvement, as W. Edward Deming said. And I have found that to be true.

I intend to learn, grow and develop throughout my lifetime, and I choose to have honored teachers, coaches, and mentors to support me, stretch me, and help me grow. I want to be better next year than I am this year. In order to do that, I have to ask, “What will I read? What will I study and learn? With whom will I interact? How will I feed my mind, my soul and my body? What will I do to insure the health of all 3 entities? What areas need focus, attention, and development?”

The joy and interest in life—both personally and professionally—isn’t “automatic”! The joy evolves from intention. I have no clue what “boredom” even means or what it feels like. I am interested in so many things because I explore the vast opportunities of life. Do you?

Are you on a path of continuous improvement? Do you find joy in both the complex and the simple aspects of life? Ask yourself what you love the most—and do more of it. But, be willing to stretch into unknown territory. Learn. Discover. Open yourself to insightful work on where you are now—and where you want to go next in life so that your life is fulfilling and meaningful.

Thanks, Gail, for a wonderful consultation.