doug smith training

  It's a weird question, true, but worth asking: is your goal filled with love? Do you love the outcome your goal will bring about? More importantly, is your goal formed with love for something other than yourself? Will the completion of your goal bring about joy? Will achieving your goal bring something positive to the world? It's mostly a "note to self" kind of question because, for me, simply achieving a goal is not enough. The goal needs to matter, and nothing matters more than love. Fill your goal with love and the outcome will improve. Fill your goal with love and you will love the result. -- doug smith

All the good we do is because of love. All the bad we do comes from missing love. When in doubt, love more. -- doug smith  

Any time I'm tempted to judge I want to reach for love instead. It's better for others, and also better for me. -- doug smith

Are you facing any difficult choices? Every time we figure out the choices, the ground shifts and the mood changes. We weigh evidence against evidence, idea against idea, and constantly refresh the goal.  Of course it will change. We're going, changing, shifting creatures, all in search of better ways to do what we already do and new ways to do something better. We have so many choices and we also have so many strategies available to pursue those choices. Is it dog eat dog? Is it one great collective? Is it something else? How do we know when our high ground is high enough? How do we know if our ethical foundation is strong enough to withstand the winds of temptation and opportunity that assail us? We do our best. We keep learning. And we choose wisely. When we can choose love, we can choose wisely. Choose love. -- doug smith

The key to solving problems is understanding. The key to understanding is communication. The key to communication is love. Start with love. -- doug smith

Kindness may come at a cost, but that cost is covered by an endless, limitless currency. There is no limit to love. -- doug smith

We all have agendas. All organizations have agendas. All movements (useful or not) drive agendas. This leads to a variety of mixed motives and unsavory outcomes. This leads to conflict and trouble. It doesn't have to be that way. What you live for, what you trust in, what you drive could be for the benefit of all. What you live could be a model for how you want to be treated -- and isn't that below the surface of most worthy faiths? Found your faith in love. Seek that good in the world that you can accent, amplify, and add. Add love Unless your faith was founded on love it's standing on shaky ground. Add some stability. Add some endurance. Add some goodness. Add love. -- doug smith Leadership Call to Action: Whatever you do today, add love.

How bold is your creative challenge? Do you challenge yourself creatively, to do more, innovate more, surprise more, invent more? When we challenge ourselves first it makes it easier, and more credible, to challenge others. We all need more creative challenge. The world needs our creativity to fix its problems, change its sad story, bring peaceful relationships out and harmonize with more beauty and love. Does that sound too mushy? What world would you create? What would you like to see more of in the world? Create boldly. Challenge boldly. And, do it with peace and love. That's a tall order AND we can do it. It involves choices. Breathe before that next choice and choose peace and love. It's possible. Bold creativity challenges people without harming them. We can stretch. We must grow. Creativity keeps it all going. -- Doug Smith

Do you limit your partner's growth? Whether it's a business partner, organizational partner, creative partner, or life partner, do you ever expect them to stay exactly the way they are? I know I've done that. In love with the person who was, I sometimes yearn for more of that same person. I want that same perfect person. But that person changes. We can't stay exactly the way we are. We need to keep growing. Expecting our partner to be perfect is a harsh judgement on ourselves. Relax the judge and watch that wonderful partner grow. Who have you held back a little lately? How can you liberate their creative self today? -- Doug Smith doug smith training:  how to achieve your goals Front Range Leadership:  Training Supervisors for Success What have you learned today?

Is your partner perfect? Are you? We don't need a perfect person in order to create love. Love creates the perfect person. Often, it starts by building better conversations. Are you ready to listen? -- Doug Smith