Book 308 - A Year of Magical Learning

Reflection Title: It Is What It Is!

Book – Conscious Business: How to Build Value Through Values by Fred Kofman (Part 2 of 2)

Book Description:

Consciousness is the main source of organizational greatness. Conscious business, explains Fred Kofman, means finding your passion and expressing your essential values through your work. A conscious business seeks to promote the intelligent pursuit of happiness in all its stakeholders. It produces sustainable, exceptional performance through the solidarity of its community and the dignity of each member. A conscious business fosters personal fulfillment in the individuals, mutual respect in the community, and success in the organization, teaches Fred Kofman.

Reflection:

It is what it is!

How many times have you heard this saying in your life, or maybe even said it yourself? For me, it is too countless for me to even comprehend.

I used to not care when I heard that phrase because I believed it. There are just some things in this world that you must accept and move on.

Things like…

- You can’t change the way that society is constructed…it is what it is!

- You can’t start a business without capital and investment…it is what it is!

- You can’t get a great job without a college degree…it is what it is!

- You can’t focus on your values and do what you want while still being part of larger organization…it is what it is!

- The list can go on forever and ever.

Well, I’m calling bullshit once and for all on the phrase, “It is what it is”. I’m on a war path to eliminate this phrase from our vocabulary.

These days, whenever I hear the phrase “It is what it is”, it makes my blood boil. I hate the idea that there is only 1 way to do something in this world. I accept that there are somethings that I cannot change, but I don’t accept that there is only 1 path forward.

If the universe accepted that there was only 1 way to do something than there is a high likelihood that none of this even exists. The universe operates on the system of endless possibilities, and I do as well now.

As we learned from Stephen Covey in the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and now Conscious Business as a reminder, we are RESPONSE-ABLE!

The space between stimulus and response is our freedom to choose. We have the freedom to choose that it is what it is, or we can have the freedom to use our imagination and find another way.

With your values at the wheel, there is always something you can do.

Your values will help you to discover a new paradigm to view the world, a new path to follow, and new actions in which you can take. There is always an alternative path forward that allows you to keeping walking a path in alignment with your values and purpose if you want it.

It is what it is sees a roadblock and waits in the traffic jam with the rest of the masses to live a life of stagnation. Purpose and values sees the same roadblock, finds and exit, and keeps on driving down a new path of excitement and potential.

Which do you want? I know what path Emilia and I are on…come join us.

Question: How many times have you said “it is what it is” in your own life?

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Links:

What is The Year of Magical Learning? An Introduction

YOML Podcast Discussion - Coming Soon

YOML Bookstore - Conscious Business by Fred Kofman