This morning I had the pleasant experience of listening to birds chirping as I got ready for the day. It may sound cliché or unextraordinary but after months of steadfast silence, it was a simple yet poignant reminder that Spring is officially upon us. It is a time when subtle changes emerge almost daily with more hours of light, budding trees, warmer air and the smell of earth itself.
Metaphorically, spring is a time of hope, renewal and new beginnings. We clean our homes and go outdoors. We become more energetic, alive and optimistic. We get excited about the possibilities to come. The world is full of potential.
That concept of potential makes me think of the famous story about the lion and the sheep retold in Anthony de Mello’s book “Awareness”. It goes like this:
“There’s a famous story about the lion who came upon a flock of sheep and to his amazement found a lion among the sheep. It was a lion who had been brought up by the sheep ever since he was a cub. It would bleat like a sheep and run around like a sheep. The lion went straight for him, and when the sheep-lion stood in front of the real one, he trembled in every limb. And the lion said to him, “What are you doing among these sheep?” And the sheep-lion said, “I am a sheep.” And the lion said, “Oh no you’re not. You’re coming with me.” So, he took the sheep-lion to a pool and said, “Look!” And when the sheep-lion looked at his reflection in the water, he let out a mighty roar, and in that moment, he was transformed. He was never the same again.”
To me, this story is about what could be. It is about really looking at yourself, becoming aware of who you are, awakening to what could be and being active about making it happen. It is not just about having big dreams but making those dreams reality. The sheep-lion was ‘transformed’.
I think the same idea can be applied to how we look at work, our projects and our relationships with colleagues and customers. Imagine a world where we all approached problems and challenges armed with a transformation mindset – a goal of taking what ‘is’ and imagining what it could be. Starting this spring, we too might never be the same again.