Can You Hear It?

As I was trying to figure out what life wants me to write tonight, I came across this.

In French, the words “voix” and “voie” are homonyms.

La voie means the way, the path, the direction. It's also sometimes used to indicate the vocation someone should follow in life or the direction an organization should take.

La voix means the voice. Interestingly, it is one of the Latin roots (vox, vocare) for the word vocation.

We tend to think about our vocation as something we must commit at all cost, with courage, will, and sometimes obstination.

What if that sense of direction could be a voice? What if we thought of it as a call from inside. What if we heard it as an invitation to experiment with the opportunities that life brings? What if "La voie" could point us to "La voix"?

Here is a quote from Parker J. Palmer: "Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you."

I'll let you listen for a moment.

…

Palmer's quote applies very well in business. First, think about your team or your entire organization. Then, before you tell your company what you intend to do with it, listen for what it wants to do with you. We all had a great demonstration of this in 2020, when all our well-controlled strategic plans got punched in the face after COVID hit. Or, if you're a new CEO, take the time to listen to where the company wants to go.

As an entrepreneur, I've felt the pressure to sound confident about the direction I should take my team and my business. But many times, I had no idea. In moments of panic, I would make up something to realize later that it was a mistake and should have listened to my initial intuition. Instead, I was ignoring "la voix" coming from inside.

Over the years, I realized that we could make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes if we dared to let go of our ego and make more silence to hear that voice. It led me to discover the deep reasons why I do what I do. For instance, when I felt like I should go back to school and learn design at The School of Visual Concepts in my 40s, I wasn't sure what I'd do with that skill. I just knew that this is where life wanted me to go. Today, I use what I learned to breathe visual life into the strategic narratives of my clients and delight them with some "magical" beauty. It just makes sense now.

This way of thinking is at the core of how I guide my clients.

If you're curious about how to apply it to your situation, please, please, reach out and let's talk.

I hope you hear my message.