This quote makes me pause. Maybe because Walt Whitman is intense – and I have to really stop and ponder all that he conveys in these few words. Maybe because it's a weird way to use the word "habit." Maybe because it really is a new way to envision life and leadership.
What would life be like if we did habit ourselves to the dazzle of light and of every moment? To habit ourselves, to me, means to let ourselves be used to it, to let it become a habit, to let it be something we even expect and take for granted. What would life be like if we expected a dazzle of light around us? A dazzle in every moment of our lives? I think it would take some getting used to, and it would most likely be life-changing.
I've found that the dazzle is there, when we look for it. And life is more dazzling when we look for it. We have more to be grateful for when we practice gratitude. We have more beauty in our lives and relationships when we look for beauty. We have better interactions with the people we live and work with when we expect better interactions. In so many ways, we get (or influence) what we expect – and if we expect dazzle, we might get that as well.
It's too easy to go through life on auto-pilot. Not noticing the grandeur in the outside world. Not noticing the excellence in the people who work for us. Not noticing the sweetness of the people who live with us. Not noticing the dazzle – of the light as it hits the water, of the breath we take, of the person sitting next to us, of the moment. We must train ourselves, habit ourselves, to noticing these things – so that we have more of them and we enjoy them. So that we live and lead from this dazzle.
What dazzle do you see in your moments?
For support in creating more dazzle, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.