THE LEADERSHIP LENS Newsletter <download pdf>
January 2006, © Mark Sincevich, Staash Press, LLC
A monthly resource providing insight, opinion and practical information on creativity, balance, personal leadership & perspective

Rearranging the Spirit

The 'pile' that had accumulated next to my desktop computer kept getting larger.   It consisted of opened but unimportant mail, papers that needed to be filed, and samples of computer software packaged in graphically unappealing plastic DVD boxes.   At the end of this past year, the top contents of the pile started to slide into the trash on a regular basis.   Perhaps I should have moved the trashcan, but then I wouldn't have been able to unconsciously donate my favorite calculator to the neighborhood landfill.   My temporary solution was to scoop the entire pile into a heavy plastic bag and put it under my desk next to an equally large shopping bag of brochures from a photography show three months ago.   The pile might have been off of my desk, but the weight of its existence persisted.   I felt stuck and knew I had needed a different system for quite a while.

My wife shared my point of view.   She had her files and books in three different places throughout the house including our office.   We bought books on interior design, asked friends for their opinions and even consulted with an architect for a 'new' office solution.   We didn't get any solid advice other than learning that our request was too miniscule for the architectural world.   I had put the desire for change in our office 'out there' for many months.   And still the 'stuck' feeling persisted until the annual fundraiser at my National Speakers Association (NSA) meeting.   At our annual silent auction, I noticed an open bid for an office 'Feng Shui' package complete with a book and a visit from a Feng Shui Consultant.   This package had to be the catalyst to the change for which I had been searching!   I closely monitored the bid sheet during each break being careful not to attract attention to the thing I desired.   When the final call came in, there were no other bidders!

I contacted the consultant as soon as I could.   We scheduled a time for her to come to the office right after Christmas.   It was my plan to read her book before she arrived to better understand her approach and to figure out what we were really getting into.   According to Annie Pane's Feng Shui book, "The Dance of Balance," "When you change how you react to the world, the world changes how it responds to you. ... If your home is cluttered in certain areas, particular areas of your life will likewise be cluttered.   If your office or desk is in chaos, it should not surprise you to discover that your business or your finances are in a similar state of confusion.   If you haven't shifted your furniture for years, you may, upon reflection, realize that your relationships are likewise stuck and not moving forward.   Feng Shui is all about leading a balanced life."   As I read those words, they rang true with what I was trying to achieve.   I wanted to remove the 'weight' on my spirit from all of the clutter in the office in order to re-energize my business.   As a photographer, I know that I can take a better photograph when I have less 'stuff' blocking my field of view and weighing down my backpack.  

In the December 2005 issue of Photo District News, photographer Shahidul Alam was interviewed regarding how difficult it is to come up with new and creative images when many photographers take similar photographs of a 'crisis' situation.   This happened with the recent hurricane in New Orleans and with the earthquake in Pakistan. Shahidul said, "Photos bring attention to a situation, but that they don't bring awareness.   Awareness implies an understanding, and how can you get an understanding of a situation when you are only presented with it on the 24-hour news programs? ... So the photographer has to work at telling the story.   This is expensive, both in terms of time and energy, but [it] would allow the reader to enter peoples lives [so] people in misery would be seen as fellow human beings rather than distant objects of pity."   I was determined to push through the 'quick-fix' mentality that permeates our culture and take the necessary time to rearrange my office and subsequently my life.  

After a few probing questions from Annie, our Feng Shui Consultant, I admitted from a certain perspective that my office (or at least my section of it) was becoming a miserable place to work.   I knew it was blocking my ability to see my business from a different vantage point and even my awareness of new revenue streams.   After a period of silence, Annie said that we needed to move the furniture into the center of the room to allow the positive energy to circulate freely by having an entry point and an exit point. She sketched out her recommendations on graph paper. What amazed me is that Annie actually helped us move furniture!   Looking back on the process of change, the physical movement of the furniture was exactly what needed to happen.   Real change needs to be initiated right away, because if you wait, you can get distracted and miss out on the benefits of positive momentum.  

After a few days I was starting to enjoy a Feng Shui power position with my desk facing the door.   I felt much more confident and at ease.   Even the Stephen Covey daily calendar confirmed that I had made the right decision to transform my office.   The January 1, 2006 entry was, "If we want to change a situation, we first have to change ourselves.   And to change ourselves effectively, we first have to change our perceptions.   We simply assume that the way we see things is the way they should be.   And our attitudes and behaviors grow out of those assumptions."   My office had gone through a transformation by moving stale and blocked energy and redirecting it into a free-flowing and positive force.   I now realize that my continual journey to change and improve my perceptions begins with having an external environment that supports and encourages the changes I seek.   I look forward to bringing my office back into balance with a new filing system, new bookshelves and an improved attitude!  

About Mark Sincevich
Mark Sincevich works with organizations to develop leaders with more focus and creativity. He uses a unique photography angle in his speaking programs and writing. As a result of Mark's work, his customers gain a fresh perspective, generate new ideas, sharpen the focus and create more business. Mark is the chief perspective officer of his organization, Leading with Focus, the founder of Staash Press, a member of the National Speakers Association and the executive director of the Digital Photography Institute. He is frequently quoted in the media and the author of three books including, "The Leadership Lens." In between assignments, Mark can be found spending time with his family in the Washington, DC area or writing in cafés with character. He can be contacted at 301-654-3010 or www.leadingwithfocus.com .  

Order Mark's Latest Book, The Leadership Lens - key lessons from behind the camera about leading in an uncertain future, immediately available at www.staashpress.com/llens.html .