Tag: connection

Acknowledging NOW

Published on by Courtney Anne Wilson1 Comment

Recently my life took a change in direction, and I realised the importance of acknowledging NOW and appreciating the journey.

In early 2012, I said YES to the invitation from Elizabeth Ellames and joined the group of women to participate in a 12-month social synergy venture and learn a new way of contributing and collaborating.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to team up with people to make a difference. My heart’s desire is to shine the light and pathway towards unity.

As a Change Coach and Consultant, I know that people have a vast array of diverse characteristics. If we embrace those differences, knowing each has a unique and equal part to play in the larger whole, we will start to move together as one and co-create a world that is connected, cooperative, adaptable and a win for everyone.

The Unite Your Light New Style Leadership Program showed me that unity starts within us, our family, our community and then the world. As part of the United Projects Initiative, I envisioned teaming up with Elizabeth to co-create Cohesive Leadership for Change – an experiential training program to equip and empower women to take action on their life purpose and contribute to social change. Together, we invited Cherie and Lisa to join the team, which led towards the incorporation of NOW Leadership Inc. in 2015.

For 3 years I’ve been inspired by being a member of the NOW team because we demonstrated the power of collaboration and had the opportunity to support innovation and new style and collaborative leaders. I was honoured to be able to contribute my expertise, practice nature-based principles and work alongside three spirited, purposeful and committed women; with a focus on bringing together corporate and community through Social Business and Enterprise.

With gratitude and respect for the time and energy towards contributing, learning and growing together, it’s now time to move on.

As I walk forward to focus on my role at Innodev, with a mantra to “Rethink Everything”, spend time writing a book, Cultivate Connection, and finding new ways to support aligned causes, I reflect on the last three to seven years.

It has been a journey with many twists and turns, and one that has expanded my experience, resolve and resilience. Not to mention, one of discovery and empowerment.

The abundant gifts shared along the way include…

  • Connecting with like-hearted women
  • Harnessing the value of diversity
  • Listening to intuition and inspiration
  • Discovering truth and trust
  • Feeling the magic of authenticity
  • Supporting the community
  • Raising awareness and funding social change
  • Turning competition into cooperation
  • Practicing creative collaboration

Thank you to all the women, and men, that were part of this journey and those that will continue to be.

A huge thank you to Elizabeth, Cherie and Lisa. I wish you every success as you move forward with NOW Leadership Inc., blessed with the power of three.

And to all the strong, creative, brave and powerful women who are looking for support in developing their leadership and creating new opportunities for the world, check out www.nowleadershipinc.com

With love and a grateful heart for NOW,

Courtney ‘Co-Creator’ Wilson

m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

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The Corporate World is Changing

Published on by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

The corporate world is changing. We talk about this V.U.C.A world, a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous world that we now live in because there is constant change and uncertainty. Those businesses that are thriving are the ones that are agile, adaptive and flexible. Traditionally, organisations and businesses haven’t had operations or structures to support this. What I have to offer….

Purpose

To cultivate connection and celebrate life through unity-based principles.

My message is to let go of control, show compassion, dare 2BU and be co-creative.

Passion

I love performing, presenting and promoting sustainable new ways.

Professional

I am a Senior Consultant at Innodev – our mantra is “Rethink Everything” and it is the foundation upon which we create value for our clients in the navigation of their digital transformation journey.

I was also a co-founder, Change Management Director and Treasurer of NOW Leadership Inc – a platform that invites proactive conversation and actions toward unity in these areas; Esteem Toward Women, The Importance Of Belonging, Looking After Our Future, Collaborative Leadership and Activating Social Business.

I have significant Change Strategy and Management experience in major financial institutions and a variety of private, public and community sector organisations, including Government and Social Business, across Australia and United Kingdom.

My expertise includes commercial and financial acumen, building quality working relationships and assisting all levels, including Executive and Senior Management, for effective organisational change management and transformation.

The key to success in any venture is through building quality relationships, embracing different methods, adapting to change and effectively navigating new situations; ‘Collaboration invites Success’ – and it’s what the world is asking for, NOW.

Connect with me today and let’s manage some change together,

Courtney Wilson, Change Coach and Consultant
m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

 

Living Social and Spiritual – Why are we here?

Published on by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

Last night I had the privilege of being in the presence of one of the world’s greatest teachers. An inspirational icon and example of what it takes to live a life on purpose. A woman who follows her passion and whose every move and decision is dictated by her heart’s desire to offer up her gift to the world and to be of service to others.

Oprah, such a power house of a woman who speaks to you in many ways and at every level, left me with one defining moment that resonated at my core and that lingers with me as I wake this morning. She said (something along the lines of) ‘There is no life without a spiritual life. And by spiritual I don’t mean religious. You can be spiritual without being religious and the reverse is also true, you can be religious without being spiritual. Spiritual, in this context, is the connection you have with the spirit within you – the core of who you are’.

A famous quote to follow up her point-“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience” – Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

So I ask myself these two simple, yet loaded, questions.

  1. Do I live a spiritual life?
  2. What do I do that connects me to my spirit?

I started to explore.…

  • I meditate every day to center myself and to listen to my inner voice (if only for 5 mins)
  • I practice Ashtanga yoga, to connect my body, mind and spirit (even when I’m tired or resist)
  • I dance to feel and to harness the power of music and movement (and to literally stop thinking)
  • I walk along the beach to bathe in the abundance of the ocean (and sense the bigger picture)
  • I watch movies to discover meaning and the power of story (recognising my own story)
  • I check in with myself when I need to make a decision or respond (even after I may have reacted unintentionally)
  • I hug and sit by trees to connect and honour the wisdom of the land (knowing nature has it all worked out)
  • I connect with others and travel to experience diversity and appreciate other cultures/view points (validating the different aspects of my consciousness to avoid sitting in judgement too long)
  • I surround myself with people that are aligned in values and who ask more of me (despite my moments of resentment or reluctance)
  • I follow my passion through the work that I choose to do with and for others (even in the face of uncertainty)
  • I hold an intention to add value in everything I do (in spite of a world telling me to take all that I can get)

In exploring these relatively simple questions, I discover what I need, what it is that excites me, what brings me happiness – and we all want to be happy!

It’s so easy to get caught up in the social side of life, where we want to fit in with the latest trends and fashion and where its hassle free to follow the crowd and simply do what everyone else is doing or thinks we should be doing.

But what last night’s defining moment made me realise is that in order to live a meaningful and happy life it is simply dependent on being you – the spirit of you – the best version of you. The level of happiness you experience is directly related to the connection you have with your spirit within and the choices you make every day to honour your spirit. It is our ability to bring together and be Social and Spiritual – a new way of living.

So my question to you is this…

What do you do every day that connects you to your spirit, your passion, your personal calling?

As you ponder this question, I leave you with a few of my favourite quotes from Oprah Winfrey…

“Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.”

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.”

“I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”

‘Turn up the volume of your life!’ – Living Social and Spiritual

Oprah Biscuits

Courtney ‘Co-Creator’ Wilson

m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

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What is the meaning of CONNECTION?

Published on by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

Such a great question, especially given my business name, but one that I’ve not fully explored in great depth, funnily enough, until now! Yet this simple question has given me so much more insight into the passion and vision of Cultivate Connections. It’s true what they say; sometimes it’s the simple things….

Here is what I discovered by asking the question:

“Connection is the energy that is created between people when they feel seen, heard and valued” – Brene Browm

“What we are all striving for is authenticity, a spirit to spirit connection” – Oprah Winfrey

“Connection is bringing a value, emotion or quality to the surface and allowing it to create a “connection” with another, others or something of similar value, emotion or quality” – Elizabeth Ellames, Living Attributes

“Connection is when your energy and that of another(s) resonate enabling communication that is in rhythm with one another and has the ability to be a resounding influence on their situation, surrounds and other energies” – Alison Rogers, Pulse Advertising

“Connection is being present in the moment and being real enough to enter your heart space and express and receive communication from that place – a very powerful ingredient for unity” – Cherie Rowett, Heart Choice Enterprises

“Connection is sharing resonance…being in alignment with similar visions and goals and above all a Heart Connection” – Myriam Sampson, The H’Art of Living

Even Dictionary.com provided some valuable insight:

  • The act or state of connecting “The connection between cause and effect”
  • Association; relationship: “the connection between crime and poverty”
  • Anything that connects, joins or relates; link or bond
  • A circle of friends or associates or a member of such a circle
  • Association with or development of something observed, imagined, discussed, etc “I have a few thoughts in connection with your last remark”
  • A source of supply for goods, material, etc.,
  • A channel of communication.

Upon reflection, all I can say is that I certainly chose the right name for a business that promotes Active Team Building. Connection is what builds relationship and creates trust between people to enable collaboration, contribution and the co-creation of quality solutions. So next time you are collaborating or working in a Team, consider the CONNECTION;

Is the CONNECTION

  1. Authentic;
  2. Heart to heart;
  3. Fully present in the moment and
  4. Adding value?

Until next time, stay connected and as promised, stay tuned for opportunities to connect and collaborate in Brazil…

Courtney ‘Co-Creator’ Wilson

m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

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Do we practice Creative Collaboration?

Published on by Courtney Anne WilsonLeave a comment

After an amazing 3 week holiday in Brazil, February not only brought a time of reflection and relaxation but also surprising connections and opportunities abroad. And to top it all off, February concluded with the 2nd CC Event, where we continued to build relationship with one another while exploring The Circle of Collaboration©…. a tool to guide active team building through clarifying and aligning values and visions.

I will share more about my Brazilian connections and collaboration opportunities in my next post, so stay tuned.  Right now, I wanted to share the highlights of the February CC Event…

As we all continued to take networking to the next level, we opened our minds to what is possible and created trust amongst the group by discussing current issues and exploring ways to overcome them. It was very evident through the conversations that what we all valued authentic relationships at home and in the workplace – not only with others but also with ourselves. It simply reinforced that absolutely, without a doubt, building relationship and creating trust is the first step in establishing effective team work and reducing competition.

This finding fit in perfectly with the knowledge sharing of the morning. As we consider coming together to collaborate and co-create on projects, I encouraged a change in the way we think about and perceive Collaboration; to align with Creative Collaboration as opposed to the familiar ‘Corporate’ Collaboration so many of us are used to working within.

When we creatively collaborate we need to move from:

  • A hierarchy based approach that is directive in nature to a role based approach that fosters cooperation;
  • A profit driven venture that places higher importance on profit over people to a purpose driven venture that nurtures its people and honours their true value (which ultimately serves the bottom line because the truth is it’s the people who build the business and the profit);
  • An egocentric consumer focus that stays true to the old saying ‘What’s In It For Me’ (WIIFM) to an altruistic contribution focus aligning with a the new and improved saying, that I like to call, ‘What Can I Contribute’ (WCIC). In doing so, we overcome scarcity and add value through sharing knowledge.

Creative Collaboration is rewarding for everyone and the way forward for all workplaces, businesses and projects, alike. Furthermore, visualise Creative Collaboration as a way to becoming interdependent, like a collective community where each member has an important role to play in the whole, and we address and reduce the fear of losing autonomy and/or becoming co-dependent. Follow these 7 essential ingredients and achieve success through creative collaboration:

Ultimately we each need to make the COMMITMENT to ourselves, our role and the team; to creativity, diversity and sharing knowledge; and to contributing towards the collective vision!

This is what it will take for us to come together and purposefully #ActOnPassionsandVisions.

So the next time you find yourself teaming up with others, ask yourself do we practice Creative Collaboration? Consider these concepts and watch your team flourish!

The next CC Event will be held on Friday March 27th – I hope to see you there!!!!! Details coming soon…

You can also connect with the CC Community via the CC Page and/or CC Group on Facebook to contribute, share knowledge and participate in upcoming events.

Courtney ‘Co-Creator’ Wilson

m: +61 (0)417 107 888| e: courtney.connect@outlook.com

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