Photography by Caitlin Swamy (July 12, 2014, Blanca Lake, Washington State) 

I can’t be the Servant leader I strive to be if I’m not taking care of myself. Todays posting is a reflection on what I do to serve my soul and preserve the positive spirit I seek to bring to all facets of my life. Taking care of myself means creating time for my inner life. One of the reasons I love writing so much is because I’m a firm believer that if you write something down, it can be a powerful reminder later of a goal or intention you had. The cover of my journal says, “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” This is why I developed ImagineCreateServe. Today, my intention is to write down the ways I take care of myself so I can be the leader I strive to be.

Palmer (2004) writes, “Walking the third way…means taking simple steps, one at a time, steps that honor the soul” (p. 170).  Walking the third way will continue to support me and my work as a servant leader. I walk this way through:

• Faith: Continuing to work on my spirituality each day. For me, spirituality comes through mindfulness. Faith means trusting God first and knowing that the capacity for discernment lies within me.  I can choose how I show up and respond to chaos.
• Yoga: Every weekday morning I start my day with a 6:00am yoga practice. This allows me to start my day present, centered, and mindful.
• Nature: Hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing, anything to immerse myself in the beauty of nature. Being in nature is an integral part of my leadership philosophy because it keeps me centered.  Self-awareness is the framework which defines my Servant leadership philosophy because it is rooted in connection with myself in relationship to others.  Being outside brings me closer to this realization.
• Health: John Robbins is an American author, who is renowned for the connections he has made between nutrition, environmentalism, and animal rights. One of my favorite quotes of his is, “To me it is deeply moving that the same food choices that give us the best chance to eliminate world hunger are also those that take the least toll on the environment, contribute the most to our long-term health, are the safest, and are also, far and away, the most compassionate toward our fellow creatures.” Being a vegetarian is a choice I’ve made to not only make me a healthy and strong individual, but to most importantly leave the world a slightly better place.
• Relationships: Spending quality time with people who love and appreciate me for the true core of who I am as a human being. They value me for the gifts I offer the world and seek not to define me based on my mistakes.

Food for Thought:

1. How will you care for yourself today?
2. What steps can you take (or are already taking) to “walk the third way?”