The Power of Alignment: Steering Life from Within
Alignment is not just a buzzword. It's the backbone of how we structure our lives, both internally and externally. It's about ensuring that every facet of our being is in harmony with our desires and intentions. This ensures that results flow naturally and effortlessly. At its core, alignment is about being in sync with one's desired outcomes.
When you're truly aligned, your intuition becomes your compass, and your feelings become the indicators of your guidance system. Choices are no longer made out of obligation or external pressures. They stem from an inner knowing – a gut feeling that guides you toward the right path. It's a beautiful state where you feel an innate flow toward your goals, making decisions with pride and confidence.
Imagine effortlessly producing results, being in a constant state of flow and being genuinely proud of every choice you make. That's the beauty of alignment.
Conversely, the signs of misalignment are painfully evident. Frustration, defensiveness, and fatigue dominate. It's not about labeling these states as 'bad,' but recognizing them as indicators that alignment is needed.
Consider this analogy: When you fall off a bicycle or lose your balance during a yoga pose, do you give up? No. You get back up, readjust, and try again. This process of readjustment is the essence of seeking alignment.
Yet, to align, you must know what you're aligning to. This begins with deep self-awareness.
At Lead True, the journey always begins with deeply understanding one's operating system as a reference. The concept of logical levels from NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is used as a frame for alignment elements. This concept is often associated with the work of Robert Dilts, who in turn adapted and expanded upon ideas introduced by anthropologist and cybernetician Gregory Bateson.
According to NLP there are six logical levels: Purpose, Identity, Beliefs and Values, Capabilities, Behavior, and Environment. Each level influences and is influenced by the other levels, creating a hierarchy and dynamics of meaning and action.
A distinguished part of the Lead True journey is the revealing of the BE-ing dimension, at the level of Identity. This is usually the blindspot in leadership. Who are you in your most authentic form? What’s your innate contribution and what internal barriers hold you back? At other levels you’ll dive into your core values, your innate strengths. You'll recognize your mind's limits and capabilities. You’ll dig deep in what your leadership stands for at it’s core, your true purpose, and find your crucial goals.
As you achieve clarity in these realms, you'll notice the interconnectedness of life and how slight tweaks can lead you back to your natural flow. Change and interventions at higher levels have the most profound and lasting impact. Ultimately, we can shift identities and tweak behaviors, but we cannot “escape” our true purpose.
Life, in its essence, is filled with highs and lows. During tumultuous times, it's our deep-rooted sense of self that can provide solace. It acts as our unchanging 'true north,' offering peace and calm amidst chaos.
When you truly understand yourself, you realize that life isn't just a series of random events but a beautiful tapestry of synchronicities that you can guide, and that are guiding you vice versa.
About the Authors
Lead True Global Leader Andrea Henning’s vision is that when people discover their authenticity and dare to follow their bliss they are happier and more successful in their lives while serving as an inspiration to their communities.
Lead True Global Leader Franciska Dekker is a systems thinker, both a pragmatic person and a visionary idealist. She is an expert in conscious leadership development: leading on a day-to-day from Presence. During 1985-2002 she has held a variety of positions with FAO in Africa and in the Caribbean, and with Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands. There after, starting in 2000, she changed her career to coaching and leadership development.
