Do you know this game? Where you create stone stacks of a minimum of 7 stones. I did a few on my bush jog last weekend and it reminded me of how we can become too daring, try stacking too much. Now link it to today being Mother’s Day. Where we give and expect to receive gifts and attention. How is this related, you ask?
Well, as I turned to find stones for the third stack, the first one tumbled. Sometimes the stone stacks tumble because of wind. Sometimes because a bird lands on them. It’s very seldom because we push them over ourselves.
And here is the thing: you were the one that stacked it. The one that chose the stones to be used. Went back a few steps if you weren’t sure you had made the right decision. And gave full throttle when you were on a roll and it was moving easily and effortlessly.
What you’re experiencing right now, whether you’re the observing or receiving part, be it Mother’s Day or your business results: you are the one who stacked the stones to what it looks like right now. Enjoy and accept the choices you’ve made. Be grateful and shout some whoop-whoops for the glorious parts – and change what needs changing. Most importantly: take it lightly!
It’s not for others to fill your bucket. To build your stone stacks. The flowers, gifts and breakfasts you may get today are wonderful – but they won’t sustain you for the year. The same for you as a leader or business owner: the challenges or extra pressure and growth you’ve had the last weeks and months, it’s not the team, suppliers or clients that decide which buckets to fill or stacks to stack. You are in charge – make it the best stack ever, using YOUR definition of best.
We can build up a new stack. Maybe choose some different shapes and ratios. Don’t blame the wind or the bird. Enjoy that the choices are endless.
So, let’s go through the key parts of this game: 1. Get a good foundation. 2. Create stacks of a minimum of 7 stones. It is that simple. What we then experience while stacking is very similar to business and life: what seems like easy stones to stack, suddenly adding one more shifts the balance of the stack. Yes, we get excited and become daring and go for 9 – that’s fun and sometimes we pull it off! Sometimes we place one and just need a moment to see how it impacts the existing stack. And we quickly realise to not judge the book by its cover: the sturdy ones can tumble, too – and the quirky, vulnerable, risky-looking ones sometimes stay standing.
Where in your business and life are you trying to stack too many stones? Where is the foundation not as solid as you thought? And where are you having a ball, stacking, re-stacking, choosing a fascinating next stone while doing some funky dance moves? Results and joy – that’s what we’re after. Enjoy stacking!