Leading with an Open Hand

I had the opportunity and experience to organize and deliver a fairly large public event yesterday. I came into the process after this year's committee had already begun planning. It was the 27th year that the event had been held. So there were a lot of people on the committee who had more experience with the event than I did, so much so that many of the activities and tasks associated with the event were assumed and not always discussed. There was so much history surrounding the event that for many weeks it literally seemed like the other committee members were speaking in "code"! My learning curve felt fairly steep.

But as the weeks went by I gradually familiarized myself with the scope and details of the event. I started to organize things in a way that made sense to me and helped me stay productive and focused. I got over any shyness I felt about asking potentially stupid questions. I also got over any hesitation in asking for help, whenever and wherever needed. It felt like I was constantly saying "thank you" and rightly so.

I had a great deal of trepidation about the results of my efforts. It was the kind of event impossible for one person to have complete and absolute control over, but I felt it was my reputation on the line if it didn't measure up. Driving to the venue yesterday morning before sunrise I thought about how I wanted the day to go. What came into my mind was the image of an open hand, palm up, unprotected. I realized that for the day to be a success that I had to let go of any idea of control and be open to what my higher power would offer as the day unfolded. I relaxed and knew I was open to any offers of assistance and support.

It will be a few days, at least, before I know if the event was a financial success. But success should be measured in many more ways and I know from the smiling faces I saw and the good comments I received that the event can already be deemed a success. My grandson attended and seeing the event through his eyes that was worth more than anything else.

So that image of an open hand was a real sign post and a reminder that control is really just an illusion. Focused preparation is key, but so is letting go of expectation of a preconceived result.