A little phrase

...goes a long way when it comes to the words Martin Luther King spoke, "I have a dream." Last night, at a fundraising supper, I was asked to dream. Dream about what project I would create for a three to five year strategic plan for Global Midwife Education Foundation. Well, with me, dreaming has no limits because my parents and grandparents always encouraged me to fly.

I watched Simon Sinek speak back in May 2010 on TED. Mr. Sinek uses MLK as an example of a great leader who inspired. First off, Simon is brilliant. Over time, he discovered that inspiring leaders like MLK all think, act and communicate in the same exact way and their thinking is opposite of everyone else. His learning helped him develop or "codify" The Golden Circle. This code explains why some organizations are able to inspire and succeed while others do not. This code encourages organizations and businesses to operate from the inside out, being that we operate from WHY we do what we do first. Then we explore HOW we do it, and finally WHAT we're going to do to accomplish the goals of why we do what we do. That's a tongue twister. In his words, "People don't buy what you do they buy why you do it...The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe." Biology is the foundation for Sinek's research. He says, "None of what I'm telling you is my opinion, it's all grounded in the tenets of Biology." This is when I get sucked in and listen closely. How does this Why, How and What correlate to the brain and biology? He describes how that three areas of the brain correlate with the components of the Golden Circle. The limbic brains (operating: all feelings/all human behaviour/all decision making/has no capacity for language) control the inner parts of the Golden Circle (why and how), and the neocortex (operating: rational thought/analytical thought/language) controls the outer circle (what). He continues on to repeat, "people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it." Instead of reiterating this whole presentation, I really encourage you to go watch it. There is so much to be gained, especially when you're asked to dream up a project that you can implement in the future and one that can inspire change. A project you present to a Founder and a Board of Directors, because you believe so deeply and passionately in something and you'll know this dream can become a reality.

Two people know one of my dreams, soon three people will know it, including myself that makes four. Most of you know the gist of the dream pertains to the improvement of maternal and infant health, globally and locally. However, until I can make this dream a reality I will work on it within our foundation and continue to tend the fire that feeds me to believe in why i do what I do. Once it's ready "for release," you'll surely hear of it.

I leave you with Simon Sinek's mission: To run and jump and laugh and cry and love and hope and imagine...to experience as much as I can all for one purpose: to inspire. We can all hope for so much. I know I do. If you have a dream, go out and get it.