Lean into it

"Lean into it" is an expression I had not heard before. At least I had never noticed hearing it before. However in 2 days, in two different contexts, I heard 2 different people say "lean into it". Both times the expression had an impact on me.

The first time I heard this was on a you tube link. It's was a great TED video featuring Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Google it, it's well worth watching. She was saying that women should "lean into it" more. She was referring to women in their career. They should take on new challenges in a big way and not shy away from big leaps.

The second time was in a Hollywood film "People like us". It was a cute film, the kind that I like, good solid entertainment, the kind where you can shed tears of joy at the end. In the film the Uncle was giving his nephew, six rules for life. One of them was "lean into it". Of course, in true Hollywood style the boy did, and the results were beautiful. You get the picture.

As I don't believe in coincidences, I began thinking about how profound this phrase was. There is nothing really revolutionary about the idea of getting stuck into things, grabbing the bull by the horns, but the simple truths are often the most pertinent. The truth is, that getting really involved in something and becoming passionate about a cause, always reaps great results. Leaning into something and giving it your all, almost always pays off. Half assed attempts are not fruitful for anyone and let's be clear, they are often not as much fun and do not really reap the rewards.

So as I heard this phrase, I realized that there were things I wasn't leaning into, a few things that I was only sort-of doing. Some projects at work, some relationships and also some hobbies.

So my commitment for the week is to lean into at least one thing this week, just that little bit more. Give it that extra focus and uumph and see where it leads.

Anyone else up for the challenge?