Leaders, and people in general, are searching for new answers. New answers – innovation – require an open mind. I hear and read much about innovation. Much is being said about ‘cutting edge’ and ‘embracing change’ and leaders leading. Still, many people cling to what they know.

How do you ‘know’ something? Did you know that our brain is remarkable at creating self-fulfilling prophecy? Also, many of the social norms and ways of thinking had to start somewhere in time. Perhaps they served groups and the social structure at one time, but the environment changes. The difference is that now, the environment is changing a lot faster than only a decade ago.

Overwhelm has the potential to keep increasing, while at the same time we are all expected to perform at higher and higher levels. How will we do this if what we already know is all there is? The answer is obvious to me – we need to ‘know’ some new things, and that only happens by being willing and then taking action.

For many, being willing is actually the challenge. Our ways of thinking have commonly caused many of us to ‘dumb down’ our Creator-given magnificence as human beings. Each and every human being has some gift or talent that is unique in his own unique way of expressing. Each person has a potential that could not only lead him or her to more achievement, peace , joy and confidence, but can be used to serve the world and make it a better place.

Whether it is leadership performance at the office, within your social service, or your home, we all need to grow and evolve in order to uncover the gold that is already within us. It’s time to stop ‘looking for love in all the wrong places’ and find it within so that we can bring it out to shine to the world. I believe it is arrogant and crude to consider our self as ‘defective’ or broken.

Humility is accepting and loving our self with compassion, cultivating our purpose and gifts, and not beating our self up. Instead of seeing our limitations as something shameful or ugly, we can retrain our brain – literally – to see with new ‘minds’ eyes’. You see, perception is changeable and it creates your reality.

We can create a reality where we can embrace personal growth (leadership development is personal growth ) and change as a natural part of life. Evolution is just ‘life’ growing in awareness here on earth. There is nothing wrong with you – you just need to grow and evolve. We grow much easier when we love/accept our self and others. You are magnificent in your own way.

You can shine that magnificence as you grow, in your own way. This is not about a destination of ‘someday over the rainbow I’ll be magnificent’. Magnificent only implies excellence. The Creator planted that seed of excellence within you. It’s time to stop dumbing it down and hiding it. There’s no shame in needing to grow, and on this journey of growth you can courageously do your best and course correct as you go.

If you fall down, get up and keep growing!

Love – not the dysfunctional, distorted type society generally calls love – can empower the human spirit and create a workplace, home and educational system that works, that brings out the excellence, the magnificence that is within us all – waiting, hoping to shine and be expressed while we are living, leading, loving. Magnificently, authentically – YOU.

I hope you will dream a new dream with me and then use our magnificent minds to transform that dream into a new reality. Neuroscience and retraining our brain is an idea whose time is — Now. I’m going for it, and I hope you join me. Be YOU, Magnificently! Welcome 2013!

Author's Bio: 

Valencia Ray, M.D. teaches business owners and corporate leaders how their amazing brain can actually hijack personal power -- not in the abstract, but in the context of integrating business and personal life. Dr. Ray, a board-certified eye surgeon and medical business owner for over 20 years before selling her practice, shares her own life changing process. By sharing her story, she helps others to expand their vision and learn that by living with purpose and confidence, it is possible to have a more integrated, healthier lifestyle – with less struggle, more inner peace and more abundance.

For more information and to contact her regarding dynamic, inspirational keynotes, trainings in collaborative leadership and team building, entrepreneurship and coaching programs, visit her website at http://www.ValenciaRay.com .