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"I was able to almost triple my income in just 30 days as a result of working with Christopher Howard. Not only did the work we did together impact my financial future, but he assisted me in finding my life’s purpose. I am more on track and excited about life then ever before."

— Jon Andre Bliss, USA

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Yesterday I went to a wedding. It was a wedding crafted in love and founded on community. In the last two and a half years I have been to four weddings (one of which was my own) and a funeral and each has touched me differently. In my work I often use the Logical Levels model as a frame for exploring alignment in how we run our businesses and indeed how we live our lives. It is this strange term 'alignment' that so often holds the key to who we can be. Coincidentally the reading was from Nelson Mandela's speech.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are we not to be? ...

You are a child of God.

Your playing small doesn't serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of god that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

And we are liberated from our own fear; our presence automatically liberates others.

What more beautiful way to express what we mean by alignment than this. And the true beauty of the wedding was that this was just what the bride and bridegroom did. This was the most beautiful of English country weddings with English country weather to match! They broke the rules - the choir started singing a quarter of an hour before the 'start' of the service. Even then that shudder of emotion had passed through all who were there to experience that. And there were some who came on time and did not know what they had missed. Both bride and groom had been married before and the vicar asked the to declare their apologies given that their previous partners were still alive. They did unequivocally. They had asked the vicar if their dog could be in the church too. The congregation was a meld of family, friends, and business colleagues. All were one - a complete integration of all aspects of their now joint lives.

The 'best man' was the bride's daughter. The photographer was a press photographer (not someone who customarily did weddings) who did not line us up in bunches shivering in the cold but a press photographer who 'snapped' us where we stood with those whose company we had sought. The bride's son gave her away. The day was a celebration of light and music - an 'all senses' affair. Every sense was enriched and in sharing their commitments with each of us we were able to deepen our own vows and our love for each other. 'As we let our own light shine we unconsciously give others permission to do the same.' Surely that is what alignment is all about. How by being who we truly are and some might say 'selfish' we support others to do the same. 'Serve ourselves and we serve the world.' Ultimately this is the easiest and most liberating way to be though for sure there will be some price to pay on route.

The people present yesterday included many of other faiths - indeed at least a dozen were Jewish - the number needed to conduct a ceremony of their own if they had so chosen. Some were spiritual in emotion if not in faith. Many were just touched by being a part of something very vulnerable, very private and very unique. Many were directors and consultants and many were mums and dads and all were sons and daughters.

When we give who we are truly are and do so in a way that is what we really want with thought and care for others we do indeed serve the world. This is alignment and this is a metaphor for all that we can give with the skills that we can learn. Call the components 'well formed outcomes', 'rapport', 'congruence', 'state management', 'enriched communication', 'letting go', 'perceptual positions' or call them love.

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