Believing in oneself is not merely a platitude but a profound philosophy that shapes our lives in meaningful ways. In a world often fraught with challenges and uncertainties, cultivating self-belief becomes paramount, serving as a guiding light through the darkest of times. At its core, believing in oneself is about recognizing and embracing one’s inherent worth, talents, and potential. It’s about quieting the inner critic and nurturing a mind-set of positivity, resilience, and determination.
In the grand tapestry of life, each of us possesses a unique thread, a purpose that weaves through our existence. This purpose, often referred to as a life mission, is the guiding force that gives our actions meaning and direction. Yet, uncovering this mission can be a profound and transformative journey. In this blog post, we’ll embark on a voyage of self-discovery to help you illuminate your life’s mission and align your actions with your true purpose.
Holding on to what you cannot change is like wrestling with your shadow. It makes for a frustrating relationship with yourself. The shadow is visible, but you will be continually frustrated and unhappy because you cannot control or change it.
In your business and personal world, you must know when you are wrestling with your shadow. Your shadow is all the things you cannot control.
All of us use our reasoning abilities to justify what we think and what we do. We use our reasoning to solve problems and to embrace opportunities. We use our reasoning in hundreds of areas.
Yet, when we are in relationships and we give our reasons for doing something and the other party questions or disagrees with our reasoning, things can become very heated.
Ability is your capability in certain areas. Motivation determines what you do with your ability. Attitude determines the quality of your outcomes when you use your ability and are motivated.
In my personal business coaching practice in The Woodlands and in Houston I have observed time and again the connection between these three areas and how they impact individual and team performance.
With the advent of COVID 19, almost a year ago in the United States, there has been a transformation in how we look at ourselves, our relationships, work, and as a society in general. Where pre-COVID we trafficked in a currency of confidence and a “can-do” attitude we now use the currency of fear. Fear shuts down connections. Fear shuts down conversations. Fear shuts down moving forward. Fear isolates us. As social human beings this last one, isolation, is the one that has wreaked the most mental and emotional damage.
Fear causes us to grieve. We grieve because we have lost our sense of normal. We may have lost loved ones, our jobs, or our homes. Grief is the death of something. And fear triggers grief because we have lost our sense of normal and at the same time, as we move forward day by day, we have no sense of certainty about the future. In a way we are afraid to step out and move forward.
Grief is everywhere! Our experience with COVID 19 has and continues to bring us grief. In my business coaching practice and in my own life grief is at the forefront.
Grief is the loss of normal. Grief is the death of something. In the businesses I collaborate as well as many others I know all of us are dealing with grief. What was normal, the way we did things is gone.
And when there is a loss of normal it is replaced by fear. We are grieving because we are fearful about the future. In the United States we are grieving as a society because we miss each other. With COVID 19 we are hearing grief in almost all aspects of our society. Why? We are collectively dealing with the loss of the world we knew.
One of the biggest aspects of the COVID 19 experience is the loss of connection with others. As a business coach, I have witnessed first-hand the challenges and some of the benefits that have come to the various businesses I collaborate with.
Obviously, COVID 19 has disrupted the way we do business and as a result, we now look at how we do business differently. One of the biggest changes is the increased number of people working remotely from home. In some cases, this has increased productivity which is good. Is it sustainable? It all depends on the position, the business, and the industry. I believe it is safe to say that in the future many companies are going to reduce their office footprint and have more people working remotely.
As of today, November 17, 2020 the political climate is very unsettled in the United States. The business owners I collaborate with in my business coaching practice in The Woodlands and Houston are moving forward. But for each it is different. Some are striding forward with confidence and a “we shall overcome” attitude. Others are moving forward with less certainty. In Texas, where I live and work, the economic situation because of the pandemic has been hurtful but overall, we are doing well.
The question is, depending on who wins the election, what are the policies regarding COVID 19 and the economy moving forward. In Texas, with a great emphasis on oil and gas there is a great deal of uncertainty. Millions of lives and livelihoods could be affected over the next few years. Employers and employees feel unsettled.
Over the past few weeks, the coronavirus has changed all of our lives significantly. We have never seen something like this. The medical impact can be frightening. And the economic impact, remains to be seen, but it could be disastrous.
Instead of writing about personal development, self-improvement, personal growth and leadership which are areas in which I collaborate with others in my personal business coaching practice, I believe it is best to share some thoughts that may support you as we go through a time where in many cases, and you can include me, our lives have been turned upside down. A time where fear and panic, the two horsemen of relationship and societal destruction are running wild.