 |
Meanderings from Jean's Desk....
Blog Archive
Feb 1, 2012: Transforming Our Thinking
Jan 2, 2012: Looking At Life From The Third Person This Year
Dec 15, 2011: There Is No Standing Still
Dec 1, 2011: Scarcity or Abundance?
Nov 15, 2011: Am I a Human Doing or a Human Being?
Oct 17, 2011: Seek Fresh Eyes To Ask Better Questions
Oct 1, 2011: Solving For A Greater Purpose
Sept 15, 2011: If Not Now Then When
August 22, 2011: Consider That Heaven Has A Better View
August 1, 2011: Though I May Not Be Gracious I Want Attention Too!
June 1, 2011: Albert Einstein And Problem Solving
Video
2009 Kenosha Business of the Year:
LMI Packaging Solutions, Inc.
Let All The Kids Come To The Table: Not Just The Good Ones
This is a bit of wisdom I understand more and more every day though I doubt I am close to getting its full meaning still. A good friend said this to me a number of years ago and it has become more and more meaningful on my life journey.
When tested, I usually get a ‘10 out of 10’ in optimism. I always thought this was great and made me a little better than anyone with a lower score. Of course I would, because I was optimistic and part of that means thinking anything negative was bad and should be banished.
It took quite a bit to derail me back then. I remember during some of the most difficult challenges in my life, when someone would ask how I was doing I would in full honesty say,“Just great! This is nothing, we’ll get through it.” And we always did.
So what can be wrong with that you might ask? Clearly it was a great strength in business to be this way. But as I have learned “Our greatest strengths are often our greatest weaknesses.”
There’s a false bravado that comes with this kind of optimism. Yes you can push through anything and you seemingly don’t need anyone, but it can be exhausting, detrimental to relationships, and really stifle future learning. Because you need no one’s help you never learn how much more can be accomplished with the full support of those around you. Because nothing is really that bad you don’t put processes in place and consequently keep battling the same problems over and over.
But putting the bad kids; sadness, anger, scared, and all the emotions we try to hide from others in the closet and not inviting them to the table robs you of what there is to learn from them.
Since I have started to acknowledge my fears and be with them, I have been able to get clearer on whether they are realistic and if they are I can now take action to prevent them from becoming reality.
Since I have started to express anger instead of pushing it away I have found myself in amazing conversations that have built relationships rather than withdrawing from them.
Since I have opened myself to sadness, I have learned compassion and tenderness from those around me.
And so I hope this makes sense. I love my optimism and all the good kids but I also have a new found respect for those emotions I used to hide, the bad kids I tried to keep in the closet. They bring as much to life as all the rest and deserve a seat at the table.
Questions, comments for Jean?
If you have a question or comment, you can email Jean.
Subscribe to our feed