 One of my intentions this year is to practice gratitude. It’s a simple intention, but one that demands a degree of mindfulness; I write down what I am grateful for once a day. Five minutes a day (more if I want to) to write down one thing. I’ve kept it simple. The benefit I am getting from this practice isn’t gratitude alone (and can I just say WOW, that is proving to be really powerful), it is the conversation I have with myself when I say I don’t have the time to do it.
The richness in this conversation is self-awareness, because it forces me to explain to myself why I don’t have five minutes to do something that I know is of direct benefit to me and indirect benefit to everyone around me. I go through all the usual side-steps. I get angry with myself for the impertinence of the question (“Seriously! Can’t you see how overwhelmed I am with work right now?”). I justify my actions (“Don’t get your panties in a bunch, I will do it later!”). I agree with myself with no intention to follow through (“Yes, yes, yes, I know writing what I am grateful for today is highly beneficial…”). Or I avoid the feelings of failing myself through numbing out with screen time (the easier it is not to hear my better self who is annoyingly right). Yes, I am a human being. And so are you. Go through the reactions that all of us beautiful human beings have when we are trying to over-ride common sense (whatever they may sound like for you) and then be compassionate with yourself, listening to your mental narrative. In my example you can hear that I may be working hard (do I need a break?), that I am annoyed with myself (hmmm…what is that all about?) or that I am dismissive…of myself (OK, red flag here to explore). This is important, because if we do not have these conversations with ourselves, we miss out on valuable insights that can help us better attend to our own needs, our awareness and our welfare. This is the critical point where our happiness is either supported or sacrificed; it is in these conversations that we choose ourselves and our well-being (or leave ourselves as collateral damage in a life we live for others but not ourselves). It is not what you are promising to yourself per se, it is in the way you attend to that promise. As you move into this New Year, become less concerned about the number of times you did the thing you promised yourself you would do and be more open and curious about why you didn’t do it. It is in these conversations that you will grow and make this year your best yet. Miraculously you may find you also honour your commitments to yourself, in a joyous and heartfelt way, without pressure. The first promise we should always keep is the one we make to ourselves. “The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.” Robert Frost, excerpt from the poem “Stopping by The Woods on A Snowy Evening”
0 Comments
 For 2019 I am going with a simple commitment to practice daily gratitude. I’m looking for all the benefits the science tells me I can access when gratitude is more present in my life. But there is a catch. When we approach something like gratitude it is easy to “check this box”. In order for gratitude to truly provide the scientific benefits to our well-being that we seek we need to attend to it in a mindful way, one that involves more than just listing something for which we are grateful. We need to feel it and to know it. True gratitude is expressed through our head, our heart and our intuition. Tapping into all three of those areas takes a bit of time, not a long time, but intentional time. Here is an example.
On my first day of writing down something I was grateful for I listed “I am grateful for my warm and comfortable home”. Done. 10 seconds. Wow, this commitment was going to be a snap to keep! Not so fast. As I look back through what I have written so far, all of the things I’ve noted sound good, but I am not writing this for others, I am writing this for myself, and those items are also sounding quite hollow to my ears. We get better at doing things with practice and this is one of those times for me. I sat down with my book and really thought about what I had written and then something interesting came up. While I am truly grateful for my warm and comfortable home, it is not what really matters to me. When I paused and really thought about it, I am grateful for the ability to care for and create a warm and cozy home. When I unpacked that, there was depth to it. I have not always had the mobility I enjoy today, and that meant my home was cluttered and unkempt as a busy household will quickly become when one of the adult members is side-lined. I also realized that as time goes on our house of three floors will not always meet our family’s needs; we may want to down-size or live without stairs. This is a likely reality in the distant future, but I know that a house is more then it’s architecture, and I feel confident that wherever we live we can create the kind of spaces we enjoy living in, in all stages of our lives. I am grateful for everything that enables me to have a warm and cozy home, my health, my employment, my creativity, my family. In acknowledging all of that my head, heart and intuition are now all present and I can feel that rich goodness that science says comes with being grateful, and not just a few times a year, but each and every day. I am calmer, I smile more. Give yourself some goodness each day too, and see what it can do for you. “…is not a passive response to something we have been given, gratitude arises from paying attention, from being awake in the presence of everything that lives within and without us. Gratitude is not necessarily something that is shown after the event, it is the deep a priori state of attention that shows we understand and are equal to the gifted nature of life.” ~ David Whyte, Consolations  It is January 3rd and already my resolution to make adjustments to how I want to be in this new year are being tested. How about you…did you make a New Year’s resolution or two? Did you remember to plan for the near constant interference of your “old self” on what you are trying to build in your “new self”? It is hard work. Oh, beautifully flawed human self why do you make it so hard to be good? So, where does that leave our New Year’s resolutions? On a very tricky path, with no support rail, unless we should choose to build that for ourselves first.
Some light on this path would be better still, as things get dark and murky quite quickly here in the “new”. It feels rewarding to be open to what is different, fresh, altruistic and it is an accomplishment to be celebrated. Looking deeply into the nooks and crannies of self is daunting, so when you come out with a realization that there is something you feel empowered to tackle it is a very empowering thing. There is much research around how good we feel when we make a decision to embrace a positive change, to quit smoking, eat better, buying the gym membership (because putting it on the credit card shows real commitment). All those good feelings may in fact make us feel so good we ride those for a while and don’t do the thing we said we would do…crashing down to reality with shame, self-loathing and a deepening (via a non-refundable, unbreakable, one-year contract) sense of debt - both morale and financial. The New Year’s resolution hang-over. So, back to the light. Start where you are, with the assumption you are perfect the way you are right now. You are valued, valuable and worthy. Everyone is flawed, so you are imperfectly perfect, which is really a thing. You don’t get very far only seeking out your flaws, because you end up in “fix it” mode, where there is no compassion, only urgency (quick, get on that flaw and fix it before your resolve collapses…). It’s the third day of the New Year and I have shifted my resolution. I am going to be compassionately honest with myself. In his book Consolations, David Whyte writes “Every human being dwells intimately close to a door of revelation they are afraid to pass through. Honesty lies in understanding our close and necessary relationship with not wanting to hear the truth.” (page 117). Explore your relationship to your truth by being honest with yourself. Start with the mental chatter that arose when you read “You are valued, valuable and worthy.” (yes, even from here I could hear what you said to yourself…and what you didn’t). Only when we are willing to compassionately and consistently look at our truth will we be in a position to leverage our strengths, building something that does not set us up for a fall. When we work with honesty in our truth there is no support rail needed, it’s already there. Start with compassionate honesty, because only then will you be able to be the change you want to see in the world, this year and every year that follows. "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." ~ Rita Mae Brown (as correctly attributed at https://www.businessinsider.com/misattributed-quotes-2013-10)  Disappointment is one of those feelings that comes to us sharply and then lingers. It may take up mental real estate or drain our energy trying to manage the feelings that come with a disappointment. It can feel even more acute at this time of the year, when we are trying to hold on to the “magic” of the holidays, or create magic for someone else. I always find the Christmas season makes me more vulnerable towards disappointment, in myself or through circumstances that get in the way of feeling the holiday spirit “What do you mean exactly when you say this is ‘out of stock’?!”.
Nowhere does this come to roost more then at work, which can feel like a real sprint to the finish line as the year closes. Getting things wrapped up for year-end (calendar or fiscal). Working to get your desk and in-box cleared out so you can relax over the extended holiday. Doing a self-review (since year end is often the kick-off to performance review and reflection in many companies). Possibly waiting to see if there is a “bonus” coming, and if there is, is it what you expected. Waiting to hear from management about additional paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s (AKA company-wide shut-down for the holidays)? “What do you mean exactly when you say we’re shutting down but you need me to be ‘available’?!” And in the midst of all of this our personal lives are often just nuts. I went out to get groceries on Black Friday, and turned around without them when I couldn’t even get into the parking lot of my local grocery store. The chaos often starts on that weekend and doesn’t really stop until the holidays are over. Trying to find meaningful gifts for people who need nothing more then your time and attention (which is in limited supply…) also creates disappointment. Often feeling like we do not have the time or capacity to really do the holiday’s justice, and by now (mid-December) are on the path to just getting ourselves through to the big day; “What do you mean exactly by ‘Your brother needs to bring his wife’s family along for dinner on Christmas Day or they can’t come’?!” As tempting as it is to just put your head down and plow through, intuitively you know that puts the enjoyment of this season even further from your reach. Here are a few tips to get you to the holiday break before your holiday spirit is broken.
Celebrate the season by being present for every moment, and you will experience the magic…because you are the magic. “You are a gift. Open up, be present.” ~ Unknown  Needs are everywhere. We spend time each day meeting the needs of others or ourselves; it’s a never-ending process. Not all needs are created equal; some feel optional (reading for pleasure), while others are essential to maintaining our well-being (sleeping and eating). So what happens when circumstances arise that make you feel bad about yourself, asserting an emotional need? We have three typical responses to our emotional needs and while we use all three to cope in a world that doesn’t always set us up for success, one of these will be the place you start to meet these needs.
The first of these three responses is the direct route, acting on our need to feel good about ourselves. We fix the problem, justify our actions, demand something of others or find some way to re-take control of the narrative (internal or external) that we find ourselves immersed in. While taking action is often a good thing, do not confuse action with accountability; sometimes we act in ways designed to protect ourselves that don’t include getting to the heart of the matter when it involves making us feel vulnerable. Actions are a two-sided coin; to either work through unwanted feelings, or to subvert them, depending on what is motivating us. Another way to meet our emotional needs is to earn the trust and respect we crave to ensure the way we want to feel is consistently present in our lives and work. We may try to appease others, or be of best service, to maintain or regain feeling good about ourselves in their eyes. This type of response is all about meeting expectations. Being aware of (and using) expectations as a motivator can be a very good thing, but when taken too far it can result in a polarizing outcome, where we either feel we are “better than” others (more moral, ethical, loving, etc.) or “less than” others (becoming a doormat or emotionally dependent on others for our own self-esteem). Earning the respect and trust of others is also a two-sided coin, being there for ourselves emotionally versus making others fill this void for us. The third way we beautiful human beings try to meet our emotional needs is by withdrawing (as in “Stop the world, I want to get off”); moving away from conversations, situations and people (mentally or physically) as a way of coping with overwhelming feelings. Here the motivation is to take time to process what is going on, turn it over in our minds and see what it is all about. As adults we get very good at doing this in socially acceptable ways, like tuning out in the midst of a conversation; being there, but not really being present (or actually leaving, slipping away unnoticed). While stepping away from something stressful or meaningless can give everyone time to think, doing it without the intention to resolve the problem (preferring the more rational, fertile space of our inner mind to the harsh and unpredictable outside world) abandons responsibility. Withdrawing from others as a coping mechanism is also a two-sided coin (considerate time out versus abdicating accountability) depending on what our intentions are. Learning which of these responses feels most familiar to you can help you to better see whether you are using it to work through something difficult (owning it), or to escape unwanted feelings (running away from it). Getting in touch with this essential part of you (coping with how you feel about yourself) is a powerful way to realize your full potential, at work and in life. Love yourself first. “When we are stuck in our convictions and personas, we enter into the disease of having good ideas and being right…We think we have a lock on truth…but the bigger we pump ourselves up, the easier we are to prick with a pin. And the bigger we get, the harder it is to see the earth under our feet.” ~ Anne Lamott, Almost Everything, Notes On Hope (These three ways we meet our emotional needs are based on the work of Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Triadic Self, page 60 - 63) Photo Credit: Brigitte Thom on Unsplash  Today’s business world is very focused on results; deadlines, budgets, outcomes, efficiency, productivity, etc. Performance is measured in results, with the accompanying metrics that let you know how effectively you arrived at your results in your role. We even put our results on our resumes in the form of accomplishments, helping others to see our demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities and how we could make a difference to an organization.
But do results tell the whole story of you in your work? No, they do not, for they are too one-dimensional to do that. Results are really only the beginning. Results are sexy, there is a lot of thought and hard work that goes into making something happen in the right way, at the right time. Results get a lot of glory, but in reality they are not the whole story, because most of us don’t get out of bed to chase results, we get out of bed to make a meaningful difference…and that means we need to look beyond results to the impact those results have on ourselves, our organizations, our communities and our families. Results are a product of our actions; impact is a product of our intentions. Most of us find a sense of purpose and meaning in our work because large aspects of it align with our core values. Our values, in turn, form the quality of our intent in our work. Being able to articulate your impact at work is far more powerful than just focusing on results. Learning to demonstrate how your values-based intentions lead to value-driven actions and positive impacts allows your employer to see your worth beyond the binary “did you get it done or didn’t you”. It gives you an opportunity to demonstrate what you learned along the way, how this work will serve the team/organization/end clients beyond its current result. In essence, it helps everyone to see how your work makes a meaningful difference to others. So how do you do that? There is a simple “recipe” for writing an impact statement, something you can use to help your manager, team or organization see how your work has reach beyond just today. It is RESULT + YOUR VALUES = IMPACT and it looks like this (on a self-review or in an e-mail); “In completing the work on this service offering, integrity, teamwork and innovation ensures that not only will this meet our current company mandate for this client, but we have a ‘blueprint’ that is easily replicable for future offerings that will allow us to consistently exceed customer expectations.” Try it. Take a recent result you achieved at work, and write it up reflecting the values you used in making it happen and see if the impact of that doesn’t write its self. We need to own more of who we are in our work, making it visible to others as well as ourselves, celebrating how we make a difference with the 40+ hours we invest every week at work. Show them what you’re made of, what you’ve got, and how it is moving the organization forward one good intention at a time.  Did you know we each have a “favourite” stress response? The expression of stress is unique to each of us, and to the situation we are in, but we have a “go to” stress expression when the inevitable peace shattering, *stuff* hitting-the-fan event happens. We either express anger, shame or anxiety; sometimes just one and sometimes all three in a “merry-go-round” from hell. Which of the three we typically start with when overwhelmed by emotions is an expression of our core belief. “Core Beliefs are deep-seated perceptions that everyone has about the world in which we live, work and play. Core Beliefs impact how we think, feel and behave as well as how we interact with other people and our general view of the world.” (Peter Barow, Core Beliefs). Each of us use our core beliefs to make decisions, they are useful in helping us navigate the world. However, a core belief is ever-present so its there “helping” you navigate when you are stressed too.
In these descriptions we can feel our instinctual reactions to stress, disappointment, etc. What’s important to remember here is while we may not always like it, being emotional isn’t a bad thing; we are emotional when we are excited about something, or when we feel tears of joy. Your instinctual stress response appears when your behaviour surrenders to the pressure you are under, and so begins the “merry-go-round”. While one of these responses is your “go to”, you can easily move into all three; you forgot a deadline at work (shame), someone was less-than professional about calling you out on it (anger) and now you are worried everyone thinks this way of you (anxiety). Merry-go-round from hell. Round and round the feelings go, and when it stops nobody knows. The longer you stay on it, the more entrenched the overwhelming feelings get, the more frequently they come visit you, the faster the merry-go-round spins keeping you on it longer each time…and you ask yourself things like ”Why is this happening to me!!!!” You do control how long you are on that merry-go-round, and this can be accomplished with just a few simple but intentional actions. First, get familiar with identifying when you are on the merry-go-round and (when you are there), rather than asking yourself “Why is this happening to me?” ask yourself “What is this trying to teach me?” The act of re-framing what is happening stops the carousel of chaos, letting you off to begin a much better journey, one filled with curiosity and self-compassion. (The three stress responses is based on the work of Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Triadic Self, page 49 – 59) “Failure has always been a part of the plan. Without it, we don’t grow.” ~ Carleen Hicks Photo credit: Ben White on Unsplash  You get out of bed each morning to do your best at work and for your loved ones, but along the way *stuff* happens. Traffic is bad, your boss is in a mood or that work that was supposed to be done by the client is delayed…or whatever other disruptive event puts a dent in your day. Feelings of anxiety, anger or shame arise (sometimes all three in a merry-go-round from hell) and really make it hard for you to continue in your day feeling good about yourself or your work.
You need a break. However, most of us don’t give ourselves the break we need when we are feeling ashamed, frustrated or stressed out about work; we put our head down and work harder. Ignoring your needs is a losing proposition. Here is something to think about so you remember to take a well-deserved break, allowing you more well-being at work (even on a “bad” day). It’s called H.A.L.T. Hungry: When was the last time you ate? If you are thundering through your day on the dying fumes of the granola bar you ate at 10:30 a.m. then you are not going to be resilient when the next disruptions hits. Get something nutritious to eat, give yourself the quality fuel you deserve (which is not at the drive thru of a fast food restaurant…) Angry: You are going to get angry at work for a variety of well-deserved reasons. You were cut-off mid-sentence in a meeting. Your idea was shot down unceremoniously by the new guy (whom you trained…), the list is endless really. If you are angry, call it and take a walk, get a coffee or sit in the “quiet” room at work to allow your emotional self to catch up to your present self. You’ll thank yourself (and you are worth it). Lonely: It is possible to be lonely at work, in the midst of the hum and bustle you can feel abandoned (your boss missed your one-on-one), cut off (not allowed to speak freely in a meeting) or like you have been metaphorically left on a hill to die (when you don’t even remember how you got there). Find a friendly face or voice and give yourself some love. Tired: How much sleep do you get a night? Ouch! How much sleep are you supposed to get a night. Yup, 7 to 8 hours. A night. Since most of us upstanding adults don’t get quite that much uninterrupted sleep, give yourself a break when you are tired at work, sit and do nothing for a few minutes in between tasks to rest. Commit to getting more rest a night (this is an important life skill to build). You are not yourself when you are tired…you are a walking petri dish susceptible to whatever illness is making the rounds at work (or at your kids school…). Recognize when you are tired and plan to get the rest you need before you get sick…or snap at someone. H.A.L.T. is a great tool to give yourself permission to take a break at work...and when you can do this compassionately for yourself, you are much more likely to be able to be compassionate with others. It’s an act of kindness to understand your needs (or someone else’s) and do the right thing. “There is virtue in work an there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.’ ~ Alan Cohen Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash  Let’s look at the word “career” for a moment. A career is typically understood to be any working experience throughout your active life (both paid and unpaid); from your first “paycheck” job to the day you retire from actively engaging in work (volunteer or otherwise). However, most of us would argue that isn’t a career; my client’s come into career coaching identifying a “career” as the professional pursuits they have on their resumes. The work that launched them into professional life, the work they are most proud of, the work they feel their best at.
While we can (and should) be selective on what we represent to others on our resumes and social media profiles (so as to attract and retain the types of work that really interest us), this “selective reasoning” often obscures the fact that many of us end up getting bumped around in our careers, following meandering paths of employment based alternately on hard work and luck. Let me ask you this; is your profession a career? If that question gave you pause then let me ask another one; where does your career “compass” point? In order for our work to be fulfilling and gratifying it needs to be grounded in meaning and purpose. If we haven’t intentionally sat down to think about what we feel our purpose is in what we do for a living, then many of the benefits of a working life cannot be leveraged (beyond the paycheck…and money alone isn’t enough to give us well-being in our work). Often our working lives become “scenery”, something we go through, not unwillingly, but without a lot of conscious thought, joy, gratitude or intention. If looking at your career from where you are now makes you feel like you are not where you want to be, you’ve got an example of the collateral damage drifting through your working life can cause. Dissatisfaction, malaise, anxiety, imposter syndrome and many other energy-sucking feelings arise when we don’t take full accountability for actively managing our career, recognizing our own great potential. You may be in the best profession, in the best job and in the best company for you to be working in right now and you might not even know it. Take a moment to look around and see (and if you are in the right place, take time to enjoy it). If you know you are not in a place that makes you feel good about yourself in your work, then where would you like to go? Plan from there back to where you are now. Yes, this takes time. Yes, it means facing potential gaps in knowledge and skills. Yes, it means investing in yourself (or convincing your current employer to invest in you). You are worth it, right? (Hint: the answer is “yes”). Most of us spend 10 hours or more a day getting to, being at, and then getting home from work (work plus commute). That is a lot of life to be living in “meh” because your potential isn’t being engaged. No one else is likely going to determine your career course with purpose and intent, only you can do this for yourself (and you are worth it). So, how do you want to invest your abundant potential? “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” “That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat. “I don’t much care where—” said Alice. “Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat. - from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Photo by Austin Chan on Unsplash)  Persistent worries do not come from nowhere. Our imaginations can take a fleeting thought and quickly blow it up into concern for a reason – the concern our imaginations tap into is already in us, waiting for a vulnerable moment to make itself known. This is one of the things that makes it so difficult to manage every day fears and concerns…while they are not objective, or even based in fact (because worry is focused on something that may happen in the future) worry does arise from the deepest part of us, and that gives it a level of credibility that carries it further into our lives then we intend.
If you have ever taken your worry out for a cup of coffee, explored it as a companion sitting beside you (rather than an invisible force inside you) then you may have learned that worry has it roots in deep caring. We worry about work because we have a deep commitment to what we each do. We worry about loved ones because we care for them so very much. This deep knowing lives inside of each of us, but it also makes us feel powerless because we also know that we only control ourselves (not the wider world around us); it is a state of humanness that at times is overwhelming. When we are overwhelmed the control we do have kicks in, and we find ways to disconnect ourselves from these persistent, invasive emotions; to give ourselves a break, sometimes by numbing out with TV, food, alcohol, etc. This is how (as beautiful human beings) we get disconnected from ourselves, our bodies, our best intentions and our loved ones. "The symptoms of this disconnect are familiar: lack of self-trust, emotional and intellectual rigidity, fear of change, perfectionism, narcissism, addictions, and free-floating anxiety...This dis-ease is commonplace in our society, regardless of age or sex, race or class, education or income. The world we live in is a breeding ground."(from: Writing The Mind Alive, page 91; Linda Trichter Metcalf, PH. D. and Tobin Simon, PH. D. Ballantine Books, 2002). The antidote? It is mindfulness. Mindfulness is about connection... re-connection to be specific. Mindfulness is innate, which means each of us is born with the ability to be mindful; that is to be in the moment. This moment right here. Not reactive or overwhelmed, but fully present occupying no other thoughts or actions other then to see this moment just as it is. It is a powerful way to re-connect to our lives, our loved ones and ourselves. Its free and ever-present; something you can practice anywhere. While mindfulness is innate, it is also a choice; it is up to each of us to engage it. Mindfulness asks you to do nothing... with intention. Just sit. Listen to yourself. Really listen to yourself without getting attached to what you are thinking. Take some time for yourself to do this because mindfulness only gives, it never takes from you; it gives you more connection to yourself, to your body, to your loved ones, to your work. You will be better able to face your fears, to see the “story” in what your worry is telling you. With this truth you can be discerning about what is real and what is not and compassionately address your fears. You will be more fully connected, a gift that only gives and is always there for you. Be present in your life, you are worthy of this gift. Find resources to support mindfulness at http://www.loveyourworkinglife.com/mindfulness.html (in addition to the practice, there are smart device apps and other options listed at the bottom of the page). |
SubscribeLooking for a Blog? Search here:
ABOUT MY BLOG
I believe in giving back to others in many tangible ways. When I learn something new, or see something that might help others, I share it using my blog and website. You can always find my latest blog entries here, on Face Book or Linked In. 
Archives
January 2019
|
RSS Feed