Thinking partners make a huge difference in our lives. Even when we don’t immediately need them, there’s comfort in knowing we have people we trust to go to with our questions and concerns. But what about those times when there is no trusted advisor around to help? When we are all we have? Many years ago, during one of those times in my own life, I created a statement that helped me move forward in moments of uncertainty:
“I am courageously standing in the unknown, dancing in diversity, igniting the heart and soul of humanity, with an explosion of joyful self-expression. I am an adventure of a lifetime.”
Practicing this taught me that, at the times when we feel there is nothing else we can do, we can stand with courage and face what we do not yet understand. In those moments, when fear of the unknown threatens to steal our joy, diminish our vision, and stop our momentum, we can stand with courage and face whatever comes.
I still practice this when I need to get out of my own head, away from the doubts, uncertainties, and stinkin’ thinkin’ trying to hold me back or pull me down. Sometimes, we’re stuck. We don’t have the knowledge or perspective we need to feel complete. And that’s okay.
It’s been said that the oldest and strongest human emotion is fear. And the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown, so it’s no wonder that is feels so natural to try to look for a familiar reference point and try to make the unknown, known. My encouragement for you, today, is to understand it’s possible to stand in the unknown with a completely new awareness, to allow the unknown to create a new awareness: a new idea, a new solution, a new perspective. This happens best when we give ourselves permission to be courageously present in the unknown. So, next time you find yourself stuck because of something unfamiliar or uncertain, try this and see if it fits:
“I am courageously standing in the unknown, dancing in diversity, igniting the heart and soul of humanity, with an explosion of joyful self-expression. I am an adventure of a lifetime.”
Create a great day.
4 questions to prepare you for your next big opportunity
In recounting stories of their success, people often say that one opportunity changed the trajectory of their life. We hear it all the time: on awards shows, after sporting events, during graduation speeches. Someone, at some point, was presented with an...
5 questions every employee wants their boss to ask
Recently, Forbes published a list of 10 Things Only Bad Bosses Say. While most of us have ‘bad boss experiences’ in the past, so we may relate, this article got me thinking about some of the things great leaders say to inspire and motivate their teams....
What Richard Branson looks for in a leader
Sometimes, as leaders, we feel pulled in two different directions, do we invest our time and energy in our employees or our customers? While it’s easy to say “both,” the reality is, we have limits on our time, so one or the other is going to get more of...
Creating an environment that encourages people to lead
In our most recent blogs, we looked at two different real-world customer service scenarios. In one story, both an employee and a manager fumbled a simple service opportunity that nearly cost them a long-time customer. In the next story, one employee chose...
A leader steps up and saves the deal
In our last blog, I shared a friend’s story of what he called “bewilderingly poor customer service,” that left him wondering why neither the employee nor the manager seemed to know how to fix the problem … or felt empowered to do so. Today’s story begins...
A customer service miscue leaves a lasting impression
In our last blog, we talked about the importance of investing in our team members personally, as well as professionally, and what that means for our organization. In this blog, I want to share a story about what can happen when leadership focuses on skills...
0 Comments