Vision and leadership

When we cast our sight on what is happening around us and beyond in the world, we may be overwhelmed by the beauty of nature and the colors and shapes of art in its various forms. We are able to read the feelings of others from their facial expressions. We enjoy the ability to read books and look for signs around us to navigate our way forward. We get a sense of control of our environment based on knowledge and the ability to see what is coming our way and where we stand.

At the same time, looking around me these days, I can be just as overwhelmed by what I see. I often feel unable to make sense of a lot of images passing in front of my eyes throughout the day. I register the stress on people faces, as well as the ugliness and fear coming from the wreckage of natural disasters, inhuman treatment coming from all corners of the planet. I often close my eyes; don’t you? Yet I feel compelled to see both sides and the contrast to stay on the edge. Ultimately, I realize how little control I have, and how I am increasingly relying on inner vision to find my way.

You may discover that your eyesight diminishes as your inner vision is meant to increase. Your acuity may be advantageously replaced by an inner knowing that will help you reconsider what you thought to be factual, and navigate the world of fake news more easily. You may lose control over the world around you, but you gain mastery over yourself. Inner vision comes from a place where thoughts and feelings/emotions through your body show you things that are not manifest in the world of forms, but connect you to a part of yourself which operates from a different intelligence, and helps you lead from a different place.

Fear of failure

The fear of failure is a common experience that can be changed. Everyone has fears and they exist for a reason. Fear is an important mechanism to protect us and help us deal with a potential danger. The challenge is that fear may keep us from participating fully in life and venture outside of our zone of comfort. We have to realize that fear shows up by anticipation, based on previous experiences, not only as a response to real and present danger. Fear is based on thoughts that are stored and used as data in our mind to elicit certain responses. Once we realize the mechanism, we can choose to hack our own computer of a brain, and trigger a different response. We can always generate new reactions, new brain connections by choosing new thoughts. 

What if failure was a good thing?What if failure was a way to learn and innovate, a technic to master (fail, fail and fail better), a path towards mastery. I remember thinking that failure should be taught in school. There are so many things to learn from failures. It leads to a gradual process of reconquering lost ground to be repeated over and over again towards success, like a child learning to walk – falling time and again – until he or she finds balance.

You may feel that you stand out when you fail, that all eyes are on you, and nobody could be as bad as you. These feelings are common, but you can overcome them, especially if you disconnect the fear triggered by the thought of failing. When you learn to observe your thoughts and their connections to the way you feel, you can find a way to change the feeling around the thought of failing. Think and feel the positive charge around failing. You will gain freedom, no longer ruled by the fear to fail.

Honoring your full potential

There are many ways to embrace the whole of who we are with our various experiences, strengths, and weaknesses. Yet, in my experience, the tendency is to focus on what we expect others to like and appreciate, and lead our life and others from a place of strength, ignoring the vulnerable spots. To the experienced eye, however, there is a significant difference in the way we walk into a room (and through life) between someone willing to embrace it all and someone hiding behind a wall of tears. The first one comes in curious about what life has in store, willing to engage, and usually having much to offer. He or she is showing up for the party. The other is walking into the room holding back for one reason or another, either hurting inside, hiding behind an imaginary wall, or in need of healing. He or she cannot be present in the room, lacking the confidence to be whole and transparent.

Do you think that hiding parts of who you are is normal? Do you feel that it is better for your surroundings to keep your own issues buried within and not bother others? The trouble with this is that you are also likely to hide this part of you to yourself – from your own awareness. Just noticing that you are not really showing up into the room full of family, or friends, colleagues or even strangers is an important step. Feeling your way into what it would look like and feel like to show up embracing the whole of you, can give you the inspiration to give yourself permission to become your full potential.

In truth, we can show up to fully engage even if we are suffering or closed behind our wall, but it starts with showing up fully to that experience as part of life. Shielding ourselves from the pain and experiences we do not wish to have is shielding ourselves from the whole of life, the negative as much as the positive (two faces of the same coin). There is nothing more rewarding than showing up for the whole of life. When we can do this, we become alive and rich. We gain the ability to make things happen for ourselves, and others around us. We walk through the room and into the world with the curiosity and knowledge that we have a lot to offer, and the desire to share it.

Motivation will get you far

One of the leadership qualities I often lack is motivation. How many times did I approach a competition without the necessary motivation? I have often wondered and looked into motivation over the years, and I would like to share with you the formula I discovered to raise your motivation. The good news is that it is a skill that can be learned, according to some empirical research. So here is how you can shift the quality of your motivation, achieve your goals, and thrive. You need three ingredients:

1.              Create a choice: You need to perceive that you have options within boundaries and you are not obligated, but rather in control of your actions. Motivation will die the minute you feel that something is imposed on you and you are the victim. This is why diet does not work… the minute you tell yourself that you cannot have that piece of chocolate, your choice is gone and the motivation with it! To create choice, you just have to ask yourself: What choices have I made to reach this point? What choices do I have in order to move forward?

2.              Create connections: You need to connect your goals and actions to something meaningful, a sense of purpose that contributes to something greater than yourself. You will have to find a meaningful reason for pursuing that goal beyond external rewards, pressure, or fear. We all need to create connections to feel a sense of belonging and genuine relationships to others. The question here is: Why do I want to achieve this? How meaningful it is to me and others?How meaningful is it to carry on with this diet?

3.              Create competence: You need to link your goal to how this is helping you grow and learn. Competence is more than getting the job done. It is about feeling effective in managing your daily tasks, demonstrating skills over time, and a sense of growth and learning. This is why it is hard to maintain a diet. You focus on the outcome rather than the growth and learning experience, emphasizing progress, rather than beating yourself up over not being perfect. The question here is: What have I learned?

Notice when you create choice, connection, and competence, you feel a greater sense of well-being. On the flip side, when choice, connections, and competence diminish, you feel pressure, stress, and fear or frustration. You may still achieve your goal, but it will be at a high cost to your health and well-being. Whether you wish to lose weigh, prepare your tax return, get a new job, or stop a bad habit, you need motivation! This is one aspect of leadership in your life.