Interesting times. Uncertainty is running rife, and change is no longer desirable, it’s mandatory in almost all areas of our “normal” world.
How you respond is up to you, if you have the requisite mental agility, and can capitalise on that by ensuring you have the appropriate emotional agility. The two go hand-in-hand.
Last night I had the honour of discussing this topic with an enthusiastic and progressive group of people: The Future of Work in Scotland.
Here is a brief summary of the key points I shared and we discussed to act as a tool for further reflection for those who attended, and a stimulant for those who missed it.
COVID’19 Caveat
Despite our desire to turn our attitudes towards the positive, nothing can escape the harsh reality that tragedy is striking so many and our hearts go out to all those being adversely affected by this pandemic.
Telling and Shoulding
Don’t let anybody tell you what to think and feel. What you should or shouldn’t do. Make you own mind up, decide what you will feel. And take care, don’t go telling or shoulding others either! Encourage yourself towards to the positive, and encourage others there too.
Independent Minds and Hearts
Perhaps aim for increasing levels of independence in your responses. Hear and feel the stimulus then decide how to react as much as you are able to. Being triggered by others means you are out of control. Notice the trigger and decide.
Agility vs. Rigidity
Yin and yang. Understand that you need both. Rigidity is necessary when things are clear and decisions have been made. Agility helps when the way forward is unclear. If you applied agility to everything in your life you’d be a chaotic mess, and a fascinating spectacle!
Applying Purpose/Objectives
Thus, be clear about where you need to apply a more agile way of thinking. Focus on specific problems or challenges and be clear that a more agile approach could be useful.
Underlying Beliefs
In actuality, rigidity is created with strong beliefs, agility by uncertain beliefs. So, if you need to apply a more agile approach you have to learn how to disturb the current beliefs that are holding you rigid. Then you can begin to play.
Beliefs are Uncertainties Masquerading as Certainties
Beliefs are simply decisions that have been made at a personal level and allowed to solidify and strengthen. They arise from thinking, repetition and accumulation. As they progress they ignore more and more evidence that may contradict them.
Belief Agility
To be mentally agile you need to be quite nimble with the beliefs that you choose to adopt, change and ditch. Even if only temporarily, sideline your current beliefs and try out alternative ones and see how they work.
The Power of Choice
When you get good at this, you can be more conscious about what you choose to believe. You then have more control over what’s going on between your ears and in your heart.
Mental Agility and Emotions
Beliefs have a strong connection with emotions. Some say, beliefs are the logical expression of emotions. No amount of mental agility is going to be productive unless you also have emotional agility – the ability to choose your emotions, swapping and changing them as you sense the need to do so.
Emotional Environment
Creative ideas land internally in your prevailing emotional state/landscape. If the ideas run counter to tat climate, expect the ideas to lose power and potential, very quickly. You ideas will also be landing with others and their reaction will be largely determined by their internal emotional landscape.
Fear
Right now, many people are being led by the emotions of fear, worry, anxiety and this is quite understandable – but still a choice that they could be conscious of. But that it up to them, and we all have to be mindful (compassionate?) as we run our positive emotions at full tilt!
Physiological and Psychological Changes
Fear closes down the body to growth to conserve and align energy for fight or flight. Minds get focused on the problem and escape. Optimism, enthusiasm and positive emotions promote growth and creativity within the body.
Choose Well
With awareness, practice and experience your ability to choose beliefs and emotions will grow. Practice and play (safely) believing the unbelievable and feeling the unimaginable.
There was so much more discussed behind each of these points but the bottom-line comes down to a question that I will leave you with:-
Are you running away from the future, squaring up for a fight or running towards the exciting as yet unknown future?
It’s up to YOU!
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