If you are a resident of Melbourne, or have recently visited the southern state of Victoria, you will know that it is COLD!
I have just arrived back from my regular hour-long walk with numb hands and face from the icy winds that have been our outdoors for some weeks now.
As I was braving the chilly conditions, I imagined that it would be reasonable to feel resistant to my environment; to be eager to have my walk over with so I could get home and get warm, dry and comfortable. But instead, I noted that my physical reaction to harsh elements was a feeling of exhilaration. Why?
Despite being blown about and rained upon, I had a puffer-vest on so my torso was well-protected and warm enough. I had two pairs of socks on so my feet were quite snug as well.
It brought me to the thought of the resistance to the challenges we often feel as practice managers and owners during difficult times. And yet these challenging times can have other managers and owners feeling excited and exhilarated instead.
Just as the puffer-vest provided me with an ‘armour’ during my rainy walk which allowed me to experience the challenge of the moment as exhilaration rather than resistance, can we develop an ‘armour’ for other stressful times in our lives?
Of course, we can.
Like any personal skill, emotional or spiritual armour is developed through the experience of life. Our armour is built through facing challenging situations that require us to expand and grow.
When we embrace the concept that challenging and tough times are our best opportunity to become better – better managers, better leaders – we stop resisting the discomfort of the moment and start feeling exhilarated.
Your armour cannot be purchased, stolen or bestowed upon you. It is earned through the experience of life. Do you want your armour? Do you want to feel exhilaration rather than fear and stress? Then it’s time to embrace your challenging times and develop that armour!
And the amazing thing is this:
- Your conscious decision to embrace rather than resist an event is a change in your thinking.
- That change of thinking leads to changes in your behaviour.
- And those changes of your behaviour lead to a different life.
