|
By:
Jesse Davis
You may feel that the people and events in your
life are good at pricking you in the right spots, at
the right time to provoke a certain emotional
response. But these people and events are not the
source of these emotions – you are.
It’s natural for the people and events that make up
our environment to affect, and even dictate our moods.
But it can be an enlightening exercise to take a step
back and realize that in reality, you are the
source of your own happiness or lack thereof.
Emotions flow in one direction: up from deep inside
you and out through you onto other things, people, and
events.
To illustrate, imagine a newlywed couple, snuggling
cozily on the back porch of their newly-bought home,
gazing up at a clear, bright full moon. To them, the
moon appears majestic and fantastic, gliding
effortlessly across the starry backdrop. The same
cannot be said for the guy next door. He’s in the
middle of an ugly divorce. To him, the moon appears
dull, lifeless, and even intolerable. How could this
be? It’s the same moon! It’s because the moon itself
is a blank slate for everyone to color with their own
perspective.
This may seem like a simple and obvious concept. But
think about what this really means in relation to how
you feel about the different relationships you have
with people, things and events in your life at the
moment. Maybe there’s someone you’re angry at.
Consider the possibility that the anger you direct
toward this person is actually boiling deep inside
you, and this person just happens to be a convenient
screen to project that anger onto at the moment. Now,
consider the possibility that your anger really has
nothing to do with the other person, and everything to
do with you.
Be Introspective
The exercise is simple: once a day remind yourself
that you are the source of your feelings toward other
people and things. Meditate on whatever emotions are
strongest inside of you that day, and follow these
feelings back to yourself. Don’t fight any particular
feeling, and certainly don’t judge yourself for your
feelings. Merely sit back and observe. And set aside a
solid 10-minute block of quiet time to do this. It may
be helpful to do it the same time each day. Maybe in
the morning when you first wake up, or during lunch,
or when you get into bed. Whatever schedule you
choose, be consistent.
Applying this to the
startup environment
This exercise can be particularly useful in a startup
environment, where tireless interaction with a whole
range of people and events can send even the most
levelheaded entrepreneur freewheeling through a
rainbow of emotions. Some particularly positive
results I’ve personally experienced are a healthier
work-life division, and an enhanced ability to find
new opportunities.
Creating a healthy work-life division. Sometimes when
work is frustrating, there may actually be a deeper,
unrelated issue at hand — work is just a convenient
way to express your feelings about whatever else is
going on back at home. Following your emotions back to
the source can lead you directly to the heart of any
underlying issue. This realization can help you
separate the two, and change your perspective.
Being receptive to new opportunities. Opportunities
present themselves to us all the time. A good
entrepreneur is a master at noticing opportunities and
then acting on them. But this is very difficult to
accomplish if you’re in a funk. A couple months ago,
there was a project at work that had me so confused
and flustered that I felt totally unable to focus on
anything else. The problem was, our company was
actively hiring and I was in charge of the recruiting
effort, which had to be done immediately, regardless
of my mood. And so I just remember watching in horror
as resume after resume saturated my inbox, feeling
like recruiting was the absolute last thing I could
deal with.
It was time for a little introspection. I turned
within and meditated on my anxiety and confusion,
observing it without any judgment. As I envisioned my
anxiety flowing back into my Self, I started feeling
lighter. Before I knew it, 45 minutes had passed and I
literally couldn’t recall what was making me anxious
in the first place. Refreshed, I began rummaging
through my email, and eventually stumbled upon an
application from someone who ended up being an
integral part of the team.
Being in a bad mood about something at work has the
unfortunate ability to cast a dark shadow on
everything else in your life, including your startup.
But the consequences can be dire for business because
it can cause you to shut yourself off to anything good
that comes your way. Seeing yourself as the source of
your emotion can help you keep a more open mind about
people and events, opening yourself up to positive
energy that otherwise would have been shaded out.
Read more:
http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/2011/08/03/seeing-yourself-as-source-everything/#ixzz1USf8ls9p
It is time to call YesEvents? 1.877.937.3836
info@yesevents.com |
