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The Fan
By Katharine C. Giovanni
I've been
getting some interesting calls
lately. In the last ten days,
I've gotten more "panic" calls than
I've had in a long time. The reasons
for the calls vary. Some people are calling because
they're worried about money and the
recession. Others call because the
"you know what" has hit the fan and
they need help figuring out what to
do. I've had several of these.
Since I'm
pretty good at putting out forest
fires, I thought I would share some
tips when you come across your own
"forest fire" .
First, let's chat
about your perspective and focus. So
... the "you know what" is hitting
the fan right? It's your
entire world right now. You're
focused on it, dreaming about it,
living it, breathing it and trying
to get out of it ... am I right?
Well, I've said
this before but it bears repeating
... there is
a universal principle out there
called the Law of Focus. It's a
natural law similar to the Law of
Gravity. This law suggests that what
you put your attention to … grows.
So if you put your attention to
fear, a lack of money, and start to
think that the sky in your world is
falling, then your “sky” will fall.
If we put out negative thoughts and
actions and constantly focus on the
negative, we will attract
negative back to us. It will become
our entire world. Conversely, if we try
our best to see the positive, then
we will attract the positive back,
and this will become our world.
As the
late Peter Jennings once said in a
newscast I was watching a while
back, “the mind/body connection
has become serious science.”
What you decide to focus on, and the
direction you decide to go because
of this decision, will determine
your company’s reality and its
direction.
So ... as I said
before, the crap is hitting the fan.
How do you stop looking at it?
Focus on your future. Focus on where
you want to go instead. I'm not
telling you to ignore it (mostly
because you can't) but you sure
don't have to focus all your
attention on it!!
Here are some
tips ...
-
Stop watching
the news. It teaches us to be
scared, and reminds us on a
daily basis what we should be
afraid of.
-
Cut some
pictures out of a magazine and
pin it to the bulletin board
above your desk. Pictures of
where you want to go ...
limousines, private jets, your
dream house, your dream office,
your dream car, your ultimate
vacation destination ...
whatever. Something that will
remind you where you are going
and what you are working
towards. I have several on my
own bulletin board as they
remind me on a daily basis where
I am going.
-
Listen to
music. Whatever music empowers
you and makes you feel good.
Dance. Sing out loud! It
will lift you up.
-
Don't listen
to the naysayers who are saying
you can't or shouldn't. Turn
your ears off and run your
business (and your life)
from your heart, not your head.
TRUST what your intuition is
trying to tell you. Listen to
it, you know it's never wrong.
Get quiet and focused and listen
to that small voice deep down
inside of you. It knows the
direction you should go, and it
knows how to get you there.
Trust it.
And what if you
fall? What if the sky does
fall down on you?
That actually
happened to me. Want to know what I
did when it happened?
First I cried ...
Then I got really
really angry ...
Then I calmed
down and started to think. That's
when I realized that I had just
learned what not to do. Once I
realized the lesson, I was able to
stand up and dust myself off. Sure,
it hurt like hell but I was able to
slowly move forward knowing that I
wouldn't do that again! I then
forgave everyone involved (including
myself) and moved on. I let go of
all judgments, resentments and
anger. I let go of it all and walked
away.
We then
regrouped, refocused, reorganized
and tried again.
Did we close the
business?
No.
Want to know why?
Because even
though falling flat on my face
hurts, it actually makes me even
more determined to succeed. If only
to prove them all wrong.
So keep going
everyone! Don't give up and
keep your eye on the prize.
Oh ... one more
thing ...
Try to stop
looking at the fan.
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