Wednesday 13 April 2016

How Do You Respond to Challenge?

I had the privilege this afternoon to listen to some inspirational speakers at a corporate event. The speakers included someone I respect hightly as a colleague, and senior managers from across the globe.

The industry, sector, and account on which I work all face significant challenges in the months and years ahead—as many of us do in our personal lives. No amount of “happy happy talk” is going to make the issues go away, but that’s not what was being offered today. It was a call to rethink our approaches. A call to engage. In the workplace. In our wider community. Most of all, within ourselves.

Returning to the office, I was saddened but not wholly surprised at the reactions I heard from other attendees to what—for me—had been an important and empowering message.

Cynicism, bitterness, resentment, and self-righteous entitlement are amongst the shields we habitually employ when challenged to think differently, and be more than we have imagined ourselves to be.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Marty

 

4 comments:

  1. well said my friend, i applaud you.

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    1. Thank you. Change can be scary for sure, and I could detect fear lurking behind some of the comments I heard. Fear is okay. It is what we feel sometimes. But what are you going to do with that fear? THAT is the challenge. THAT is the opportunity. To wallow. Or grow.

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  2. Well it's the people like you and the empowering speakers who are going to change the world. I'm just happy to be on your side. Great post Marty. Your positive spirit exudes love and light everywhere I come into "contact" with it. The people in your life are very lucky.

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    1. Thank you so much, Sandra, that means a lot to me. I have been called "pathologically positive" and I am wise enough to recognise that "happy happy" is far from being welcome or helpful in many circumstances. However, I do believe we owe it to ourselves to hold ourselves open to the opportunities and challenges life presents us. It is only fair to comment that my mention of "shields" in this post owed a debt of recognition to inspirational author, speaker, researcher, and story-teller Brene Brown.
      ~Marty

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