02.03.2022

Too Seriously | Persist | Time To…

Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS. 

You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach: 

Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: something that’s creating an energy and positive impact
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge

Have you taken the GLAS Understanding Assessment
and received your free report?

LEARN
Something Worth Sharing

Don’t take yourself too seriously

I’m going to share something about myself, but please don’t judge me! I admit that my guilty pleasure is watching Married at First Sight Australia (I know!). To try and make it slightly more acceptable to watch 'trash TV’, I justify it by observing the relationship dynamics and behaviours from a professional stand point.

As this latest series just started, I noticed something about the early development of the relationships featured. Given that the couples are thrown together, one of the strong and common threads for how they develop is linked to how seriously they take themselves. It’s a great reminder about the importance of inner self-confidence (and by that, I mean the humble, balanced type of confidence). When individuals have this, they can relax with those around them - something they very few success stories have in common.

However, many of the show participants are chosen because of their inner imbalance for a reason: this creates drama - and viewing figures. The majority of people that we watch have all sorts of inner turmoil and this plays out in their relationships - being aggressive, defensive, victim-behaviour, bullying-behaviour, sarcasm, the clown and so on.

When we are able to stop taking ourselves so seriously it’s usually because we don’t feel deep doubt and have accepted who we are. As with most things, there are three states of balance:

1. OVER: take things far too seriously - can show as aggression, ego-driven, bullying or victim behaviour, creates drama

2. UNDER: the lack of any seriousness - playing the clown, unable to read the room, sarcasm, attention seeking

3. BALANCED: calm, relaxed and accepting state but also able to tune into others with empathy and compassion

I know when I’m feeling out of balance, I am far more defensive and serious - how about you?

ENERGY
Focusing on an emotion or positive energy; a stand-out word / s

Persist

I’m not sure the word persist is a word that lights up a room, but it’s an incredibly important one. It originates from the Latin word PERSISTERE meaning "abide, continue steadfastly". It is formed from PER meaning "forward" + SISTERE meaning "come to stand, cause to stand still".

I thought this combination of moving forwards and standing is fascinating, and I guess it helps us to see that persistence can be:

• standing in a space emotionally and physically to do what is required

• associated with progress and moving forwards

• showing up and stepping forwards for a cause or in service

• strength, commitment and courage

• resilience and agility

ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference

It’s time to…

I was talking to my husband last week and said “I really think it’s time to clear out the garage shelving”. Later on in the day I said “I feel like it’s time to get my hair cut - I’m fed up growing it”.

The action for this week is to build on this idea - of thinking about what it’s time to do, start, finish, change etc. Write on a piece of paper:

IT’S TIME TO…

and then add your list of things.

PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)

“What are you contributing to the world?”

The questions that I pose to you and for you to process are from a list that I pre-write at the beginning of a year. It’s pure coincidence that this week’s question sits in the same space as the other sections of this LEAPS. It was based on the knowledge that a common purpose for all humans is the need to give and contribute - to serve. What we serve and contribute is personal to our strengths and abilities as well as our situation.

Our contributions don’t need to be material, in fact how we contribute is more about how we show up - with joy or inquisitiveness, with passion or effort. What are your contributions and are you happy with how you answer the question?

SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition, my gratitude or to be celebrated.

Rip It Out

Sometimes we need to use care and consideration when we declutter and clear out - and then there are other times! These other times are when we just rip stuff out …and what a joy it can be! We just ripped out our kitchen, there was no need to do it carefully - just swing the sledge hammer!

My absolute shout out is the brilliance of occasional destruction - a full letting go and directing your energy to tearing something down without a care in the world!

BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
This week’s little extra for you - from me

This week, the book I’m recommending to you is one of my all time favourites. This is The Third Door by Alex Banayan. I was privileged enough to be sent a galley copy of this book by Alex prior to release. It is his journey of discovery - in search of how the most successful people in the world became so successful. Its the one non-fiction book that easily moves the reader to tears as well as much laughter. It is inspiring, fascinating and full of brilliant gems. I have gifted it to many people - always a sign of a great book!

If you’d like to discuss having your ideas, business or culture captured visually - you can also let me know via email.

*** ORDER YOURS NOW ***

Order Your Deliberate Year Calendar & Logbook Set

LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis. 

I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:

• L: what have you learned?

• E: what’s your energy / feeling word

• A: what’s one thing you need to do?

• P: what are you thinking / processing?

• S: who or what can you shout out?