I was doing a combination of the morning “whirl” and the “Hey, I’ve got this.” Working at home can be distracting – the “voice” in my head can take over, it needs to be controlled.
Then it hit – the opportunity to focus on helping someone = empowering myself.
A friend emailed me to tell me she and her husband could not make dinner on Saturday night. Lisa told me there was something wrong with her; the doctors couldn’t figure it out yet, she needed to rest.
In quick succession I thought, “Now what will I do with my Saturday?” – which was victim thinking. Then I thought, “There is something better for me,” – better, optimistic thinking. Finally, the most powerful: “How can I help her, comfort her?” – empowering thinking.
Notice the most powerful – the last thought – took a bit of time. Why? Because my ego – the selfish me – tends to make it about “me.” When it’s all about you – your needs, what you want – you lose power.
After a couple emails back and forth, I hit the obvious. Remind her that I care, am sending her good thoughts and will be delivering dinner on Saturday. Her quick response: “You brought tears to my eyes; I feel your caring.” I felt immediately up-lifted, powerful, helpful and connected to a dear friend.
So, who do you need to help today? When you look solely at how you can win, focused only on yourself, you lose power. When you look for opportunities to help you feel good; empower yourself, build trust and relationships.
Call this being a great friend, a servant leader or a powerful team mate – it is the person we are here to be. The result: you stepped up your life and your impact; you connected, inspired and moved people.
It all starts with self-awareness, one of the most important skills for success at work and home.
Look for: How you can help move others (team, friend, family) forward Opportunities to build trust, collaboration and success – positively Where to step-up your game, increase your self-awareness, empower others
And, dare I say it, have FUN at the same time? Help others and you’ll help yourself.
Get your power back.