The Antidote to Head Games: Presence and Passion
Ever sit in a meeting at work and suddenly find yourself captured by your own thinking with thoughts like,
“What did they just think of that comment I made?”
“Maybe I should be saying something smart now… no wait… I don’t talk to talk…”
“What was that look all about?”
It is frightfully easy to suddenly find yourself battling a head game at work that you initiated upon yourself! Worse yet, these head games commence at the worst times when your presence and clear thinking is most required.
The frequency of these head games occur when we are tired, when the company is going through change, when large uncertainty hangs in the air, when we feel the pressure of “positioning” or when we’ve lost touch with what got us excited to do the work of our job in the first place.
The root of what is behind this head game often is fear – fear of losing credibility or not having it in the first place, fear of losing momentum, fear of falling short… fear of falling behind. Once you become preoccupied with that subtle “fear state” – even if you keep that polite smile on your face – there is no getting around it – your best “present energy” has been compromised when it will matter most.
There is an antidote to this head game and it’s worth some reflection time and practice.
Presence and Passion
First know that you matter. Believe you matter once and for all but don’t just take my word for it, listen to the inspiring story of Angela Maiers, a teacher on a mission to teach and inspire the “you matter” in all of us. The interesting thing is… once you let go of the head game and shift your attention to how everyone else in the room matters and specifically connect to how they matter – suddenly you will matter more to them – it is an extraordinary cycle that positively builds on itself. Be the one to start this cycle and you will open up your presence to the room in amazing ways.
Second understand what meaningfully fuels you and how to nurture that in yourself and others. Learn to place words around your passions. Think about the times when you were in a meeting and you felt you were not only in your wheelhouse from a skill stand point but you loved the topic – you loved the possibility of the actual work that was ahead. Study passion in yourself and the people around you; put intention behind this powerful fuel line and respect “the why” behind you and others. When your passions are playing a vital role in your life you don’t lose sleep because of stress; you lose sleep because you are excited to get up and get going! How is this for you? Believe you have passions that matter but don’t just take my word for it, take a Passion Profile with the Purposed Linked Consulting – a global firm dedicated to unleashing passion to help companies and people not just live but thrive.
The head game is small and inconsequential – a self-diminishing act.
Instead embrace
Presence – this is your “you matter voice” in action
Passions – this is your “why” in action
Help those around you do the same.
Tools that not only dismantle that fearful head game but can change everything – your life, your little corner of the world – or the whole world itself!