- Silvia Johnson
Fall is here, change is upon us and it is time to launch something new. Kids are going back to school and families are having to readjust their schedules to the new flow of things. As we delve into a new pattern of work and life, it often seems that these are times of reflection and considering what’s next.
I’ve personally been looking at ways that I can leverage my time and be able to share my skills in a bigger way. As I sat, reflecting on why I had left the corporate world, it dawned on me. Ultimately I left because I was having to lay people off, and to me that felt like I was crushing people’s dreams instead of helping them create them. It was so emotionally draining and painful for me, that I just had to escape, and escape I did.
In fact after the wedding and finishing up a few more classes I dove into growing my business. Within a few months I had three consulting gigs and a dozen private coaching clients. I was so excited to see it all happening and I was grateful to be “one of the lucky ones” bringing in money in this economy. I continued to grow and transform my business, then one day I had an epiphany, where all the puzzle pieces fell into place and I came full circle.
In order to give back the dream to those who have been effected by lay offs, it was time I gave back in a BIG way. And so, the “3 Simple Secrets to 6 Figures Outside the Cubicle” was born. A *FREE* teleseminar aimed at anyone who believes there is another way to be successful in this world. Click on the link to find a description of what it is and how to sign up. Even if it doesn’t sound like it’s for you, sign up anyway as it will give you a different perspective to the world around you.
I know I’m here to make a difference in my own way, and this teleseminar will take me one step closer to fulfilling my mission. What’s your mission? What are you meant to do in the world?
All the best,
Silvia
- Leo Hirsch
“Half Half and Half”
Someone actually said these words to me the other day. Strangely enough, this statement made sense to me.
The reason her statement made sense to me is because I knew the context. It reminded me that all of us may have trouble understanding the meaning of what someone says if we don’t fully understand the speaker’s context. And yet, we assign meaning to the words people say to us all the time without having the slightest idea of what the other person really means.
I’m reminded of a time when my boss told me, “You need to be on time for my staff meetings.” My boss held his staff meeting at 8:00 am on Wednesday mornings and I was having trouble getting to them on time. I was arriving 10 to 15 minutes late to at least one meeting a month. He was justified in saying this to me. I knew that he was telling me that he was very disappointed in my tardiness. After all, if I respected him and I thought that his meetings were important, then I’d make sure that I got to them on time. Wouldn’t I? In addition, if I didn’t start showing up for his meetings on time, then he was probably going to take disciplinary action and he would be justified in doing so, because I was clearly at fault. This was the meaning I put on his statement.
I felt ashamed and I looked down at the ground and said, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be late. I’m commuting a long way and the traffic in the mornings is very unpredictable. I’ll make an extra effort to get here on time. I want you to know that I think that your meeting is very important and I mean no disrespect when I’m late.”
He gave me a puzzled look and said, “Oh, it’s not that! I want you to be on time so that you can fully participate in our discussions. Your input is very valuable. You often have a point of view that is different from the rest of my staff and because of that I always want to hear your opinion. When you are late, I don’t always get your input on things that are going on. So, I would appreciate it if you could be on time. Thanks!” (big smile on his face)
Obviously, this experience stayed with me over the years because it represented a significant learning for me: I might not really understand what someone means unless I have sufficient information.
So, when someone says something “rude” to me, or someone says something “disrespectful”, I try to remember that I might want to gather more information before I respond.
By the way, this person was responding to a question I had asked her. I asked, “Do you want Half and Half or non-fat milk in your coffee?”