We Love a Visionary

President Obama quoted Lincoln yesterday as he celebrated Lincoln’s 200th birthday.

"The American people needed to be reminded, he believed, that even in a time of war, the work would go on; that even when the nation itself was in doubt, the future was being secured; and that on that distant day when the guns fell silent, a national capitol would stand, with a statue of freedom at its peak, as a symbol of unity in the land still mending its divisions."

Those are reassuring and hopeful words. They put the positive future into the negative now. Tricky.

Many of us today are at war with our circumstances, fighting our situations or ourselves. Our houses may be gone or at risk, our jobs - gone or at risk, our relationships feel the pressure and our self-concepts go right out the window.

All those invisible forces: status, relationships, and a sense of security. How in the world do we grasp at thin air and make it take shape?

Exercise a clear mind.

1. Visualize. Start with your daydreams and then grab the pieces that mean the most to you. Distill it down to your core values. Freedom, family, health, etc.

2. Act “as if”.
Not employed or just not content? Act as if you are. Spend your time and talent toward something worthwhile. You will attract a worthy future (and put positive potential into the negative now).

3. Explore.
“It’s not what I thought I’d be.” Are you like an actor hanging on to a glamorous role, too full of doubt to explore a gritty new one? Hang on to your values, let go of that outdated glossy.

4. Mend your divisions.
You’ve lost the familiar. It’s exhausting and at times disturbing. Find things in the outer world that give you inner strength – most don’t cost dime; a nap, a walk, a friend, a moment of peace and a sense of pride in your own courage.

5. Lose the baggage.
It’s too heavy anyway. The cynicism, bitterness, self-pity, jealousy – those seven deadly sins are fabled for a reason.

Errant and misguided thinking can cause distress as if it were a physical ailment. Mental clarity can give you energy, integrity and a sense of well-being.

Let Freedom Ring.

12 Questions to Guide You Forward

Have you lost a job, a co-worker?

Is your spouse out of work?

Are you feeling like your world is crumbling?

Here's a list of questions that can help get you back on track and prepared to refocus on positive possibilities. As always, writing your answers brings greater clarity by pushing your imaginative brain through your analytical side

12 Quick Questions to Guide Your Forward

1. What's the truth about this situation?
2. What am I most eager to resolve?
3. What I have I lost in this change?
4. How do I feel about this loss?
5. What do I lose if I don't transform?
6. What is the worst that could happen if I fail?
7. What is the best that could happen if I succeed?
8. Why have I not made this change before?
9. Why do I have more choices now?
10. Who and what will support me through this transformation?
11. What are three possible positive outcomes as a result of this change?
12. Which of these possible positive outcomes excites me the most?

We do not control the global economy, national economy, our industry and usually don't control the company we work for even if we're in senior management. But we can make choices about our reactions and thoughts that can can keep us energize and creating new opportunities.

It is shocking when our status, relationships, roles and self-concept are swept away. We mourn, berate, fume and cloud our thinking with dark emotions and imaginings. We need to engage the change and become the creators of our own opportunities.

 I wish you an exciting future and hope you'll write and let me now of your discoveries and your outcomes.