Uncategorized

How are you dealing with change and uncertainty?

June 19, 2020June 19, 2020 Rachel Griffiths

Rarely have we been living through such times of change and uncertainty. Many of us are working from home, perhaps indefinitely and we are all had to adapt quickly. From new ways of working, socialising, shopping and even communicating with families. And all this is in addition to the change that life brings anyway. What is certain is there will be more to come.

Clouds form, reshape, pass and form again. Fly through the clouds. Appreciate every moment. Change is constant.
anonymous

How are you dealing with change?

We often forget that we are always dealing with change. The chances are that some of your best and worst memories involved moments of change.

So remember that you have a lifetime of experience and are perhaps better at this ‘change thing’ than you think. You are still ok. In fact, I suspect, you are probably more than ok. You are doing great.

Change is also movement, progress and learning. It often brings better, brighter or different things. When your house falls through, perhaps a better one is round the corner. When you don’t get the job you hoped for, you get something different and often more suitable. We know this right? It is just sometimes easy to forget in the moment.

How you feel in times of change and ‘in the moment’ can often be a habit. Things are changing, so I have to be worried or anxious. Change is bad. That often means we are resistant to it, clinging on to certainly or predictability. When infact, we know that things are never predictable.

The chances are that you don’t have to feel any of those things in times of change. You can choose to be different. It may take some practice but what would it be like to form a new habit where you could be excited about change, feel strong? Or grounded? Or just really confident with it?

If you can deal with change, you can deal with life. And you are already doing it.

Try asking yourself these six questions

What have been the main points of change in my life?
What am I proud of myself for in the way I responded to it?
What did I learn about myself from the change?
How am I viewing change or uncertainty?
What perspective could I choose to have on it?
If I chose that perspective, how would I be different towards change?

And we all have a choice of how we choose to be. At any point.

I remember, ahead of doing a parachute jump, a good friend said to me

It goes by so quickly, you can either spend the whole time being scared or the whole time enjoying it. Just choose before you jump

Uncategorized

Could You Survive The X Factor? Take The Test

October 1, 2017 Rachel Griffiths

It isn’t a coincidence that X Factor still remains so popular among an audience of addicted viewers.

Week after week, it is compelling viewing and nerve wracking to see people putting themselves literally on centre stage to follow their dreams. Have you ever wondered why it makes such good viewing?

However different they are, each contestant shares one familiar trait; they have courage For their dreams, for their belief in something bigger and better, they are prepared to make themselves utterly vulnerable. For two minutes they are prepared to show, waht they believe to be the best of them, to an audience of ‘experts’ and to a thousand strong audience of strangers.

Brave eh?

What do they risk? They risk being vulnerable.

They risk walking on stage and being judged even before they start to sing.
They risk choosing the wrong song
They risk it all going wrong
They risk ‘having a bad day’
They risk….well for them, everything.

And yet they still take the risk

They are prepared to be vulnerable.

And that vulnerability risks one of several outcomes:

– They are told they don’t have a talent and not getting through. Hey, they have heard it all before and chosen not to listen to it. Choosing not to listen to that and listening instead to their own self belief is how they got to the finals of the X factor anyway right?
– They learn something new. They handled the pressure better than they thought, they suit a better song choice, they can build rapport with an audience at Wembley. Not too shabby learnings eh?

– They receive the most positive feedback and affirmation of themselves that they had not dared to dream of, For that one moment hearing thousands of people saying not just ‘you’re ok’ but ‘we like you’. Or even better, ‘you’re amazing’. A round of applause, a positive commnet from the judges, a standing ovation. That is what they risk. We’ve seen all of you and we like you?
What better feedback is there?

And as if that isnt’ brave enough or scary enough putting yourself in such a visible and vulnerable situation, just think of those who decide to sing a song that they have composed by themselves? Even more of a risk not to rely on a ‘guaranteed winner’.

A breathtaking risk to most of us.

Blimey.

So here is the good news. You can be on the X Factor, starting tomorrow and without the few million viewers that peak time television that a Saturday night always attracts

Are you good enough?

Yes. You are.

So later today, tomorrow and for the next few days. Put yourself on the X Factor. Show up as though you had composed your own song and were willing to sing it to Wembley. Risk being vulnerable, dare to show people what you think is the best of you.

Be vulnerable. Then watch the feedback…. we think you will be blown away by the audience. You are next on stage, they are waiting to from hear you and they want to hear your best, most vulnerable self.

Uncategorized

When To Change From Flip-Flops to Winter Boots?

September 26, 2017 Rachel Griffiths

Right now, thousands of us are probably walking around with cold feet, reluctant to put the flip-flops away for another year, to finally mark the end of (even late) summer and determined to reject the thought of socks and winter boots.

Well this analogy isn’t just about flip -flops and boots, it is about your ability to live in the moment, to be confident of change and be positive about the future.

While in this case the action is moving from flip flops to winter boots, this is a pattern that appears across our lives – when to let go of something and how to be comfortable moving on. Flip flops may mark the end of the summer but if you are an autumn person you will already have your boots out and probably your jumpers too. If you love summer, you will enjoy clinging on to the adventures and the feeling of sand between your toes on the beach holidays or camping trips.

How ready you are to put your boots on, depends on your view on life.

If you can live in the moment, be positive and enjoy change, you’ll accept with ease of the changing seasons.

If you’re not quite so good at those things above (and it takes some practice to be) then you may well be clinging on with a sock, flip flop combination or maybe just still wearing them around the house.

One thing is for sure, you will know when it is time to change. Until then, accept the uncertainty and know that that the moment will arrive.

So next time you find yourself in a flip flop to winter boot dilemma, remember you will know when the time is right

And who knows, you may even enjoy getting your winter socks and winter jumpers out too