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Every day I have the
opportunity to meet someone new. Lately I have met so many
terrific people. I am constantly amazed and excited to see the seeds of greatness within them. Their potential is so
evident not just to me but to all who know them... "All"
usually meaning everyone
but them.
For example, someone I know very
well once believed that she wasn't a
good speaker / presenter. For decades, she dreaded any
situation that involved standing in front of even 5 people
and talking. It was a deeply held belief which was
totally and only
supported by her thoughts and emotions. There was no real
empirical evidence to support this belief. In fact, to
others she was a fantastic speaker.
Today if you check out her LinkedIn
profile you'll see over 50 recommendations for her speaking
abilities alone. Statements like: "Traci is a
dynamic and engaging speaker / presenter..." and "Traci's
presentation at the American Society for Training and
Development (ASTD) in Houston was the highlight of their
2008 EXPO. She established rapport and gained immediate
credibility with her humor and in-depth knowledge of her
subject. We were educated and entertained! What else can you
ask for?"
Ok, yes, that person I know very
well is me. You wouldn't know it now, but my beliefs were my
beliefs and no matter what others said, I didn't believe
them. No one could convince me to change my beliefs except
for ME. But how do
you convince yourself to do that?
Do you ever question your beliefs?
Our beliefs are very deeply
held. Usually you have thought about them for a long time.
Often they have been engrained in you since birth. But when I allowed myself to question my
deeply held beliefs,
here's what I found in regards to the belief that "I'm
not a good speaker.":
Q:
Could I speak clearly?
A: Yes.
Q: Am I understandable?
A: Yep.
It's just like when you ask a
group of adults if they can sing. Most will say "No".
But they ALL can sing! They may not sing "well", but
they can all sing.
So with the answers to my
questions, technically, I am a good speaker.
Yet, when you added an audience to the mix, I had
convinced myself that I wasn't. My belief, as I had stated
and restated it over and over in my mind, was incorrect - regardless of
how deeply held it was.
So, when I said "I am not a good speaker,"
what I did I really mean? It boiled down to this: "I am scared
and intimidated when I have to stand up and talk in front of
others."
By believing that I wasn't a
good speaker, my mind was helping me to avoid fear and
intimidation... and in doing so I couldn't / wouldn't /
didn't change and grow in this area. I held
myself back.
What beliefs are stopping you?
IF you are a leader, what
beliefs do you have about YOU that are not
supportive?
What beliefs do you have about
others
that are not supportive?
Newsflash:
Beliefs can be wrong!
Your beliefs come from your underlying thoughts and thinking
habits. If those habits are no longer supported by reality
or are no longer supporting you, YOU can CHANGE them.
Your mind
recognizes patterns, especially ones that have been repeated
over and over again, and rationalizes them - making them
"right" and the alternatives "wrong".
I had a client who told me she would always
get her tasks done EXACTLY on time. What's wrong with that,
you might ask. Well, often times she could actually get them
done EARLIER, but she would put it off until the due date
because she believed that was the right
time to get it completed. When we explored this belief, she
discovered that she had always been taught to do that. She
had an abusive step-father that wanted her to be working on
her chores when he got home. So, she learned very early to
do a chore to about 90% complete and then when step-dad
pulled into the driveway, she would get up and complete the
task AFTER he got home. (Just in time and exactly on time.)
Do you have any beliefs that
hold you back in this way? These beliefs appear on the
surface to be supportive, but when you look deeper you find
out that they have been limiting your performance... your
creativity... your success.
Og Mandino writes...
"Weak is he who lets his thoughts
control his actions. Strong is he who forces his actions to
control his thoughts."
Beliefs are be powerful.
Don't misunderstand,
your beliefs can also
support you in doing
extraordinary things.
For instance, I have a dear friend who has
an incredible
gift of persuasion. She could probably be the world's
greatest sales person. She is so persuasive
that she was able to convince TSA to let her take a
golf club (which, by the way, they consider to be a 'weapon') onto
a plane.
(Note: It was a unexpected gift - she doesn't typically travel
with a driver). When she was stopped with her golf club, she
could've done any number
of things... gotten
upset at the agent, gone
back and tried to check
her club through to her
destination, and so on.
However, she had another
thought and believed
that she could convince
them to let her take her
"bludgeoning device"
onto the plane.
So, she calmly asked to
speak to the agent's supervisor but the agent mumbled "He'll probably
say the same thing. We don't make the rules. We just
have to enforce them." Upon meeting the
supervisor, she asked his advice (he didn't have much to
offer) and then presented her
idea. She convinced him to ask
the flight crew and the Captain if there was a way to get the
club on board and secured before the flight. There was!! The TSA supervisor personally delivered it to the crew
members. When he returned from the jetway, he told her, "When you're ready
for it as you get off of the plane, just yell 'Fore!'
". Yes, she talked a TSA agent (the same people who
confiscate your 3" nail
file) into letting her take a
'weapon' onto an airplane and believing she could do
it was the powerful
first step.
So what do all of these
stories have in common?
Personal beliefs all
but secured the
outcome.
So again, what are your
beliefs? If you don't
already do so, YOU should
periodically question
your beliefs! Don't
simply take them at face
value and follow them
because you have always
done it that way. In
order to stretch and
grow, you have got to
look a little deeper and
ask a few more
questions. Get out of
your comfort zone.
Consider alternative
ideas and beliefs. You
may be surprised at what
you find.
Act Today and
Change Your Life
So how do you know which of your
beliefs to question? How do you know which beliefs may be
incorrectly filtering your reality? How do you make the
changes that will allow you to achieve things you never
thought possible?
We can help!
Not only will
your 6 Advisors assessment report answer those questions, but
our coaching program will help you to
change
any of the beliefs that aren't supporting you and strengthen the beliefs that can bring you even more success.
So, take these steps...
-
 Complete your FREE assessment -
Even in this recession that is a price you can afford! Complete
the form at
http://www.breakfreeconsulting.com/intro#link and a
link to your assessment will be emailed directly to you.
-
Schedule your FREE 30 minute
confidential consultation -
You will also have the option of scheduling a free 30
minute consultation afterward you view your results. Here is what one recent
client said about this process:
"The 6
Advisors assessment was unlike any other I have taken in
my professional career. The results were very
interesting and Traci was able to provide the insight on
how to pull it all together. I have been raving to
everyone I know about how Traci was able to interpret
the results and provide direction on how to proceed
based on the findings! I would recommend this to anyone
who wants to become better at leading from the head of
the boardroom table and managing their 6 advisors!"
J.B., Green Bay, WI
-
Start growing by changing your
thinking habits (beliefs)
- Register today for an upcoming coaching
programs! (Special pricing
available through July 2009.) I promise you that you will
forever change your life for the better. (And I don't
just say that, I back it up with a guarantee!) You can
learn more at
http://www.breakfreeconsulting.com/group-coaching.
-
Lastly, don't be afraid to set yourself apart! -
Stand out from the rest of the pack.
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not
believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by
many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found
written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything
merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not
believe in traditions because they have been handed down for
many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you
find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the
good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to
it."
- Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta
Leading is not
about learning leadership tips and techniques; it is
about becoming a leader! It's about being the best
you!
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