Best to Gather Yourself
"Calmness is the cradle of power." – Josiah Gilbert Holland
This past week, I was making my way through an office building here in San Antonio, and I overheard a conversation among a few business associates. From what I could quickly capture,they had just walked out of an important presentation, and they were preparing to go back and deliver the final pitch.
A more seasoned member of the team said the following to a young associate …
“This is an important opportunity, and I’m not sure we’re going to get a second chance. I want to be honest with you … There is a lot of pressure on all of us. It’s your turn to deliver the final part, and we need to emphasize what makes us the vendor of choice. It’s tough! It’s best to gather yourself and focus on what our company does best! Let’s go!”
There are so many great messages in the advice shared by the veteran team member, but I was struck with the point about “gathering yourself.”
Gather Yourself
The more time I spend on this earth, the more I realize that continued success in any form comes to those who have an even keel view of themselves and their lives. We’re going to experience ups-and-downs, so it’s best to always keep a steady approach.
I understand there will be tough times, but we can deal with those situations well when we gather ourselves and think logically about the next best move.
Similarly, when we experience a big high in life, we can enjoy it for a time. However, this terrific experience is “terrific” because it does not happen every day. We can celebrate the good times and know that soon we will have to move forward with the daily activities of life.
Would you agree?
Going back to the story I was sharing earlier about the business team, I am reminded about the ways I gather myself before moving forward with the next best action …
When I’m about to deliver a presentation to potential clients, I focus on the value our company can provide. While I show enthusiasm, I avoid getting overly excited, as this is a business meeting not Happy Hour.
The next time someone makes me upset for whatever reason, I will pause before reacting to the situation. Even if I take just a few seconds to say a quick prayer, this is just enough time to put the situation in perspective. In fact, I might decide doing nothing is the best course of action, and all will be water under the bridge.
A little earlier, I mentioned we need to be careful about the “highs” that take place in life. At some point, we should come back to our daily living.
Let me take this approach on that aspect … When something great happens in your personal life, such as a new baby, job promotion, family vacation, and so on …
Use this opportunity to show others how important they are to you.
In other words, we can gather ourselves, but let’s have a non-stop approach to showing love to
others.
When we have this approach, it seems like much of the bad or crazy stuff that happens in our lives takes care of itself.
See you next week, my friends!
Closing Quotes
" He who angers you conquers you." – Elizabeth Kenny
" Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it." – Charles R. Swindoll
Homework Inquiry
During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you remain calm when life gets tough?
I use this opportunity to share with you a unique story and a couple inspiring quotes. Oh ... as a professor at heart, you guessed it, I have a homework inquiry for you. This is a powerful question that might just trigger you to take action on something that really matters in your life. If you feel the Catalyst Newsletter brings benefit to you.