Springing Out of The Mundane

“I’ve decided to start my own business!” a super excited friend stated. I was having a conversation with several others when she proclaimed her new career path. As she went further into her ideas, I could feel her enthusiasm escalate.

Later in the conversation, I mentioned that she should relish these feelings and, if inspired, write down what specifically was making her feel this way. At any point in time, she could use this information to easily connect back to those feelings.

This prompted another to ask, “That’s great, but how do you maintain your enthusiasm during those times you have to do the mundane?”

“It’s fairly simple,” …when you feel that the majority of your life is spent doing things that refuel you, the “mundane“ is effortlessly accomplished. When the basis of your life feels great, the menial tasks get done as though they are inspired works of art. When you’re living in passion, everything gets absorbed into that passion.

Think back to a time when you felt amazing. Weren’t monotonous tasks easier to do? Right before vacation don’t you seem to zip through work as though you’re eating a melting ice cream cone? Doesn’t it somehow feel less arduous? Maybe there was a skip in your step or a song on your lips. Even everyday chores become absorbed into the passionate life you are living. That passion gloms onto everything you do.

Similarly, when you’re in the dread, then you are amplifying the mundane – you are perpetuating the feelings of the grind. Your life becomes heavier, loaded down by this extra baggage that you heaped upon yourself. When you operate from this burdensome place, the mundane takes its toll on you. You have to dig yourself out of a hole first before you can move forward, and each step out is more exhausting than the last one.

When starting from a foundation of passion, you’re spring-boarded through all that you do. To start building this type of foundation, think back on a time(s) when you felt energized, joyful, or most content.

  • What were you doing?
  • Where were you?
  • Who were you with?
  • Why do you think you felt this way?

Once you are clear on the above, ask yourself…

What can I start doing or what can I do differently to begin feeling this way again?

And, most importantly, have fun!

How You Show Up Impacts Your Interactions

“You’re the auditors?” a surprised CFO said of my all-women team as we walked into the Fortune 500 manufacturing company. “Yes, we are!” I responded. “And, if you mess with us, we’ll cook your books and it won’t be in your favor! We’d also like a nice office with windows.” “Anything else you ladies would like?” I asked. “Lots of coffee and donuts at 9 a.m., please.” Another added, “And, after a long day of traveling, a foot massage would be awesome!” “Yes,” the team chimed in, “definitely a foot massage!” Following a few more lighthearted exchanges, the energy was fun and we were ready to get to work.

I started out in public accounting in the early ’90s when it was a male-dominated profession. I learned early on that I needed to be aligned, confident and in my flow. And, most importantly, I knew I needed to take responsibility for how I showed up.

In this exchange, my team made choices to look out for the best interests of everyone involved. In that moment, I was influencing my team and representing myself, our CPA firm, women and the accounting profession. In my mind, there was no other option but integrity.

Responses that stem from fear or anger are rarely productive. Reciprocating snide comments only perpetuates the very behavior you’re trying to move past. Instead, I used my vital (finite) resources to move forward, affording everyone the space to interact from their highest potential. This is when positive change can materialize.

To read more about this as well as strategies to move beyond it, click on this Forbes link.

Aligning With Enthusiasm

Lori Kuhn

 

My 18 year old daughter and her friend just returned after a week in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. She has traveled quite a bit but it was always with the family. Having never been to St. Croix, I had to rely on reviews to gauge the safety of the island and, in particular, the location where they were staying. As you can imagine, the reviews were as consistent as throwing darts blindfolded.

After my brief online research, I was slightly, okay, let’s get real…MAJORLY freaked out!

What to do in these situations?

What I always do…my work in the moment was to get aligned, get grounded and connect to my flow.

The work was all mine!

It wasn’t to tell my daughter not to go and it wasn’t to make her paranoid by giving her worst case scenarios – that was the last thing I wanted to do. She more than anyone needed to be aligned as she was the one taking the trip.

My daughter was excited for it. Her intention was to have fun, be joyful, and explore a super cool island with her best friend.

So why in the world would I not be in that state?

Why would I not support her in her enthusiasm?

(In some instances it’s necessary to discern enthusiasm from anxiety or fear.)

Why develop my own negative constructs around her positive experience?

Why would I sit in my fear when I could be supporting, experiencing, and sharing in her bliss. (And, better yet, holding that energy for her.)

Carrying negative energy on someone else’s behalf not only detracts from their experience but makes yours an anxiety-ridden miserable experience too.

When you can get to a space of grounded alignment that energy impacts your and their experiences. It’s called entanglement.

Don’t believe me – try it!

If it doesn’t work for you, give me a shout out. We’ll get you there!

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