If you haven't seen a lot of posts already focused on vision (pardon the intentional pun), then you'll soon start to see them everywhere. I mean how can you not when we've just entered the year of 2020? I like to think of it as the vision of our future 20 years being created from lessons learned from the past 20 years. But what does that mean for each of us?
Whether you're a person who makes resolutions or are a goal-setter, whether you're a person who reflects or dreams big, there's no escaping that who we are is a reflection of our how we grew up and our life experiences. Life presents us with some fancy lessons. It's how we respond to them that helps define who we are and is one of the largest areas in which we have total control.
So take a moment and think back to a lesson you've learned. Think about how you responded in the moment. If you're anything like me, you may not have reacted as you wished you had in hindsight, and that's okay. But given that hindsight opportunity, and who you are at this point in time, consider how you might respond if the same situation was to happen today. Think about how that may have changed the situation in the moment, or maybe even the outcome. Now don't go feeling regret or like you've missed an opportunity. That ship has sailed. What's in the past stays there, but it's what you could do in the future, given a similar situation that has the real power for you.
Maybe your example had something to do with someone having criticized you for some reason. And you got defensive. That's a perfectly normal reaction. Maybe you took it further and started verbally attacking that person in return. Again, it happens more than we know. Both of you left the discussion feeling belittled and berated in this scenario.
Imagine again the same criticism coming your way. What might have happened if you had listened to the criticism and pondered it for a moment. Was it all a fabrication? Was there a kernel of truth in there at all that you might learn from? Was it someone simply using you as a mirror and really what they were doing was being hard on him/herself but taking it out on you? Maybe that person was having a super duper rough day and was under a lot of pressure and just snapped at you because you were close by. There are hundreds of reasons, some valid and some not, as to why the comment was tossed your way to begin with. Taking a breath and quickly scanning to answer a few questions gives you both a moment for pause and allows the opportunity for a different type of reaction from you, and hence a different outcome.
It's hindsight exercises such as these, given the space of time, life experiences and thoughtful reflection that lead to growth. Let's make 2020 a year for growth, both personally and professionally. Let's be the people we're most proud to be and our world will be that much brighter.
Have a fantabulous day!
Smiles, Brenda