Imagine designing your own compass, where you replace the cardinal directions with a word, a person or a phrase that illustrates the “direction” that you plan to use as your heading for that day. How often do we begin each day without having made these conscious choices about how we are going to approach the day? We may know the tasks that we have to do, but may not have taken the time to decide on the spirit that is going to infuse those tasks. It is like setting off in a sailboat with the sails at half-mast and a broken rudder. This sailboat’s direction will be at the whim of wherever the wind blows.
At work and at home if we don’t set our heading, unfortunately we can be pushed by outside forces in a direction, which in no way reflects our intentions. Our compass may default to an attitude of anger, with the perspective of a cage fighter, and a direction devoid of wisdom.
Yet………
Despite the unexpected gusts and squalls, with a direction in mind, it is possible to get back on course.
DESIGN A NEW COMPASS
Think about Attitude
Some of the words that you could use might reflect the attitudes that you want to bring to that day:
Cheerful, Grateful, Curious, Thoughtful…….
Change Perspective
Envision approaching your work from a different perspective.
How would a clown, a horseback rider, a gardener, a plumber meet your day?
What might you learn from their approach?
Embrace Wisdom
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
Eleanor Roosevelt – First Lady of the US, writer and activist – 1884-1962
“There is a crack in everything. It’s how the light gets in?”
Leonard Cohen – Musician and poet – 1934-2016
“Those who cannot change their minds, cannot change anything.”
George Bernard Shaw – Writer, critic, activist – 1856-1950
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear-not absence of fear.”
Mark Twain – Writer, humorist, entrepreneur – 1835-1910
Creating a new compass requires self-awareness and conscious, deliberate choice. It exemplifies self-leadership and fosters self-agency in being able to sustain direction in the midst of the challenges of daily life.
“Live your life by a compass, not a clock.”
Stephen Covey
