Corporate Newsletter: SureWest
Issue 5: The Power of Choice
July 10, 2002
Good morning, CIA agents! In keeping with my goal of providing a weekly bit of corporate inspiration, here we are again...
>> TWO WAYS TO LOOK AT THINGS
Have you ever felt trapped by circumstances? Perhaps you're just dreading an upcoming presentation. Or you wonder where your marriage is going. Or maybe you've been given an assignment that you don't have the resources to complete.
In our minds, circumstances can sometimes appear as huge, overwhelming monsters or unmovable prison walls. We feel helpless, paralyzed. We think, "There's nothing I can do to fix it now!" or "I'll just have to grit my teeth and make it through, somehow!" or even worse, "I'M GOING TO FAIL!!!!"
But we don't have to suffer in this way!
There is immense freedom in realizing a simple truth: "I do have a choice." We'll probably return to this concept again and again, because it's foundational to the change agent mentality.
As an employee, you can look at this company and say, "What can I possibly do to make things better? This company is huge, and there are too many people who resist change. Why put so much effort into something that probably won't have much effect?"
Or you can say, "I choose to believe that my life will be enriched by the pursuit of positive change. I choose to believe that whatever little bit I do in changing my own attitudes and processes will have a positive effect on the company. And I dare to believe that even today my choices can encourage someone else to have a better day."
>> YOU *DO* HAVE A CHOICE
Now, I realize that many of us have faced situations where we couldn't accomplish our goal, no matter HOW creative we were, no matter HOW hard we tried. Sometimes life happens that way. But guess what?
Even when given an impossible task, you have a choice. You can be overwhelmed and defeated by it -- or you can do your best and learn from the process, regardless of whether you "succeed" or "fail" at the task. The difference is in you.
If you let yourself feel defeated, you lose. But if you choose to see it as a learning experience, you will come out of the experience stronger and ready to face even tougher situations!
Find the switch in your mind and turn on the POWER OF POSITIVE CHOICE. You may not have the power to control the circumstances in your life (who does?), but you can choose how you react to them. And THAT is the true power. Who can bully you into a deadline if you choose to go for it voluntarily? What situation can make you upset if you choose to remain calm? What "failure" can depress you if you choose to walk in optimism and hope?
You'll find that this shift of mind can remove the stress from deadlines, bring love and joy back to your relationships, and bring hope and energy to your most challenging assignments. Imagine -- with this attitude, you can celebrate Mondays as well as Fridays! Now there's an amazing concept!
>> YOUR MISSION
The next time you face a deadline with deep dread or feel trapped by seemingly impossible circumstances, recognize that feeling for what it is. As soon as you recognize it, then say in your mind or out loud, "Stop! I don't have to feel this way. I do have a choice!"
It may help to try it on small things first: When someone cuts you off in traffic, choose to relax and even slow down a little, like you're on a Sunday drive! As you practice this shift of mind, it gets easier and you'll feel the results. Then, the next time an urgent assignment interrupts a scheduled deadline, you'll have an easier time choosing your reaction -- choosing to be creative in pursuing a positive solution!
Above all, decide today that your circumstances won't control your emotions. Instead choose to be focused, relaxed and productive, regardless of circumstances. And as you have the opportunity, encourage others around you to exercise the power of choice!
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."
-- Thomas Edison
See you in the hallways, change agents!
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Some ideas and definitions used in this newsletter were found in the "Fifth Discipline Fieldbook" by Senge, Kleiner, Roberts, Ross and Smith (ISBN 0-385-47256-0)