One of my best friends sent me a wall hanging a while ago, it said "peace, it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work, it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart." It hangs in my office above my desk as a constant reminder.
As I navigate the changes that my life presents, I have to remember to return to my place of peace. As many times as I move away from that place I return to it. Like coming home and settling into my favorite spot on my couch, my favorite book.
What I'm learning, is that I don't have to leave my peace behind as though it was somehow separate from me. I can have it with me always as a choice I make no matter the circumstance, no make the facts or the thing that makes sense. I can express rage, I can love passionately, I can hurt, I can experience my life from a backdrop of peace. Peace has never been a passive state of mind. I don't know why I ever thought it to be so. Peace is fervent, earnest, joyfilled.
From a peaceful place, the stresses of life are minimized. From a peaceful mindset, thoughts and feelings are clearer. From a peaceful place, I stand in myself and in my truths, fearlessly. From a peaceful place, I can hold myself in the space I choose and take conscious action instead of reacting.
I can see the difference in my life between practicing this and forgetting. I am practicing more.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Charming Snake
As a consultant, I get to meet and spend time with a variety of different personalities. As an observer, it's one of the many things I enjoy about what I do.
The other day, I called someone on behalf of a client and had the experience of meeting a very charming individual that I knew was fishing for free information. We'll call him Bill. Bill was very charming. He asked all the "I'm interested in you" questions; dropped names of people we both know to make me feel connected, you know 6 degrees and all. I watched, listened, and waited for some place that I could insert myself. Nada....nothing...this guy was just on a roll (role). Now the Consultant in me kept saying "time is money, what does he want? what's he looking for?"
It was an interesting process to try and reconcile these warring factions. On the one hand, I wanted to find out what he wanted from my client. On the other hand I had to make sure that I gave away enough to make him feel like we needed to take the next step and actually meet. I kept wondering whether I would give too much away to my very charming snake making a face-to-face unnecessary. Finally, he asked who I was and where did I fit into the project he was working on? Then, he did something very surprising, he listened. He understood. He made sense. Of course I knew that this was for his benefit and not necessarily for mine. He was doing his job representing his client as I was representing mine. We both had an objective. We both had a desired outcome.
The reason that this encounter is noteworthy for me was the methods that were employed for him to reach his goal. There was no direct communication. He communicated via reference and intimidation. Nothing was meant to be his own thoughts or his own position. Instead, what I observed were put-downs, name dropping to gain validation and a feeble attempt to gain connection with me and establish some common goal. As I hung up the phone, I wondered if I ever appeared so to anyone new I contacted. I pride myself on being able to connect to people in a genuine way and I have employed some of the same techniques as my charmer (name dropping, past employers). Do I also appear insincere? Do I also leave a conversation with the person thinking "what was she up to?" I hope not. My charmer was an interesting mirror. I wonder how many of my business conversation end with the person thinking 'she was a very charming snake'.
The other day, I called someone on behalf of a client and had the experience of meeting a very charming individual that I knew was fishing for free information. We'll call him Bill. Bill was very charming. He asked all the "I'm interested in you" questions; dropped names of people we both know to make me feel connected, you know 6 degrees and all. I watched, listened, and waited for some place that I could insert myself. Nada....nothing...this guy was just on a roll (role). Now the Consultant in me kept saying "time is money, what does he want? what's he looking for?"
It was an interesting process to try and reconcile these warring factions. On the one hand, I wanted to find out what he wanted from my client. On the other hand I had to make sure that I gave away enough to make him feel like we needed to take the next step and actually meet. I kept wondering whether I would give too much away to my very charming snake making a face-to-face unnecessary. Finally, he asked who I was and where did I fit into the project he was working on? Then, he did something very surprising, he listened. He understood. He made sense. Of course I knew that this was for his benefit and not necessarily for mine. He was doing his job representing his client as I was representing mine. We both had an objective. We both had a desired outcome.
The reason that this encounter is noteworthy for me was the methods that were employed for him to reach his goal. There was no direct communication. He communicated via reference and intimidation. Nothing was meant to be his own thoughts or his own position. Instead, what I observed were put-downs, name dropping to gain validation and a feeble attempt to gain connection with me and establish some common goal. As I hung up the phone, I wondered if I ever appeared so to anyone new I contacted. I pride myself on being able to connect to people in a genuine way and I have employed some of the same techniques as my charmer (name dropping, past employers). Do I also appear insincere? Do I also leave a conversation with the person thinking "what was she up to?" I hope not. My charmer was an interesting mirror. I wonder how many of my business conversation end with the person thinking 'she was a very charming snake'.
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