More Than WE Know

Do you ever feel like your life is a chaotic swirl of lists, demands, to-do’s and missed-do’s?

Does everyone from your children to your spouse to your friends to your customers look to you to make decisions, take actions, and give answers?

In short, do you ever feel like you are caught up in a perfect storm of crises, challenges and opportunities?

Many Women Entrepreneurs I work with struggle with all of the demands on their time, energy and talent.  Although WE love our lives for their multi-faceted color, excitement and flexibility - it can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming. While WE wouldn’t trade any of it, WE do sometimes wish for a chance to catch our breath.

The key I have found is to carry a vision inside of yourself as the “eye of the storm”.  All the chaos, clutter and confusion can be swirling around you, but you are in the center - the calm eye of the storm.

You are the leader of your business, your family and your life. Others look to you for direction. If you are calm, they will become calm. Likewise if you are upset, they will become even more upset.

Think of any world leader during a crisis. The one thing they do is present themselves as calm and in control.  They may be trembling inside but outwardly they don’t show it. 

The reason is that their followers all take their cues from them. If the leader is calm, fact-based and positive, then their followers can be too.  They relax. They think to themselves, “Someone is in charge. We will get through this.”

If you are a mother, you probably have experience with this. If one of your children gets hurt - you force yourself to remain calm and handle the situation. Instinctively you know that if you appear calm, your child will calm down as well. You rise to the challenge.

You don’t react to the crisis. You respond.

You are centered.

You are the eye of the storm.

Today, as challenges hit, take a moment before you simply react to the situation, so that you can choose to respond as a leader.

1) Take a deep breath.

2) Repeat to yourself words that resonate with you.

- “I am the leader in this situation.”

- “I am the eye of the storm.”

- “I am the calming influence.”

2) Picture yourself responding as a leader instead of reacting emotionally. 

3) If at all possible, stall for some time before you react. 

• Take a walk.
• Write your emotions in an email (that you don’t send).
• Schedule a discussion for later.

The point is to separate your emotions from the situation.  Give yourself a chance to distance yourself from the crisis. 

Don’t get caught up in the drama.

Lead and others will follow.

How do you handle the chaos and crises of your business and your life? What works for you? Are you the leader of your own life? Are you the calm center of the storm?

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